Is your horse safe while turned out to pasture? Will repairs to your current wood pasture rail cost too much time and money? Are you looking for an economical and easy-to-install fence for your farm field or paddock?
Unlike antiquated designs of old, modern electric horse fences are safe, affordable, and reliable. In fact, if you’re like most horse owners, an electric fence is the ideal solution for all your horse containment needs. Here’s why:
Advanced design, ultimate safety
In many instances, modern electric fences are the most effective way to safely contain your horse. True, electrified fence systems of old were viewed as a mess of wires and mishandled electricity strewn about the pasture as though it were Frankenstein’s lab. But today’s designs incorporate the best aspects of safety, visibility, durability, and convenience. In fact, electric fences are safer than traditional wood, metal, or barbed wire designs that often catch and injure legs, cut and puncture skin, or worse. The benefits of today’s electric fences include:
Safe Energizers – also known as chargers or fencers, today’s energizers use an intermittent pulse to create a psychological barrier that actually trains your horse to understand her boundaries. This pulse does not harm your horse. Instead, it feels like a sharp, unpleasant slap. Best of all, this pulse instantly and quickly reprimands your horse when she touches the fence wire and then rewards her for backing away.
Visible Fences – older fences used electrified bare metal wires, which were almost impossible to see. But modern polytape, polyrope, or polywire fencing weaves stainless steel conductors around UV-stabilized polymer. The result creates a physical, highly visible boundary that withstands years of use in any weather. This design is safer for horses, wild animals, and human visitors to your pasture.
Versatile Components – with an array of insulators, step-in fence-posts, and expandable gates, modern electric fences are simple to build. Better yet, the versatile design of each component works with just about any wood post, T-post, or round post you already own. Plus, each component installs by hand or with simple tools. This greatly reduces construction time and costs without sacrifice to fence integrity.
Convenience at an economical price
Temporary, Traveling Containment
Looking for a safe way to contain your horse no matter where you’ve traveled? A portable paddock is an ideal temporary enclosure for any horse. It’s perfect for use at competitions and shows or as a temporary fence while on the riding trail. Best of all, it is also:
Convenient – entire system packs into a handy, nylon carrying bag
Lightweight – weighs just 14 pounds when packed into carrying case
Versatile – builds a 625 square foot double or 2500 square foot single line enclosure
All-Inclusive – includes a battery-powered energizer, 200-feet of polytape, eight step-in fence posts, and grounding rod
Wood, rail, vinyl, woven wire, and barbed fences are not cheap to install. In fact, when you add all the specialized fencing, posts, and fasteners, traditional fences can cost well over one dollar per foot to install. Add labor costs, should you choose to hire a professional to install the fence, and costs can soar even higher. By contrast, many electric fences cost less than 10-cents per foot to install. Plus, a single person can enclose a typical pasture or paddock in less time than it usually takes a whole team of people to install a traditional fence.
Furthermore, traditional fences are difficult to customize to your needs. Unless you’re willing to pay more for special components, the standard and often bulky designs don’t easily conform to odd shaped paddocks or extra-large pastures. However, modern electric fences are designed for convenience. Battery-, solar-, or conventionally-powered allow use virtually anywhere on your property. Similarly, modern fencing is available with less imbedded stainless steel conductors to contain ponies in small paddocks or more imbedded conductors to corral the largest horse in huge grazing pastures.
Finally, modern electric fences cost just pennies a day to continually operate. This helps protect both your horse and your pocketbook. Even more so, knowing your horse is safe at all times offers a peace of mind that is priceless and well worth the minimal investment in a suitable electric fence.
Electric Fence Checklist
Use these expert tips to help keep horses safe behind your electric fence:
– Establish Ground – place grounding rods firmly in permanently damp soil
– Firmly Connect Wires – use suitable connectors to ensure a solid connection between fencing, grounding rods, gate handles, and other components
– Check Voltage Frequently – test your electric fence system with a voltage tester
– Replace Broken Insulators – broken insulators can cause fences to short
– Clean Under Fences – mow or trim grasses, branches, bushes, and other matter that may load the fence and cause it to lose current or short completely
– Hang Electric Fence Signs – alert visitors to fence locations for added safety
