Electric on board fence

[Simkie]

I’d like a line of hot on the board fencing I’m installing this summer, to keep the horses from rubbing their butts on it, but I’m getting really wrapped around the axle on what product to use and where exactly to put it on the fence.

Can those with a line of hot on their board fence describe what product you’ve used, and where you put it? Pics would be awesome, too, if you’re willing to share…I’m just having such a tough time with the visuals.

The fence I’m putting in will be painted black, so I’d like products to match (which is limiting!) And I need to stick to non tensioned products (also limiting, a lot of tensioned fence looks really nice and comes in black.)

Thx for any input!

[Demerara_Stables]

What’s the reason you need to avoid tensioned products?

You could do something where the top rail and electric are one in the same: https://centaurhorsefence.com/products/fencing/hot-rail-flexible-5-rail/.

[clanter]

an electric tape works wonders for us a no horse will touch a tape charged or not

[jherold]

I use electro braid for my perimeter fence. It comes in black and is just hand tightened using a rachet Any if the braided rope would work, but they don’t come in black.

[lorilu]

I have 1” electric tape on the middle board of my fence, because my former horse loved to sit on the fence.
Put the wire/tape where you need it for whatever your horse does!

[Simkie]

@Demerara_Stables

What’s the reason you need to avoid tensioned products?

Because tensioned products require bracing, which I’m not building into the fence, and I have no interest in building into the fence. I’ve used rail before, and it’s a neat product, but not suitable for this application.

Unfortunately @jherold electrobraid is also a tensioned product and also won’t work here for the same reason. I’ve used that before, too, and think it looks sharp.

@clanter & @lorilu do you put your tape on stand off insulators, or is it “in” (flush with?) the fence? My first through was tape on stand offs, but struggled to find black stand off insulators for tape. Which has led to a frustrating rabbit hole of googling and self doubt about what to use and how it should look

[endlessclimb]

I’d just use that super thin 17 gauge wire that breaks easily. Stand offs come in black and you don’t even see the wire. It would be cheap too.

[Simkie]

I knew a horse forever ago that nearly took a leg off getting caught in hot wire, so I’ve been hesitant on that. I wish that plastic wire (mostly called polywire?) came in straight black, but not finding that anywhere.

We have quite a lot of deer pressure so unsure how a super thin easily broken product will hold up? It’s been a loooong time since I’ve been anywhere with electric wire (and it’s not something I’ve used) so I’m just not real familiar with the ins & outs.

This has been a frustrating search and decision process! :-/

[clanter]

@Simkie

do you put your tape on stand off insulators,

On the fences it actually mounted on stand offs but I am pretty sure I could put it on the ground the horses will remain a safe distance from it. Once shocked they really want to stay away from it.

[Leather]

Premier 1 has options for black and white rope/twine that is just used hand-tight and black insulators that in the pictures looks pretty unobtrusive with the black fence.

Guard Strands for Horses

Kencove has a straight black twine that’s for rotational grazing so I’m guessing doesn’t need that much tension: https://kencove.com/products/detail/kencove-electric-twine-9ss/r49b

[endlessclimb]

Don’t put the wire over the fence, put it on stand offs that put it same height as the fence but 3-6" in. Deer won’t hang up on it that way.

I can break this wire with my hands. The shock keeps them off it, but it really can’t injure from my experience. I have it over the gates to keep them from pushing on them.

[Simkie]

@Leather

Premier 1 has options for black and white rope/twine that is just used hand-tight and black insulators that in the pictures looks pretty unobtrusive with the black fence.

I would love this if I could find it in all black I’m really wedded to the black. I really wish someone made a black version.

@Leather

Kencove has a straight black twine that’s for rotational grazing so I’m guessing doesn’t need that much tension: https://kencove.com/products/detail/kencove-electric-twine-9ss/r49b

OMG you found an all black version! I can’t believe you found this! I bow down to your superior Google skills, thank you! I’d only be searching for “polywire” and not “twine” I guess. I’m excited to have this as an option!

