What are your thoughts/experience with these 2 products? I have about 4.5 acres to fence in and split. I’m thinking of using rope this time
I love the polybraid rope. I have a 5 strand fence that divides a large field that is enclosed by woven wire. I actually only use it for the top strand and the lower strands are the cheaper thinner polytwine. It’s super easy to install and highly visible. My mares touched it once and have never gone near it again. I had to re-tighten it for the first time this year as it had sagged a little but I installed our fence well over 2 years ago. We have also used it for several temporary paddocks and it’s super easy to wind back up and re-use. And on a final note after using it with the ponies, I started using it for our pigs which we pasture raise. They respect it more than any other tape or electric wire we have tried.
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Electrobraid is not cheap but it is durable, does not degrade in sunlight, and is easy to put up and take down. No experience with the Zareba product.
G.
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We have electrobraid on our current leased farm. I had one issue with a leg getting caught (the electric was down - hardwired electric, not solar). The electrobraid does break if enough pressure is applied. I’m certain this is what kept the injury from being worse than it was.
I wanted to use 2" polytope on our new farm since it’s a little nicer looking then electrobraid. The fencers we have spoken to all say that the polytape does not hold up well in our area since we get a lot of freezing rain/sleet in the winter. The tape will sag and stretch. I have a little bit of the same issue with the electrobraid here, but the polytope is also more difficult to tighten and keep it tight than the electrobraid. The way we have the braid strung it’s as easy as turning off the electric, un-doing the fence, pulling it tight and re fastening it.
So we are going with electrobraid.
I had another fencer try to talk me into hot cote wire. It’s coated high tinsel. It looked ok… till I saw a photo on Facebook this morning of a horse that degloved it’s leg on hot cote. No way!
Take a look at Gallagher Turbo Braid…it’s a poly product but braided rather than twisted. Mine is going on ten years and looks like new, and works very well.
Those aren’t analogous products to me–the breaking strength on electrobraid is much higher.
I had electrobraid at my last place and it was fantastic. Durable, didn’t sag much. Kept it hot and horses stayed away from it. Looked good in all sorts of different weather conditions. I did tighten it once a year or so.
There are some horror stories of horses getting caught in it or getting sliced up. Because it IS strong, it doesn’t readily break if a horse gets caught in it. So you keep it tight (no sag to get wrapped in) and keep it hot (so horses stay off of it.)
Wouldn’t hesitate to install it again or recommend it, with the caveats that it needs to be tight and hot. All the time.
I know you didn’t ask about any other product ideas but I used to have Electrobraid at my old farm and switched to HorseGuard (brown) at my new farm, I would never go back! I love HorseGuard. The visibility was my main reason for switching and the look is much better in my opinion. When I had Electrobraid it stayed tight and didn’t sag however the HorseGuard doesn’t either, at all, and it’s a tape.
I also got scared away from getting Electrobraid again due to the horrendous injuries I heard about. HorseGuard breaks under less pressure than Electrobraid apparently.
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Whatever I get will be kept hot at all times. I have a 6.5 Jules charger hooked to polytape. I keep all 3 rows hot 24/7. It’ll be the same for the new fence - everything hot 24/7.
I’d go with the electrobraid, then. Especially if you’re using as perimeter fence? Keep it hot, horses stay away, Keep it tight, and they bounce off if they do run into it.
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