The trouble with electric fences

[RichZ]

Today, as I was getting ready to go to work, I checked the horses as I usually do, and Rosie, our Belgian was missing. I quickly spotted her with our next door neighbors horses. The bottom strand of wire between our pastures was pulled out of the electric fence that separates them, and apparently Rosie had crawled under a three foot gap! I would liked to have seen her do that! Luckily, I trained our horses to come when called, so I just called her, and opened the gate between the pastures, and she was back where she belonged. But I had to put the horses in the paddock until my neighbor fixes the fence. It turns out she had turned it off "Because of all the deer." I don't really understand that one.

But, the trouble with electric fences is that they can short out, and then they're not much of a barrier to horses. There's always at least one horse that will test an electric fence to see if it's on, and if it's not it's easy for them to just go through it.

[beenthere]

If I was trying to keep 'my' horses in, I wouldn't rely on the neighbors to do it. Am I missing something here Rich?

One of the biggest feuds between neighbors I believe is fences. Every month there are 5-10 cases in our little township of neighbors taking each other before the board on fences. The law states if you stand in the middle of a fence line you maintain the right side and the neighbor the other side. The problem here is that people flat refuse to maintain their fences. Some believe if they don't have animals they don't have to. Others think if their animals stay in they aren't responsible for yours, etc. It makes for some ugly scenes.

[RichZ]

Well the neighbors are close friends of ours, and we even helped them build the fence. It's brand new, and I thought it would do the job. I'm not that worried if my horses get out, or their horses get in. They all know each other and all get along. I have wood fencing all around the perimeter, because I just don't trust electric fences.

[RichZ]

Yep that can be a problem. Luckily in our case, we combine our efforts on our two farms. For example, we hay both our farms together. So if they haven't fixed the fence by the time I get home, we'll probably all do it together tonight. I just can't figure out why they turned it off![img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[MikePA]

<font color="blue">...she had turned it off "Because of all the deer." I don't really understand that one.</font color>
You and me both, Rich. It'll be interesting to hear what she meant by that. Deer usually jump over fences (I think [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] ) so they wouldn't care if was electric or not.

[EJB]

I have a different problem with my electric fence...I went to all the trouble of putting one up for our goats, and used 4 strands of hitensile steel wire space so that there is no way an animal can get out with getting zapped...problem is, one of my goats just *doesn't care* how much he gets zapped...I have watched him time and time again simply squueze thru the opening and get zap repeatedly as he makes a bee-line for some bush or garden he has his eyes on...the other goats won't go near the fence.

Not sure if a more powerful charger will do or not and I hate to spend the money again to try it. The one I got was pretty powerful to begin with...now I am planning on refencing the entire pasture with another type of fencing on the outside just to keep him in...boy I hate doing the same job twice [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[beenthere]

Just replace that one goat. Seems pretty simple, from this end.

[EJB]

&gt;&gt;Just replace that one goat. Seems pretty simple, from this end.

Now why didn't I think of that...a lot easier than rerunning all the fence! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Yea I'd have to agree there. We get cattle like that every now and then. There's no way I'm going to replace miles of fence!!!! They go to the butcher!!