[alfonsina]

And here’s a tape in black:
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2e87bef4-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&itemguid=30e0935e-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&sfb=1&grp=6000&grpc=6E00&grpsc=6E50&sp=f&utm_content=22305&ccd=IFF003&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADv68NUdjztUA-Emnoht1louf87Pq&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl5Xr-rvmhwMVezcIBR0Z7QuXEAQYASABEgJXB_D_BwE
I have HorseGuard electric bipolar tape but it’s not black

[Simkie]

@endlessclimb

Don’t put the wire over the fence, put it on stand offs that put it same height as the fence but 3-6" in. Deer won’t hang up on it that way.

I’ll need to put it between the top and second board, or on the second board where there is four board, and between the top and middle board, for the three board section, to be covering where the horses rub. Hitting the same height as the fence is too high. Hopefully the bite will just keep them away from the fence, but I don’t want to install and then they’re still sitting on it because they can sneak under. They’ve been good on electric fence before (like @clanter 's horses, lol) but I have less grass here and more itchy things so I’m not quite sure what to expect.

I can break this wire with my hands. The shock keeps them off it, but it really can’t injure from my experience. I have it over the gates to keep them from pushing on them.

Can you link me up to the type of wire you’re using? What’s your expectation on frequency of repair?

Deer mostly don’t damage our four board but pretty regularly crawl through rails on the three, pulling them off. The new fence will eliminate a LOT of that…the old fence is in poor shape and wasn’t done well to start, but I do want to be mindful of whatever hassle they might cause. (For any product–it would be a consideration on the twine too.)

[Simkie]

@alfonsina

And here’s a tape in black:

Yep, lots of options for black tape! Black stand off insulators for tape is the hang up there :-/ I could use regular (flatish?) insulators with tape but I’m not sure if having the electric that close to the fence will be the deterrent I need.

I’m just so loathe to try something and be wrong. Lots of unnecessary holes is something that definitely led to the decline of the current fence, so really don’t want to put something up and be like “welp, that doesn’t work” and have to move it or change insulators or whatever.

I guess I could always use the current crappy fence as my test…hmm. We’re expanding this field so it’s coming down well after the new goes in. Maybe that’s the way to go!

[endlessclimb]

Horse guard has black stand offs for tape I think. I thought I saw one for lockjawz, too.

Here’s the wire. Available at any farm store. Two folds and it’s snapped. Super thin gauge.

Red Brand 1,320 ft. x 170 lb. Galvanized Electric Fence Wire, 17 Gauge at...

Maybe if you lined it up just right on your 3 board the deer won’t get into it - they’ll damage any kind of rope/tape/wire fence if they need to jump over it or step through it.

[Simkie]

@endlessclimb

Horse guard has black stand offs for tape I think. I thought I saw one for lockjawz, too.

I’ve been all over the Horseguard site and haven’t seen anything in black, they seem to do brown and green instead. I’ve been surprised they don’t do black. If you run across that again I’d love a link. Their site is not the easiest to navigate so I certainly might have missed something.

Lockjawz looks like it only works on wire. They have a neat product, though.

Here’s the wire. Available at any farm store. Two folds and it’s snapped. Super thin gauge.

Thanks!

Maybe if you lined it up just right on your 3 board the deer won’t get into it - they’ll damage any kind of rope/tape/wire fence if they need to jump over it or step through it.

That’s definitely my concern. And, honestly, one big reason we’ve not gone electric here before. I’m not sure how often they’re going over the second rail vs under the second rail.

[foggybok]

@Simkie

We have quite a lot of deer pressure so unsure how a super thin easily broken product will hold up? It’s been a loooong time since I’ve been anywhere with electric wire (and it’s not something I’ve used) so I’m just not real familiar with the ins & outs

Deer were the biggest problem on the fences. Always jumping over and pulling electric down or breaking it. But with wood fencing, they might jump higher, they just didn’t care about the wire fence.

On our wood fence we used stand offs and wire or stand offs and tape. Tape comes in black as do standoffs. I like white as the horses can see it! Thin aluminum wire is not really visible and it will break easy. I never worried about horses hung up in it. There are also insulators you can put on top.

I put two wires, top rail and a few feet off the ground to keep grazers at bay

[foggybok]

here you go

Wood Post Pinlock 5" Offset Insulator Gallagher - Insulators | Electric Fencing | Farm (valleyvet.com)

[endlessclimb]

Their website does suck.

https://www.horseguardfence.com/shop/cat19.php#info_13EX