How many strands of electric???

Topic by Firefilly

February 3, 2010 11:47AM

Allright fellow HJers, please help me out here.

We are trying to figure out what the best, safest, and most economical fencing will be for our new place. We have two Belgian draft horses. Right now (and for the last 8 months) they have been in a 2 acre pasture that has 3 strands of plastic coated wire and then one strand of the poly rope braid electric fence at the top. The posts are all wood, and they are about 12 feet apart I think. This fence has worked very well for them - they don't bother with it at all. However, this pasture is out in the back and not near any roads, so even if they did get out, they shouldn't be too close to any danger.

Now we are moving them to our new place - where they will be much closer to the roads. We can't afford to go with 4 board oak fencing or anything like that - that's totally out of the question. So, would it be better to use the same kind of wire, and then just add a second strand of electric? Or? Maybe go with the mesh fencing and the electric - especially along the road side?

Please help!
:embarrassed:

Reply by Rachel

February 3, 2010 12:12PM

How exciting - setting up your new place

I would just go with what is working for them right now? I think the 3 strand wire with electric on top is one of the most economical options out there? If the mesh wire with electric is comparible in price then down the road you could add a goat or a mini more easily

You still have lots of time. Have u checked out the System Fencing website? They have lots of advice and options including layout. Just remember to put gates at a "high spot" if at all possible and spend the $$ and effort now to dig out the topsoil and load in the stone dust/crushed gravel. Same thing for run-ins (in and around) and infront of your barn entrance. We've learned and made great improvments over the last 9 years considering my barn is built on the lowest spot on the property. I can just imagine what "drafty" hooves can do. How much room do you have to fence? Have fun and good luck

Reply by stonehedge

February 3, 2010 12:34PM

Hi there,
We use all electric.... I have 3 stand fence but only the middle is electric and the horses never bother it, I have one young filly that tests everything and I mean everything. We use electric rope in the middle but use the small strand rope on the top and bottom but they are not energized. I have had no issues with the way it is set up. We also did this along the road frontage and we have 1000 feet of road frontage. We chose to use a Gallagher energizer as the warranty is amazing but only some of the fencing products as they are very pricey. We used T-posts as we seem to be in the Canadian Shield here ...... Don't feel bad about your inability to have 4 board as they are super expensive and they require a lot of maintenance and without it they look terrible.... that is how I make myself feel better about it any way.
Good luck,
Stoney.

Reply by COLDWETNOSES

February 3, 2010 12:49PM

Just a suggestion, but we have used paige wire with a strand of electric running along the top, energized with a solar fencer.We have not ever had a problem or a break out. We also have fields divided with 3 strand electric, posts set at 10 feet. The horses seem to really respect the paige, and whats nice is that the electric along the top keeps them from pushing the paige down to get at the grass on the other side.I bought ours at TSC and I think I paid something like $400 for 660 feet.The best way to string the paige is with a tractor to pull for tension, other than that it wasnt very hard! I would also suggest having someone come in and pound your posts. They dont move around quite as much this way! Good luck. I was so excited to set up our farm when we moved in!

Reply by MBRA518

February 3, 2010 02:03PM

When we fenced I looked at quite a few options - we ended up doing 4 strand galvanized wire with the top and bottom electric - 50ft spacing on the posts, 2 spacer bars between each post (so it looks like there are more posts) to keep the wire true and reinforced corners. For and 8 acre pasture it cost around $2200. with stuff left over. We have double road frontage and the pasture boarders 2 roads – both rather busy... on the road farthest from the house we left the old paige wire up and added the new fence 3 ft inside – both because we were lazy

and for extra protection on an area we do not see daily

When we added the ponies I bought horse guard fencing (wide tape fence - MUCH MUCH better than the system stuff) - so the main pasture is not separated with 2 strands of horse guard and the ponies paddock joins the main one - so 3 sides of 2 strand horse guard and the other side the 4 strand high tensile. No issues. I like the high tensile for the larger area - but prefer the horse guard for the smaller areas.

You need to figure what is important for you... Horseguard (and any tape fence or small fabric wire fence) will break if a horse hits it full force - which is unlikely unless they are being chased.... good in that you don't have fence injuries - bad if you are on a busy road. The high tensile (or coated wire - or rope fence) will not break... properly spaced and tensioned the coated wire - or galvanized wire is not likely to cause much damage - a horse will bounce off it (same with rope to a certain extent) if the run into it – loose and droopy it can be very very dangerous. Wire fence (any wire – includes paige wire – diamond wire etc) is more of a concern if your horses wear shoes and paw too.

I personally do not like rope... and here’s why – it has properties of the tape(stretchy) and the wire (will not break)... and IMO these are not good qualities together... 99% of the time a horse will never touch the electric fence – but with multiple strands of rope (or rope over wire) if a horse were to get a leg over the rope and under the next strand..... bad news. My mother has rope and had originally put up 2 strands – she now has only 1 – horses stay in there just fine – but she’s off the road.

Reply by MBRA518

February 3, 2010 02:09PM

Oh and to add - the system tape fence (we had that where my horses were before) did not last 1 winter - it flutters and tears apart - it's only good for temporary use IMO... the Horseguard is going on 3 years and still looks fantastic and was super easy to install - but does need posts every 16 feet - but you can use smaller ones as there is only hand tension on the fence.

LOL - can you tell I love Horseguard

honestly - for a smaller farm 0 I'd have done all Horseguard.... if it can keep 2 ponies in while pastured next to the alfalfa.... it get my seal of approval

Reply by Freemount Farm

February 3, 2010 03:39PM

make sure you have electric wire on the fence some where

we had mesh farm fence and my clyde mare decided she could just walk over it, she did it twice in 2 different spots. They have big grass pastures and always have hay if theres no grass, so she did it just for fun instead of being hungry

also drafts love to sit on things fences, run-ins, feeders, if you put up a wood fence they will probably sit on it at some point

Reply by SavingGrace

February 3, 2010 04:30PM

Going to have to check out that Horseguard stuff... I have Houdinis at my place. *SIGH*

Reply by Laura

February 3, 2010 05:06PM

At least you don't have Miss I Go Through Whatever I Want anymore

Reply by MBRA518

February 4, 2010 01:31PM

Honestly the Horseguard is 1000X better than any other tape fence I've ever seen. They will send you a free sample so you can feel the fence - regular tape fence is fabricy feeling - HG is stiff - it's a heavy woven polymer. I've only ever seen one horse so through it and that was crazy Dewy (the one we had to put down for mental issues) He ran through the internal fence that was not on - right next to the open gate (this was the beginning of the mental issues showing up) and it didn't actually break - it stretched hugely and pulled out of the connectors finally - we were able to just put it back up - no harm done to horse or fence - though the fence is a little deformed looking at that spot - it still works fine.

Reply by Firefilly

February 4, 2010 02:11PM

As an aside, what was the story with Dewy??? Reason being, we had a horse do something similar last summer at the farm where I live - and when they took him to Guelph he had every test done in the book - and they can't find a thing wrong with him! However this horse went through 3 or 4 fences, and then ended up literally stuck in some horrible brambles and thorns/thistles - that was the only thing that stopped him! And, in my opinion, he hasn't been the same since. He just seems..... like not all there at times

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd love to hear the story about Dewy - my email is countrygal28@hotmail.com

Thanks

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