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Safety guide in Electric Horse Fencing
Andrew Corner
There was a time when livestock owners follow a general
mandate: sheep and cattle are enclosed using electric wires
while horses are left enclosed in wooden fences. The excuse was
that horses' eyes have poor vision, hence, it is not suitable to
use thin electric wire horse fence. Horse fencing needs to be
blunt or the horses would get caught in the wires. Nowadays,
new varieties of electric horse fences are available. The new
horse fence, horse fencing wires, and cables are designed with
larger braids, bands or ribbons for greater equine visibility.
The newly-developed electric fencing quickly became the choice
of the increasing horse-owning population who have proven that
the old thinking that electric fences are unsafe is an outdated
and obsolete idea. As safety is the most primary concern,
electric fencing expert Jennifer Corkery assures users that as
long as precautions and proper maintenance are observed, there
is no need to worry about electric fences injuring your horses
or escaping.
Corkery suggests the following steps in putting up electric
fences. Put grounding rods and poles in constantly damp ground
or ground with high moisture content. Ninety five percent of
electric horse fence, horse fencing, and wiring problems are
caused by too dry grounds. Regularly check horse fencing,
especially if it's woven. Wind movement may make the fence
ineffective by breaking wire conductors in it. Use electric
rope that is braided and has a large diameter. You can save
money by making it your stable perimeter fence since it is
strong, durable, and highly-visible. Run current on the second
cable of your fence. This will ensure that your animal will be
grounded and shocked if it comes to contact with the grounded
and hot line. Horse psychology expert Dave Bryson suggests that
receiving shock teaches the horse to "respect" and steer clear
of electric fences. Fence voltage must be checked regularly to
be sure that the voltage remains at a constant, strong, but
safe level. Using a voltage regulator to monitor fence voltage
is also a good option. These regulators will sound alarm if the
voltage changes. These will also stop running current on the
fence until the source of the voltage increase or decrease is
detected. It is advisable to situate water troughs well away
from the fences so the horses will not get shocked when they go
for a drink. Surely, you don't want to teach your prized animals
to dehydrate themselves.
However, Corkery also instructs users against the following
practices. Never use charger boxes and energizers for your
horse fence, horse fencing, and electric cable needs that are
not UL approved. Chargers that are UL certified are guaranteed
safe for people and the horses. High-tensile electric wire
horse fencing is not safe for horses. This is because they are
too thin, and almost invisible to horse's eyes. Plus, they lack
resiliency and pose the risk of cutting horses' skin. Avoid
placing fence lines in areas where horses regularly play and
exercise (running, rolling). Never cut the fences' power. It is
recommended that fences must be powered up and charged
every time. A dollar increase in your electric bill is
insignificant and negligible when compared to your horses'
safety.
About the author: For more valuable information on horse fence,
please visit http://www.horsefences.net
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