Electric Fencing

[Rebecca]

I have a mare who over the past year and a half has broken 5 boards in the fence by leaning over it to reach plants on the other side, putting all her weight on her neck and letting her front legs dangle (picture a rearing horse leaning over the fence). I'm worried as this can't be good for her neck, and if she breaks a board I don't want her to scratch herself. I've tried cutting the vegetation away from the sides of the paddock but it grows back fast and doesn't deter her from leaning farther. She's by no means starving, she's a chubby little girl and I think she just gets bored. But she makes me worried, I love her to pieces, I don't want my little one to injure herself.

I'm pretty sick of fixing the fence, too!

So, I'm thinking about getting electric fencing if this continues. I'd like to hear the pros/cons of electric fencing, who uses it and who doesn't, why, and where to buy electric fencing that is safe for a miniature horse. I don't want her to get hurt breaking boards but I don't want to hurt her with the electric either. I'll be doing a lot of research first to find fencing safe for her.

Thanks in advance,

Rebecca

 

[Rocky1]

You can get everything you need at your local feed store, TSC , or even try EBay! Since you already have the wooden boards, you should try just the nail in insulators with some cheap wire. Get a good fencer(something strong) don't cheap out on the fencer. You'll need the fencer, the ground pole, the wire to connect to the fencing wire, and then the fencing wire, insulators, and maybe some connctors. I use long, wide pieces of grass to test the fence. You will still get a shock from the fencer, it just will be a lot milder than grabbing it with your hand....lol

 

[Marty]

I have no cons whatsoever about electric fencing.

All my fences, field fencing and plank fencing has hot wire for back up. It keeps them off the fences. I wouldn't be without it or all my fences would be mashed. I use a solar charger too which I have never had a problem with.

I don't know what your situation is, but you might want to further explore the boredom you mentioned. Get her a stable mate, put out some toys, iand maybe ncrease her forrage. One thing that helps with a bored horse for sure is to put her on a daily exercise program even if it is just a light program, it really helps their overall welness.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKTUJMrF_Sg...feature=related

 

[spindleberry]

We use electric fence. LOVE LOVE LOVE it! So easy to put up and maintain!

 

[Rebecca]

I have no cons whatsoever about electric fencing. All my fences, field fencing and plank fencing has hot wire for back up. It keeps them off the fences. I wouldn't be without it or all my fences would be mashed. I use a solar charger too which I have never had a problem with.

I don't know what your situation is, but you might want to further explore the boredom you mentioned. Get her a stable mate, put out some toys, iand maybe ncrease her forrage. One thing that helps with a bored horse for sure is to put her on a daily exercise program even if it is just a light program, it really helps their overall welness.

Thanks for all the videos Marty! Very helpful, I'm saving this thread.

As far as her boredom, I should have explained it better- She has a stable-mate, toys, salt licks, and gets fed 3-4 times a day to spread out the hay they get and keep them busier so they don't gobble it up all at once. She gets exercised usually once a day and I go out and spend time, play with, and clicker train with her at least once a day, more during the summer (no school). She wouldn't be bored if I stayed out there all day playing around with her but that's not really possible, as much as I'd love to.

Thank you all for the replies, I'll start looking around now that I know that others use it for their minis without problems!

Rebecca

 

[iowa]

We've used electric fence for years. On pastures where I have only electric, the grass and weeds will reduce the current so every year I have a few who learn to quickly sneak under it. So it is best to use it along extisting fences to keep them off of the fence. Also, there are fence testers to check the voltage instead of a piece of grass. The tester will tell you how strong the current is. You can also use something like a hammer with one side of the hammer on the wire and the other on a metal post (ground) and check for a snap.

The only mishap I have had, other than sneaky ponies, is when one got a piece wrapped around his leg and it broke the skin and muscle. I treated it for a few months, changed wrap and ointment everyday, and it healed very nicely. But it could have turned out much worse. I guess in 25 years of using it, that is the only accident we've had.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I love mine. I use the insulators on the posts that screw in rather than nail in. They have a press bar and key type closure to press down on the tape. You can pull the tape very tight and it doesn't flutter whatsoever. It is pulled so tight that I was able to restart the tape in several places so I don't have to adjust the entire strand all the way every time I tighten it. Just pull to the next keeper and tighten back up. I love it. It doesn't loosen very often, but once or twice a year I tweek it if I see it looks like it is fluttering a bit. More common when it is cold and gets snow on it. Keeps them off my wire and they do respect it. I also have the adjustable fixtures at each end that pull like a belt to tighten, one tug and everything is very tight. I put mine high enough so they can graze under it and I don't have to weed wack. I have a high quality solar fencer that will stay hot and charged for 30 days with no sun which came in handy when we got rain all day almost every day in June. I can always tell when my boys have pulled off the ground wire because my boy will go up and start pulling on the tape with his teeth. Imagine his surprise when I fixed it and he went up and gave it a demonstration chomp. I buried a old broken pitchfork deep into the ground on the outside of the wire fencing so only the part that would connect to the wood handle was sticking up out of the grass as a grounding post to connect to. I haven't had problems with the ground getting too dry since I used this instead of a smaller single post. I use two inch wide white tape, love it and everybody respects it.