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