Electric fencing question.

[Nathan Luszcz]

You definitely need to multiply the distance by the number of strands you have, don't forget that! Then multiply by 10 (yes, ten) if you are using tape/poly/rope.

We spaced out t-posts (I wouldn't use anything less sturdy) 25' with wood posts on the corners, and its held up wonderful. Had a full sized jack in there, my QH stallion, evil crapland ponies, and miniatures. We use the poly electric rope on all of our permanent fencing, and nothing but!

 

[Miniv]

Nathan made some good points........

The tape and rope has multiple fine metal strands that run through it. We also use metal T-posts with plastic insulators and our corners are set with either rock jacks or heavy wood posts sitting in concrete.

 

[Jean_B]

We actually use a LOT less posts and don't have to worry about our fence shorting out or the electricity "arcing" because we went with "Common Sense Fence" - fiberglass coated with UV protected PVC. So you fasten the braid directly to the post. The nice thing is - we live in deer country - and the posts have some flex to them and just pop back up if a deer hits the fence, and it is super easy to tighten up the braid if need be. We used about 1/3 the number of posts that would have been needed if we had gone the T-Post route, and they are one heck of a lot easier to pound in. Made by Geo-Tech.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Wow, some of you have some heavy-duty set-ups! We use mostly T posts, but some rebar posts in between. We have two wire strands, and the top one is hot. Our little dog can go under the bottom and I can step over the top. I don't have mare/stallion dynamics going on so this has served us perfectly well for nearly 10 years. We've had the neighbor big horses go through it before, and a neighbor goat. But more strands wouldn't have stopped them, as they were runaways.

I can leave the fence unplugged for 2 weeks at a time and the horses don't bother it. I've even put the wire around other areas without any power on it at all, and they don't bother it. Just the SIGHT of the electric fence wire makes them respectful. I do notice after a couple of weeks that some horses will test it. Maybe the hairs on their noses can detect the charge. But even if it is off, they don't molest the boundary. They just test...

We don't use it as a predator control, just simple confinement.

 

[whitney]

If this fence needs to last. I would highly reccommend Premier it is a braided rope, I've had five strands, fencing off 8 acres, up for over 13 years, and I have yet to replace ANYTHING. The beautiful thing about this fence is it is installed with springs. I've had LARGE trees fall on the fence and as soon as you cut the tree off the fence,the fence springs back. Before the braid I replaced electric fence about every 2-3 years and it looked pretty ratty. This stuff still looks WONDERFUL.

 

[R Whiteman]

I would recommend a product from Canada called Electrobraid. It is a rope with wire woven into it that last for years. It can be used with posts 50 feet apart. I set mine at 20. It keeps in goats,sheep and horses. It keeps out coyotes,the neighbor's dogs and kids. This product cost a bit more but in the long run it is less money because it does not need to be replace every few years. I have had some in continuous use for over 8 years. It is easy to let down and put back up so the fields have easy access if there is a need to move in something bigger than the gate allows. I have four strands about 1 foot apart. Just make sure you follow the direction for the electric fencer you buy. There is a reason they recommend two or three ground rods . The best fence in the world only works as good as the charge hooked to it.

 

[Bess Kelly]

I have both plugged in box units and 2 solar ones. My solars are large and cost about $200 each maybe 12 years ago, from Southern States. I have had to replace more thanone battery but, mine generally last 4-6 yrs between replacement...last week one cost me $30. These are the stronger units and put quite a hit on you if you test it -- they are the weed burning types.

Anyway, I like having both types, in case of electrical outage. But, all of mine really make you want to be careful when near them!! My horses DO respect them, as said by others, even if they are off for a few days. I can understand that as I accidentally hit one a couple of days ago and I swear I felt that impulse for what seemed like 5 minutes.

 

[Riverrose28]

FYI, I f you use this fencing, that is the tape, always open the gates, don't just step over! Behind our indoor we have just a two strand tape fence with wood set in concrete on the corners and an eight foot gate, it is wide so we can get the tractor in there to work. Guy from accross the road comes over when the weather is bad to help me from time to time. He is very tall and instead of opening the gates, like I do, he sometimes steps over to save time. Well he went to step over the gate once, once was enough, and tripped over the top tape, when he fell to the ground his foot got caught inbetween the two gates and he kept getting jolted over and over. Of course it happened during a rain storm and everything was wet and muddy. I was laughing so hard I couldn't get myself together to help for a few moments. Poor guy, I finally got myself together and undid the gates.