PV Gap

Viola Said:

barbless wire for a pasture?

We Answered:

Electric rope is a better option than high tense wire (barbless). High tense wire is designed for cattle not horses. It actually is worse than barb wire as it will slice straight through and deep. Barb wire catches and tears but I have seen a lot worse cuts with high tens (some people find this hard to believe) High tense wire does not break easily and that is the problem. Electric tape is more visible than rope but catches the wind and has to be tightened a lot more. But I would stay away from high tense wire. If you do use it make sure to mark all of it and walk your horses the whole perimeter. And do not use it if this is only a small field!

Roberto Said:

Need info on fencing options?

We Answered:

Any fence that uses metal t posts is an unsafe fence. The horse can get over them, by rearing or by jumping, come down on them, and disembowel herself. This is not a sight you need to see twice. If you feel you must use them, then cap them properly. Even then, I wouldn't use them, but they'll be safer.

I recommend high tensile on solid wood posts as the cheapest safe option. I've used the smaller gauge wire, but I've had multiple horses injure themselves on it. One required surgery to fix a severed tendon. The problem with it is that it will stretch a bit when they get a leg trapped in it and pull on it, then they'll get hung up, and it acts just like a wire saw on their leg. The large gauge high tensile stuff doesn't stretch, so he stays tight and they can more easily get the leg out. It's also not as sharp. They can still injure themselves, but I haven't had near the problems with it.

I don't liked the wire mesh. They can work or kick a hoof through, and be trapped. It also tends to deteriorate - if the horse grazes over the top, it bends into a nasty mess, then the top wire comes loose, leaving a row of little wire spikes sticking up. I once had a mare who liked to rub her head on the fence come home with a two inch section of fence wire stuck deep in her face (you could hardly see it, just a quarter inch sticking out) right above her eye.

I've used the solar panels. For some horses, they're fine. But for my tbs, they're insufficient. The horse with the tendon surgery got hung up early morning after a string of cloudy days. The power left was insufficient to keep him off the fence. Also, they only last a couple years at the most, IMO. I like them, but you can't always depend on them. On the other hand, that same horse got hung up in a fence with ac power when the power went out... sometimes you can't win. (Which is why I now have mostly wood fences!!)

If you use electric in snowy areas, the snow will sometimes accumulate between the connector and the post, which shorts the fence out so it doesn't zap the horses. When you wipe the solar panel off, you'll also have to wipe every post and connector off.

In really dry areas/times, I've found tht sometimes the fence doesn't zap well, either because the ground rod isn't grounding well (it needs moisture), or because the horse's hooves are so dry they don't provide a ground connection to the horse so it doesn't get zapped.

The more strands the better.

You may have more liability for the fence than for the horse - in my area, if a horse injures someone who chose to get into the field, that's their problem. But there's no exemption for fencing, and an electric fence packs QUITE a wallop.

I definitely recommend dividing the field for a mud lot. Otherwise, you'll just have one big mud lot.

Composting properly involves turning and aerating, and is a huge pain. If you have the space you can just pile it and let it do it itself, but it takes years and years to compost this way. I have time and space, so that's what I do, but for small farms it's not practical.

Sorry to sound like such a downer... I really love having my horses at home, but after so many decades with them I've seen a lot of problems with wire. Your horse may be fine with what you propose. Anyway, I know you'll love having her at home, and wish you all the best with it!


Edit: Electric tape mesh? You mean, woven wire? That plastic mesh tape with little wires in it? The advantage there is that the fence is more visible. The disadvantage is that you can't use it where grass/weeds/brush grows and might hit the tape - the little wires get shorted out, and they're so tiny they sometimes burn through. This leaves you with an unelectrifiable fence. They also don't last as long - the tiny wires rust through much quicker than regualar wire.

Angela Said:

Horse electric fencing - rope, tape or wire?

We Answered:

If you are talking perimeter fence, you need to put up some "hard-wire" as well as electric for safety sake...particularily if you are planning on using either a solar or battery powered charger ( neither are terribly reliable, and most don't carry a strong charge either.)
I use 2 strands of smooth twisted barbless and two strands of electric poly-rope...it makes a strong but safe fence that is fairly easy for the horse to see. The poly-rope is also really easy to tighten if it does get stretched out or loose. I have found that Tape dosen't carry a charge well, though I like the fact that it's really visible...it's probably not a good choice for use with a solar or battery powered charger unless your pasture is really really small. I really recommend Premier fencing company ( online at www.premier1supplies.com) ...they have good product, it's pretty reasonable, and they are very very helpful.
Last of all, make sure you have good grounding...at least 3 ground rods and top quality grounding wire...no ground = no shock! No Kidding!

Lucille Said:

electric fence question- current/grounding?

We Answered:

Sounds like you've tested everything you should test. If I'm visualizing your fence correctly, I'll agree that the ribbons aren't causing the problem. And you've got a good ground (otherwise, connecting / disconnecting the ground wouldn't make a difference).

Somehow, somewhere, your hot wire is getting grounded. Are you sure you've got the hot wires all mounted to the insulators correctly? (That's "on the insulator", not underneath the mounting hardware.)

The other likely place to check is right near the charger, where you've got to tie all three strands to the "hot" terminal. Pretty easy to accidentally contact ground.

Good luck.

Jennie Said:

Has anyone ever looked to see if planting direction has any impact on yield on corn or soybeans?

We Answered:

As the other posters have mentioned sunlight will hit them all either way and there won't be a noticeable difference, as the sun "moves across the sky" I have heard some people claim that east-west planting can help by letting more wind pass through, which can help with pollination and possibly suppress mold. Although I've never noticed a difference and we have fields of either orientation.

Chances are your fields are more rectangular than square, unless you farm where it's very flat so plant in the long direction of the field, as having to turn around less makes everything go quicker