Electric fences

tiggypoodle · 12-17-2005, 01:29 PM

Grrr, it's driving me NUTS!! I know NOTHING about electric fences, I have to assume that if you set everything up right, it just WORKS, but apparently I'm wrong, lol?? I put up a bunch of electric tape (LOVE the stuff) yesterday to keep Pye from leaning over the fence (which is wire mesh) and eating my front lawn (the grass is always greener, you know). It stopped her all day long, but when I came out to feed, she was leaning against it-- her knees were against the lower strand, which extends out from the fence, and her neck was against the top strand-- and she was either NOT getting shocked or is just so HAIRY she couldn't feel it!! I made very sure to keep branches and things away from the fence, so it wouldn't short it out, and the fence charger is telling me that all is hunky-dory (it clicks and the light flashes, which means it's hot, right???) but it's obviously LYING to me, lol!! Can anyone help?? Or have any suggestions???? I have a fence tester but I have a feeling I fried it... it was cheap. I will try and see if I can get a charge off of any part of the fence later today....

Lily

joustinggirl · 12-17-2005, 01:53 PM

I don't know a whole lot about electric fences, even though we have one. I do know that the tape needs a stronger fencer than the wire. I also know that it must be grounded at the fencer and at several spots along the fence. Did it come with intructions? It will tell you how far apart the groundings must be. Also, most of the must be a continuous circle. My hubby just said that a copper rod can be used to ground to the fence. It must go into the ground. Good luck.

Range · 12-17-2005, 03:31 PM

First, don't anyone flame me, I know we're bad electric fence people! Our fence has wire tape as the top and we made our ground wire "hot", too. The horses were bothering the ground wire! We also don't have it grounded in the ground...we have plans to do it, just haven't done it yet. Ours is also not in a complete circle, which means that the shock is weaker on the far side. Is Pye leaning on the wire pretty far away from the unit? May mean the shock is not strong enough to deter him! You could always touch the tape yourself to see how strong the shock is.

I have accidentally come in contact with it several times and the shock is quite strong by the unit. Maybe you need a stronger unit for the size you have made "hot". Electric has really helped us with our fence leaners!

Good luck.

justvern · 12-17-2005, 06:27 PM

You not only need the charger to be grounded, but be sure it is WELL grounded. We run into trouble sometimes when the soil gets really dry that the ground doesn't work as well. You want to be sure the fence itself is NOT grounded at any point. Make sure that it is attached to the insulators on all the posts, that it hasn't come loose anywhere and is shorting out. If it is a complete circle it will be stronger than if it is a line but, it doesn't have to be a circle. Just be sure your charger is a bit stronger than what you should need. I don't know about the tape needing a stronger charger than wire but it makes sense that it would.
For a good makeshift tester you can use any metal object with an insulating handle, like a screwdriver. Holding onto the handle, put the metal on the wire and almost against a post. You should see a spark arc across the gap.

thumpersgirl · 12-17-2005, 08:59 PM

I was going to ask if you had more than one ground, but joustingirl beat me to it. I don't run the tape, I run fence, but we have ours grounded three times. How much land do you have fenced in? Maybe the fencer just isn't quite strong enought for the amount of wire you have. I wouldn't recommend grabbing the fence-did it once because I thought it was off.

Years ago we had one mare that no matter what the charge on the fence, she would push on it. I hope that's not the case for you...

tiggypoodle · 12-21-2005, 08:19 PM

Thanks for the advice guys-- the area the tape covers is VERY small.... it goes down one side of Fetti's pen (say oh... 200 feet?) and across the front of part of the mares' pasture (say 150 feet or so). I believe I found where it was shorting out (I saw it sparking one day when I went out in the dark) and we seem to have no more "leaning" problems (Pye, you big brat

) so let's hope I have it solved, lol!

Lily

A J · 12-22-2005, 10:04 AM

If she still seems to ignore the fence, some horses just seem to be able to ignore it - then, a chain around their neck (be sure it has a leather tie so it can be pulled off if caught on something) with a foot or so of chain hanging down will sometimes solve the problem. Our friends had to do this with one mare that just did NOT respect the electric fence. This worked like a dream.

