# Fencing?



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Leave the barbwire, use 4" standoff insulators on the existing posts, then run 2 strands of electorfied braided cord, NOT tape. tape sucks, to much wind drag and allways looks bad, as unless the ground is perfectly level one side will always be loose. The 1/4 " electric cord is way mo better. add an electric charger to keep the horses off the barbwire. Its also pretty strong and visible.


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## poundinghooves (Aug 5, 2010)

Yes, you can use the insulators that extend from the pole so that the horses can't get near the barbed wire. Since your horse hasn't been kept in electric fence before, make sure to walk him along the fence line so he knows where his boundaries are. Once he realizes that he'll get shocked if he touches it, he should stay off of it.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I have used the tape and the braided wire, the tape i prefer is wide..2 " tape. as with any 
type of hot wire,you do have to check it on a regular basis. If you go with the braided wire, check it for how many strands of wire are in it, the more wires the stronger. i dont like the little 1/4 ' flat tape, they just pushed that over. be sure to get the heavy duty insulators also, the less expensive ones will sun rot (been there ) . be sure the barbed wire is all tight and has no sags. good luck !


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## GrittyCowgirl (Oct 21, 2009)

Like everyone else has stated I would add electric to the existing fence. If you take down the barbed wire completely be prepared for deer and other wild game to tear your fence down on a regular basis and its no fun tracking horses over a 130+ acre farm when they get out. You can get the electric extenders that will give you about a 5" barrier from the barbed wire to keep them off the barbed wire completely. I use a 1 1/2- 2" tape on the top for a visual barrier and braided poly wire for the rest.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

We cant take the fence down, its the fence the forest serves put up, and is shared. My issue is cattle. There are a ton of cattle in the area and my grandmother would like to get a cow or two to slaughter and we dont need them setting my mare free. She will find the nearest stud within 20 miles -_-' she is such a hussy XD.

also for the wire could I put plastic ribbon on it to make it more noticeable for airhead horses?


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

I may have to add some electric fencing to my property-any suggestions on solar power? I would start my own thread, but don't know how!


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

I second Cacawgirl. How much will the fence drain on a solar/battery system? The property is so out there we can't get electric.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

You can size the charger to the length of fence. I used only solar in Tx and never had issues. If I didn't have so many tress here I'd go back. Add electric to the existing fence and I'd suggest cross fencing as well to keep pasture size more manageable. You can do this with portable poles and set up several acres around a water source and just keep moving it. Tape is much more visible and for smaller areas I'd go with that for visibility but to extend out from the existing fence I'd use the braided wire. The thicker the better (look for strand number). Once your horse figures out it bites there won't be any problems. Make sure that it is well charged though. Always follow the rec for number of grounding rods and if needed run a ground strand.. In really dry weather we have had to water our grounding rods.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Agreed with above. Regarding using solar, bear in mind that the battery only holds so many hours of power, then the wire goes dead. I'd shop around. Pretty much any farm supply store or online carries supplies and the packaging is pretty honest.
I don't think this is that bad a problem re: the barbed wire. 
You are talking about a LOT of acreage. Generally horses get in trouble with barbed wire when the turnout is small and they are putting their head over or through fending looking for better forage. If you have at least 2x adequate forage--I know that you need more acres to feed one horse that I do, in IL--I suspect your mare will be okay. What do your new neighbors think and what are they doing? Can't believe there are no other horse owners close by.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

This is not permanent for the horse. she will only be there in the summer. this is for my grandmother and she wants goats and cows. The amount of fence for the goats is not an issue, its the cows. The property is NOT fenced, it only share a fence with the national forest hence the barbed wire. Im not worried about my mare messing with the fence, its the bulls and cows. They are all black Angus and large, we don't need one walking through the fence, setting her cows, and possibly my horse loose. Could we use wire (not barbed) to fence off the parameter then extend the electric where we want the animals so no other cows/bulls tare it apart?


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Guess I missed that.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I would just run a regular hard-wire electric perimeter around the area you want your animals to stay in and not worry too much about the neighbors' animals coming into your pasture and through your fences.

i've seen a couple cattle that were alone make their way into a pasture with others but generally if it's a group when they get out they get out, go until they come to a fence choose a direction and turn and do this until they find a place with the feed they decide they want at that particular time


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

The bulls wont go through a fence to get the cows (if they are in heat)? This is in az so its scrub land, not vary lush until it rains (ha it rains here ya right!). (Also I have seen cows go though barbed wire fences but then again it was a calf so he was not all that bright)
Here is a pic of part of the property.

the fenceline


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