| Electric Fencing was once snubbed in
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| | regularly causes death. This sting
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| equestrian circles, everyone who owned
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| | (similar to a "thwack" from a riding
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| livestock knew the basic rules: cattle
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| | crop) is what creates a psychological
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| and sheep needed to be enclosed with
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| | barrier within the horses' brain and it
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| electric wire, but horses were best off
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| | is this that fences him in. A fence with
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| behind wood planks, poles or hedges.
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| | a voltage as low as 2000v is able to
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| With the advancements and improvement in
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| | create an impression with a horse but
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| fencing technology in the last ten years
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| | this low voltage has other problems.
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| that has outstripped the advances made in
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| | Horses' hooves and hair are insulators so
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| the previous sixty years and electric
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| | 2000v will be insufficient to bridge the
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| fences now come in forms well suited for
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| | insulated gap (particularly if they are
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| horse properties. Modern electric fencing
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| | on dry ground). A more viable fence
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| is the choice of a growing number of
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| | should run at 6000 volts to be effective.
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| horse owners, who find that many of the
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| | Never a truer word may be spoken than "A
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| old opinions that electric fencing is
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| | wimpy energizer gives you a wimpy fence.
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| painful, unsafe, expensive, unreliable
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| | " This higher voltage will also help when
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| and difficult to maintain no longer hold
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| | the horse has a blanket (a very good
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| true.
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| | insulator) but a second line aimed at the
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| Safety is, of course, the foremost
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| | horse's knees will be as effective.
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| concern in any fencing decision. But what
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| | Utilizing bait on the line will also
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| exactly constitutes a safe fence can
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| | work.
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| become a complicated question. In some
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| | Animals are the intended targets of
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| ways, horses are among the easiest
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| | electric fences, but anything else that
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| animals to keep secure: They are
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| | comes in contact with both fence and
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| domesticated and if they have all the
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| | ground will also complete the circuit.
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| food, water, shelter and friends they
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| | Very small items, such as blades of
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| want, most horses aren't likely to try to
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| | grass, allow a small amount of power to
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| leave their familiar surroundings. On the
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| | travel from the fence to the ground rods,
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| other hand, horses do pose a special
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| | but not enough to drain the entire
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| challenge if it is determined to escape.
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| | system. (It's like a series of small
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| Short of a 3 metre concrete wall, not
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| | holes in the fire hose, allowing some of
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| much will hold in a 500 kilogram animal.
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| | the water to dribble away, weakening the
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| You are after all simply fencing in the
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| | pressure in the hose.) A short circuit
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| desire, the stronger the desire to escape
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| | occurs when an object, such as wire
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| - the more robust the fence needs to be.
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| | wrapped around a tree, reroutes all of
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| Electric fences offer a barrier that
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| | the power from the fence to the ground
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| horses respect, and the newer materials
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| | system. Beyond the tree limb, the charge
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| and erecting techniques that are lighter
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| | left in the fence is reduced to zero.
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| in construction and designed to flex and
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| | There are a wide range of conductors
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| have a "rubber band" effect. This ability
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| | available in the form of standard wire,
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| to yield under pressure is less likely to
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| | poly twine, tape or rope. The first
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| injure a kamikaze pilot or aspiring
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| | consideration should always be the
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| Houdini.
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| | conductivity. This is quoted in Ohms
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| Touch an electric fence once and you'll
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| | meter (or O/m). The lower this figure is
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| know why it works; it's not very painful
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| | the better and should be linked to the
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| -- about the equivalent of a sharp slap
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| | price of the material.
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| -- but you'll remember the sensation, and
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| | To illustrate this; an energiser capable
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| you won't want to repeat it anytime soon.
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| | of charging a fence 9 klm long with a
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| Horses, too, learn quickly that they
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| | conductor of 0.15 Ohms/meter will only be
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| don't want to bump, push through, rub
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| | able to charge a fence 1.5klm long when
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| against or chew on electric fences.
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| | using a 10 Ohm/meter conductor.
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| The energizer is designed to send out a
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| | The physical format of the conductor you
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| high voltage (about 6000volts), low
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| | select is up to personal preference.
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| amperage (about 100 milliamps) electrical
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| | There is a lot of research results
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| charge for a very limited time (about 1
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| | available showing that horses see
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| 300th. of a second.) every second.
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| | different materials just as well as if
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| Compare this with two other scenarios.
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| | not better than humans. In my experience
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| 1. Static Electricity when you touch a
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| | they are fenced in by plain wire just as
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| door, about 20000 volts at 5 milliamps
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| | well as tape and although there are
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| for 1/1000th. of a second, unpleasant but
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| | reports of horses getting torn to shreds
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| not lasting.
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| | by wire these are more likely to be with
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| 2. Mains Electricity. 220volts at 13
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| | barbed wire. (Barbed wire should not be
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| Amps and constant, unpleasant and
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| | used with electricity.
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