How to Ground a Horse Fence

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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There are different ways to fence in horses such as wood, vinyl, or electrical. With electrical fencing there isn't much holding the horses in the wanted location, so it is important that the fencing is set up properly. Grounding the system correctly is important or the system will not work consistently, and if there are times when the fencing does not shock, horses will eventually get out. When the system is working, a horse touching the fence will create a current flow through the horse and into the ground. The grounding bars then drawl the electricity from the ground back up to the energizer. This complete current creates the shock that the horse feels. If the bars are too far apart or the wiring is not connected properly, the power will flow into the ground but not back to the grounding bars, and the horse will feel virtually nothing.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

grounding bars
galvanized wire
ground wire clamps

Step 1

Bury the grounding bars in the earth about ten feet apart. If soil is rocky and the bars need to be further apart, they may need to be longer to work properly. You will need to check with the company where the fencing came from to find out the appropriate length if the bars will be further apart. The energizer and bars are set up outside the fencing area and should be buried except for the top few inches.
Step 2

Attach the galvanized wiring to the energizer ground connection. The energizer is the power output device that sends the current through the system.
Step 3

Attach the other end of the galvanized wiring to the grounding poles. Do not wrap the wire around the poles because this makes the connection less effective and can create times when the current is not flowing. Use the ground wire clamps to attach the wire to the bars.

Tips & Warnings

Before installing the grounding rods, call the utility company and ask for someone to come out and mark the area. This will keep you from cutting through any underground wiring or pipes.
Never hook up the wiring system while the power is on. Risk of shock is high.