How to Construct an Electric Horse Fence
No matter what type of horses you own, you need to provide them with a safe and secure pasture for grazing and exercise. An electric fence provides a safe and cost effective alternative to wood and vinyl fencing. Most horses can be taught to respect the electric fence, and once the fence is up it is relatively easy to maintain. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fence charger
- Electric fence wire
- Fence posts
- Post hole digger
- Fence tensioner
- Insulators
Instructions
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1
Place the electric fence charger in an area where it is covered and away from moisture. You can choose a plug-in charger, or a solar charger for areas where no electrical outlet is available.
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2
Bury a copper or galvanized grounding rod six feet in the ground. The grounding rod should be placed within 20 feet of the fence charger. If you use two grounding rods they should each be buried six feet in the ground, and they should be placed 10 feet away from each other.
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3
Connect the lead out wire to the fence terminal and the ground wire to the ground terminal. Leave the fence charger unplugged until the fence is up and connected to the charger.
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4
Measure the area to be fenced and determine how many line feet you need. Purchase enough electric fence wire to cover that area, and enough fence posts so they can be placed 15 to 25 feet apart. Two to three strands is standard for electric horse fencing, so multiply the linear feet to be fenced by two or three.
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Dig the holes for the posts using a post hole digger. You can use a tractor-mounted post hole digger, or a handheld gasoline powered one.
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Insert the first fence post in the hole and backfill it with dirt. The first post should be placed the furthest from the fence charger. Place the next post between 15 and 25 feet from the first one, working your way toward the fence charger as you go. Make sure the post is firmly in the ground, and that at least 12 to 18 inches of the post extends into the ground. Burying the posts deeply in the ground will make them more stable.
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Place insulators on each fence post at the height where the fence strands should be. The top strand of electric wire should be placed 48 inches off the ground, with subsequent strands placed 10 inches under the previous one.
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Stretch the electric fence wire around the posts, wrapping the wire around the insulators as you go. Start with the fence posts furthest away from the fence charger and working your way toward the charger. Use a fence tensioner to keep the electric fence wire taut as you work your way around. Grasp the end of the fence wire with the tensioner and crank it to tighten the fence. Use 10 to 14 gauge wire as a jumper between the strands. The jumper runs from the top strand of the fence to the one below it to carry the current.
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Use a plastic fence handle to create a gate in the electric fence. You will need one fence handle for each strand of wire. The electric fence wire loops through the end of the fence handle. To close the fence you make a loop with the other end of the fence wire and connect the hook end of the handle to that loop to close the fence.
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10
Run the end of the electric fence wire to the lead in wire on the fence charger. The electric fence wire loops around the lead in connector on the charger. Plug the fence charger in and use a tester to make sure current is flowing through the wire. Introduce each horse to the fence by allowing them to touch it lightly. The small electric shock they receive will teach them to respect the perimeter of the fence and stay away from it.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
