Using T-Posts for Fencing

[twstanley]

One comment I had regarding the horse touching their nose to the fence to test it....

Get a fence tester with multiple neon lights on it to check your voltage, it must be really low if the horse will do that. I bought ours for less than $10 at the local farm supply store.

Maybe your ground rod isn't making good contact, maybe your line from charger to fence is corroded, maybe the fence charger is just old and weak.

But..an electric fence should zap them hard enough they don't even think of trying to get thru it should the power go out or the fence ground out a bit.

Our fence ( and I am certainly no expert at electric fences ) tests at 9000+ volts, and the animals won't even think of getting in contact with it. I have a Dexter bull that would just walk thru the fence before I got it hot, now he respects it and stays in.

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[QRTRHRS]

T posts are an economical way to get your fencing started but in agreement with others, put plastic caps on them. I look at tensile wire as an accident waiting to happen even with electric or a tape to give the horse something to see.

Tape is not necessarily meant to hold a horse in should they run into it. As previously mentioned, tape should be used with a charge that will not be soon forgotten. I always introduce a new horse to a fence by deliberately getting them to touch the fence in a "safe" area.

I have Centaur for my stallions and my outdoor arena. I figure the Centaur looks similar to the show arena fencing. For the rest, I have tape. I have treated posts that were pounded into the ground. They are heavy enough to upgrade if I ever choose or can afford to. I have some 10,000 feet of fence so tape was reasonable. The Centaur (and there are other brands as well) is encapsulated high tensile wire but is safe in this form. A horse could hit this full tilt and the fence would spring out then bounce the horse back in with normally only a bruise if that. But then anything is possible with horses. I consider this type of fence to be as safe as woven wire except for perhaps a foal slipping under it. It is pricey though.

I have even subdivided one Centaur paddock with six rows of tape in order to accomodate a thourobred gelding with my arab stallion. The tape kept them at bay until they got to know each other. For once in his life, my stallion has a buddy!

I am not however, happy with my particular tapes hardware life. After seven years, the plastic clips are breaking down. The corner connectors changed from my first purchase to use less material I suppose and are also breaking down. Also, the various pieces are not available seperately so you end up with useless parts that could be reused otherwise. The tape has not been to bad considering my windy location. Mostly, the deer damage it on occasion. My intention is to switch brands as I need to replace it.

The Centaur fasteners up close look not so new but are not breaking down. Centaur needs to be installed correctly and kept tight. A strip of power or the newer powered Centaur will keep the horses from pushing on it in their quest for greener pastures.

There is also a woven rope such as Electrobraid that I hear good things about.

If your horse pushes on your gates, string a single tape across the top from post to post with handles so you can remove it for access. Just don't let it touch the gate.

One more thought. Most of my four row fence is not central to my barns so the ground must travel a long way back to the charger. In dry times, the charge was very weak. I made the 3rd row up from the bottom into a ground and installed ground rods here and there. The theory is that an animal is more likely to touch the 3rd and 4th (top) row than the others. The charge will get a better ground and be strong. The other three rows will still work as usual by grounding back to the charger.

Just my two cents.

[mffarmall]

Welcome to the west. Back east you guys usually use (traditionally) wood and we use pipe. Mostly because of all the drilling out here. But around where I am T post is king. I would use a 7.5 footer and space them 10 to 15 feet. Use three or four runs. You will need to use straight wire, barbs in bad for horses, ( I used barbed for cows and for when my mother in law visits) There are things called spacers they are just twisted wire that goes between the post and gives support for the fence. If any of your friends ask about your strange wire fence just tell them your from California and all will be explained. You will need to get a wire puller. This takes up the tention in the fence. Remember to put a wooden H at the end of the fence to take up the tension and keep the fence from falling over.

[Pat]

The twisted wire thingies are also known as "stays."

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[Bird]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
The twisted wire thingies are also known as "stays."

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Yep, and if they're nice, new, clean ones, they go on real easy; just put the palm of your hand on top, push down, and they spin right on there. And if they're old, rusty ones . . . you only use them if you absolutely have to. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]