12-17-2005, 01:29 PM
tiggypoodle Coming two Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Home Sweet Home, Badger Canyon, WA Posts: 1,691	Electric fences Grrr, it's driving me NUTS!! I know NOTHING about electric fences, I have to assume that if you set everything up right, it just WORKS, but apparently I'm wrong, lol?? I put up a bunch of electric tape (LOVE the stuff) yesterday to keep Pye from leaning over the fence (which is wire mesh) and eating my front lawn (the grass is always greener, you know). It stopped her all day long, but when I came out to feed, she was leaning against it-- her knees were against the lower strand, which extends out from the fence, and her neck was against the top strand-- and she was either NOT getting shocked or is just so HAIRY she couldn't feel it!! I made very sure to keep branches and things away from the fence, so it wouldn't short it out, and the fence charger is telling me that all is hunky-dory (it clicks and the light flashes, which means it's hot, right???) but it's obviously LYING to me, lol!! Can anyone help?? Or have any suggestions???? I have a fence tester but I have a feeling I fried it... it was cheap. I will try and see if I can get a charge off of any part of the fence later today.... Lily

12-17-2005, 01:53 PM
joustinggirl Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Boones Mill, Virgina Posts: 3,799	I don't know a whole lot about electric fences, even though we have one. I do know that the tape needs a stronger fencer than the wire. I also know that it must be grounded at the fencer and at several spots along the fence. Did it come with intructions? It will tell you how far apart the groundings must be. Also, most of the must be a continuous circle. My hubby just said that a copper rod can be used to ground to the fence. It must go into the ground. Good luck. __________________ Pink Tiger says \'Grrrrrr\'

12-17-2005, 03:31 PM
Range Kid Safe Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Back of Beyond Posts: 6,739	electric fences First, don't anyone flame me, I know we're bad electric fence people! Our fence has wire tape as the top and we made our ground wire "hot", too. The horses were bothering the ground wire! We also don't have it grounded in the ground...we have plans to do it, just haven't done it yet. Ours is also not in a complete circle, which means that the shock is weaker on the far side. Is Pye leaning on the wire pretty far away from the unit? May mean the shock is not strong enough to deter him! You could always touch the tape yourself to see how strong the shock is. I have accidentally come in contact with it several times and the shock is quite strong by the unit. Maybe you need a stronger unit for the size you have made "hot". Electric has really helped us with our fence leaners! Good luck. __________________ "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it all... you just might get it all, and then some you don't want." Chris Daughtery

12-17-2005, 06:27 PM
justvern Newborn Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Crossville TN Posts: 12	You not only need the charger to be grounded, but be sure it is WELL grounded. We run into trouble sometimes when the soil gets really dry that the ground doesn't work as well. You want to be sure the fence itself is NOT grounded at any point. Make sure that it is attached to the insulators on all the posts, that it hasn't come loose anywhere and is shorting out. If it is a complete circle it will be stronger than if it is a line but, it doesn't have to be a circle. Just be sure your charger is a bit stronger than what you should need. I don't know about the tape needing a stronger charger than wire but it makes sense that it would. For a good makeshift tester you can use any metal object with an insulating handle, like a screwdriver. Holding onto the handle, put the metal on the wire and almost against a post. You should see a spark arc across the gap.

12-17-2005, 08:59 PM
thumpersgirl Seasoned Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 4,114	I was going to ask if you had more than one ground, but joustingirl beat me to it. I don't run the tape, I run fence, but we have ours grounded three times. How much land do you have fenced in? Maybe the fencer just isn't quite strong enought for the amount of wire you have. I wouldn't recommend grabbing the fence-did it once because I thought it was off. Years ago we had one mare that no matter what the charge on the fence, she would push on it. I hope that's not the case for you...

12-21-2005, 08:19 PM
tiggypoodle Coming two Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Home Sweet Home, Badger Canyon, WA Posts: 1,691	Thanks for the advice guys-- the area the tape covers is VERY small.... it goes down one side of Fetti's pen (say oh... 200 feet?) and across the front of part of the mares' pasture (say 150 feet or so). I believe I found where it was shorting out (I saw it sparking one day when I went out in the dark) and we seem to have no more "leaning" problems (Pye, you big brat ) so let's hope I have it solved, lol! Lily

12-22-2005, 10:04 AM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	If she still seems to ignore the fence, some horses just seem to be able to ignore it - then, a chain around their neck (be sure it has a leather tie so it can be pulled off if caught on something) with a foot or so of chain hanging down will sometimes solve the problem. Our friends had to do this with one mare that just did NOT respect the electric fence. This worked like a dream. __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.