# How to introduce a flighty horse to electric wire



## SomethingSpecial (Aug 14, 2015)

Can you change the top wire to a white electric tape, or possible put flags along the lines? I have seen too many accidents happen because the horses aren't able to see the wire. Many needed a vet call, and some resulting in euthanasia.


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## BravoOlympus (Aug 11, 2017)

What kinda flags? is there a special martial i can put on the hot wire?


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

Easiest way to make the fence visible is to get a couple rolls of colored tape (non stick), the kind used by surveying companies to attach to stakes. Or you can cut plastic grocery bags into strips. Anyway, tie the strips/tape about every 8 to 10 feet on the wire. It gives the horse a visual barrier to avoid.

https://www.tapeplanet.com/Flagging-Tape-s/120.htm
You can get this tape at HDepot and Lowe's.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

It is normal for a horse to "check out" the electric fence the first time. They will get zapped and they learn. No getting by that. He should have it figured out now.

BUT I agree that if you have just plain wire, you need to somehow make it visible for them. Horses have a hard time seeing plain electric wire.

Easy thing we always did was cut up plastic grocery bags into strips and then just tie them onto the wire, a couple between each fence post. They wave/flap and the horses can then easily see where their fence boundary is.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I'm in the run at least one strand of white electric tape either on top or on the inside and electrify it well crowd. They'll put two and two together and then you won't have to worry about tying tape all along the fence. That gets to be a pain and has to be replaced fairly often. In our case I started with white tape over 30 years ago so all of mine that are born here are raised with it and that is what our fences are primarily but over the years and due to hubby being an ____ about chargers and fencing we have added a strand of wire to heat it up. They still associate the white with the bite as they may or may not notice the wire. There are other colors but either way it is very visible and a continuous line so there is no confusion especially if the tape tags creep to the nearest post when the wind blows.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I've always flagged by tying strips of white cloth or the plastic "do not cross" tape. It does eventually end up at the nearest post or wears away but by the time it does they've learned their boundaries, so you only need to do it again if you get a new horse.


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## auboch (Aug 9, 2017)

After a lifetime of using "flagging" I started using 2" painters' tape and it works great. The blue color is surprisingly hi-vis, it's inexpensive, and because you drape it over the wire and stick it to itself the wind doesn't blow it to the nearest post.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

I used to use Flagging tape, the stuff used for marking property lines, buried cables and other utilities. The wind will eventually blow the over to one side, but if you tie one to two wires, a top and bottom, they don't move.

I caved and got white horse tape for my newest guy. I used rope at first. He stayed behind solid fencing with hot wire at the top and rope behind it for visibility. Once he knew it, walked him along the bare wire fence that also had rope, then later replaced with white tape at top. 

My horses know a row of white step-in posts means hot fence, so if it is suddenly moved, they know to be cautious until they figure out if there is wire on them or not. But that's from years of living with it. 

Here is my track system. You can't see the bare wires unless you are close or have the right conditions line up. But the white posts and tape pop right out.


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