# Electric fence questions?



## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

We have a new barn just finished, I'll be putting gravel, sand on top in a few days. Our first horse the owner needs us to adopt asap. Today I got a case of posts, wire, etc. My idea is using 4ft electric posts space them every 20-30ft, we got a spool 1/2" white electric tape for top, I'm thinking another strand bare wire midway? I have a new solar/battery 5 mile charger I'll use. Make a temporary paddock about an acre or so. We got a 125 gallon water tank. The acre, 1.5acre has good grass, plenty shade. Then I can work on 9 acre pasture, replace old fence, put up new (like this, next to neighbors horses).
Any thoughts, changes, etc?









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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Sounds like a good plan. Is the new horse already familiar with electric fence? Do you think adding tape every so often might be good until he learns the boundaries?


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

Many years ago Dad had a few horses, my wife had a horse she boarded (47 years ago). I have maybe 3 hours total riding, (I was Dad's farrier). I'm a little less than an amateur!
This horse is first one we'll get, very calm 21yo mare. My thought was I'd lead her around the area first, showing her perimeter. The white electric tape our thought on top would help her see boundaries as well as white posts.
She was from pasture with board fence, I don't think any electric.
Dad's horses we built the barn (it's still standing which amazes me, we didn't even use a level), we put one plastic post every 75 ft., one electric wire. Horses never got out.
I'm not sure what tape every so often means...plastic tape?

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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Basically flagging tape tied to the wire. If you have electric tape for the top run then visibility is not an issue. I have used solar chargers but they don't put out the kick that an electric does (depending on rating) and without battery backup can fail if not in direct sun for the large portion of the day. We had problems with cloud cover too. You also have to be aware of whether your charger is rated for tape, wire or both and mixing the two doesn't work. Or I haven't had success with it. Where I have used the mix one or the other was my grounding line. OR I used wire alternated with tape for visibility and since wire carried the better charge that is what was electrified. With one horse that seemed impervious to electric I used both with a charger for each. I gave up on him.


I would shorten the distances between posts especially with plastic. Problems develop over relatively short periods of time.


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

In my back pasture I use a single strand of bare wire with flagging tape between each span. Same for the fence that goes around my yard when I turn horses out there to eat the grass around my house, barn, and shop etc. I run a hot wire above two smooth wires for my other pasture with flagging tape off each span. I use a 30 mile fencer that is extremely well grounded and runs off the power to my shop. It will quite literally knock you off your feet if you touch it and leave a blister where it touched you. I have got nailed by it a couple of times, one really bad time it blacked me out but a horse usually only touches it once before they refuse to go within a few feet of it. I have never had a problem keeping them contained by the fence. It isn't like with cows where they will try and push through while it is zapping the heck out of them, but I have noticed that even the open range cattle we get around here won't touch my fence. The amount of wallop a fence packs has a lot to do with grounding and soil moisture content. I suggest three six foot, copper, ground rods with eight to ten feet between them and wired up to your ground wire in series. If your soil has decent moisture content you will get the max wallop your fencer puts out that way. The first time a horse gets a blistering shock is almost always the last time it ever touches a fence on purpose.


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

Thanks. I'm a retired electronic technician of 43 years so I know about grounding. I put in a lot of woven wire with T posts (6" treated every 50ft, 4 T posts between) and that makes a good ground also, along with copper driven grounds.
I always tested an electric fence with a blade of grass, but I do have a fence tester meter. I got shocked so much at work over all those years I usually just touch it.
Reminds me as a kid watching a blacksmith making horse shoes. Take them out of fire with tongs, hammer on anvil then throw them on the ground. A spectator picked one up!!! Then quickly threw it down. Blacksmith asked if it was hot...guy replied "no, it just doesn't take me long to look at a horse shoe".

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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

I'd shorten up the spacing between your posts, especially if they aren't solidly-set wood posts. 16 feet seems to work here pretty well as long as the wire/tape stays tight. Step-in or plastic posts aren't worth messing with as the wind blows them over too easily. 



Wire tends to hold the best 'shock value' so what a lot of people do is run one strand of tape so the horses can easily see the fence, then run a couple of strands of wire above and below it. The tape tends to break down faster and horses who won't touch electric fence will sometimes touch the tape because it doesn't have as much 'zap.' Electrobraid seems to work well and is visible and doesn't break down too much unless you let it get saggy and it moves in the wind which breaks the wires in the rope.



I love your new barn!


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

Thanks. It's behind a large garage with bath, shower, laundry room. I had concrete poured behind garage so 5ft walkway 50ft long, 7ft up. Stairs on ends leading down. I put stone walkway/ bricks in. When it's all finished horses can come within 20 ft. of the main house door.
Bottom of hill is a long creek and a nice spring I dammed into a holding pond and creek crossing.









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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Looks like a real nice setup.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

I'm just here to say: I have barn jealousy, and it ain't pretty.


LOL


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

Thanks so much. Still more to do but it's getting there. The first mare we're getting the owner anxious since she's alone. Here there are 3 mares right across fence. I have 10 more tons of 40 gravel to put down, then sand, fence for paddock.









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## dogpatch (Dec 26, 2017)

Fuddyduddy1952 said:


> Reminds me as a kid watching a blacksmith making horse shoes. Take them out of fire with tongs, hammer on anvil then throw them on the ground. A spectator picked one up!!! Then quickly threw it down. Blacksmith asked if it was hot...guy replied "no, it just doesn't take me long to look at a horse shoe".
> 
> Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk


This is hilarious! Can I steal it?


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

dogpatch said:


> This is hilarious! Can I steal it?


Sure. Everyone laughed at the time.

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## dogpatch (Dec 26, 2017)

Fuddyduddy1952 said:


> Sure. Everyone laughed at the time.
> 
> Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk


Thanks! Some hoof geeks will really crack up!


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