# Solar Fencers



## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

We have a solar charger - it's been in use for almost two years now and is going strong. It's a Zareba (if I recall correctly) but I am not sure of the exact model #. We have opted to use HoresCote/HotCote wiring, so no input on the tape vs rope issue.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I just got my new fencing set up and finished today. I ordered one of these (it was about the cheapest solar charger that I could find that was still decent quality)
Fi-Shock 4-Volt Solar Shock Fencer - Horse.com

And I hooked it up to this electric tape.
2 Inch Reinforced Mega Tape - Horse.com.

It looks really nice but I don't have any pictures yet. I had to get the reinforced tape due to the wind problems we have down here. It is very highly visible and makes a nice clean looking fence. And I can attest to the fact that it has already held up to Bessie and Pokey. Neither of them had any respect for any fencing until today.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

We have a solar charger for our fences and have been very happy with it.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

I'm very happy with my solar charger, so far no issues at all. I already had tensile wire fence up, and I just electrified a couple of lines of it. Had I been able to I would have gone with tape, however, I like the visibility. 

One piece of advice my installers gave me, is always go with a much bigger charger than you think you will need - ie if you need a five mile, get a ten mile. Less of a problem in plug in chargers, but in the solar chargers, according to my fencers, they have only JUST enough juice to make the circuit based on the mileage - if you want a worthwhile zap go with a stronger charger.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^ Yep, the area that I fenced is about 600 feet and I have a 5 mile charger. LOL Plenty of zap even at the end of my fence.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Great, thanks for all the replies. I think I'll definitely go with a solar one. Now I don't have to try and figure out how to string it 400 ft from the dog kennel to the pasture! 

My dad really isn't a fan of the tape/rope because it sags, so it's taken a lot of work to get him to agree to let me do this. I was thinking rope to decrease the drag from the wind, but I like the visibility of tape. Neither of my horses are prone to fence testing, but I may be having a new horse in the next 6 mnths so I need something with some bite and presence. 

I think I'll have to look into the pros/cons of the rope/tape. Thanks for all your help!


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

I have a 20 mile charger on 5 acres. I use the tape and it doesnt sag. And all my interior fence is one strand. And it holds all my horses just fine. One touch is all it took for my older gelding. My young one has to stick his nose to it a couple times a week to see if its working.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

You shouldn't have to worry about sag that much if you put the posts just a little closer together. On mine, I used the wood posts from the previous fence that were about 12 to 15 feet apart and this is what mine looks like.



















But then again, I'll know more about how it holds up in about 6 months LOL.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

LOL, I'm sure you have wind like we do. My neighbor has tape fences and they sag really bad. My dad hates it, so he's always been averse to that. My mom hates electric because "if the electric goes out there isn't anything to keep the horses in."

But I've convinced them now. I just need to pay for it on my own. I was hoping to use the posts already in, but I think some of them are too far apart. 

I'm going to start stockpiling the supplies until I have enough to get it up. I figure it'll happen sooner if I buy the fencer now and start buying rolls of tape until I have enough to fence at least one line. The rest will follow as I save up the money.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

They do make the reinforced tape designed for high wind areas. That's what I got. I was worried that I wouldn't have enough so I ordered 2 rolls LOL. It only took part of 1 roll to fence the entire area.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

Our main pasture is hotwire on two sides, and 5 strand the rest of the way. The hotwire is charged by a plug-in charger behind the house. 

We set up a small pasture for mares about to foal or horses that are sick or injured. The first time we set it up, we used the electric tape. It does sag if your posts are too far apart, but if you are in a high-wind situation, it will also stretch. (I live in south-central Kansas, and some days it's still while others the wind blows 40 mph.) The second time, we used the electric rope. I didn't notice the stretching with the rope. Both types were easily visible to the horses. The only thing to keep in mind is if the fence breaks (tape or rope), there might be some fraying. So make sure that there is wire touching wire when you fix it.

We used a Zareba solar charger, but it didn't work very well for us. We have a lot of trees, so it didn't hold as much charge in summer as it could have, and in winter, same problem. To fix that issue, we got a battery powered charger, and that worked very well. I had a gelding who loved to test fence, but after getting zapped twice, he decided that might not be the best idea he ever had.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> Does anyone have recommendations/experience with solar fencers? I'm thinking this might save me some money (not to mention hassel) in the long run.


Solar is the only way to go in my opinion. They are just as good as wired ones and you have the flexibility of placement.


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## back in the crosby again (Feb 4, 2009)

I have a top strand of wide tape and then 2 strands of rope. It is charged with a cheap solar charger. I did not have much money then and got the cheapest one I can find. It works fine for now, neither of my girls test it at all, but when I can I am going to move up to a larger charger. I only have 2 acres fenced but I am going to add a larger 5 acre pasture next to it, so that little charger will not cut the mustard then. At the end of the last strand there is hardly any zap. I also would have just done tape if I could do it again, the 3 strands of tape would look a lot better. 

The only time I had any sagging problems was when we got a really heavy wet snow.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Well, I can now personally attest to the power of the charger that I linked earlier. I touched the tape the other day and it knocked me on my *** LOL.


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