I am fencing two 3 acre fields with electric fence. I have narrowed my choices to either Electrobraid or Horseguard fence. Plan to use 3-4 strands with wooden posts. Does anybody have suggestions as to which they prefer?
We’ve had Horseguard fencing in 8-ish acres for 20 years now, and I’d do it all over again.
My OTTB mare bounced off it the night she got here (had no barn yet, that was fun LOL) without a scratch.
My WB rolled into it, got it wrapped around his leg, ran, the tape broke when it hit a tensioner, and the worst was an oozing leg for a few days.
Maintenace is very low cost, and minimal.
I realize any fencing can damage a horse, sometimes fatally. I’ve seen horrible Electrobraid injuries, I can’t say I’ve seen horrible HG injuries.
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Agree with JB. I have runs of HorseGuard that look as good now as when they were installed 10 years ago. Contains my horses well. However, they are not crowded.
Neighbors have two huge warmbloods on about 2 acres. They have Horseguard and it’s working well for them too.
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I’d never be able to sleep at night using hot tape as a perimeter fence. It comes down so easily.
Electrobraid is quite safe if it’s kept hot and tensioned. I’d go with that or a similar product.
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And I’ll jump in that what I’ve learned about is breakers. No matter what you use the “trackies” “Horse Track Systems” talk about it being imperative.
If they get caught in the tape (or rope) it breaks. I’ll find it and post later.
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Here they are:
Litzclip safety links. Made in Germany.
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I’m not a fan of Electrobraid, but I know some are. My limited experience with it was not good, but that was also at a barn where it was not very well installed as the staff there was never given the proper tools/materials/instruction. I happened to arrive just as my horse got down to roll and got a leg in the braid, and in his thrashing, got it wrapped around his leg but somehow we managed to get him free without too much damage. Now, if it had been properly tensioned, he probably wouldn’t have gotten tangled, but it left me with a definite dislike as that cord just tightened on his leg the more he pulled and would not break. He had scars on the leg from that for the rest of his life.
At home, I have Horseguard tape as my cross fencing (perimeter is Centaur HTP). I have it properly tensioned and keep it hot, so horses stay out of it for the most part. I’ve had only one horse really get into it and the fence gave before the horse was too hurt.
Personally, I wouldn’t be comfortable with either as my only perimeter fencing. I prefer something that is more solid and doesn’t require power so I know it will provide a strong barrier. Maybe one of the coated wire products from Ramm or Centaur might still be affordable, yet secure enough (you can still electrify them but having seen horses bounce off those unscathed, I feel the physical barrier they provide is a lot safer than either EB or HG for a perimeter fence).
After doing a ton of research as I had a clean slate and was over the maintenance of board fence, I put up 4 strands of Centaur white lightening (2 hot) on 10 foot pounded wood posts five years ago in southern PA. I’ve been very happy. Good luck, so many decisions. There is a great thread here from 2017 ( which I can’t find now) that has great info/still pertinent.
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We’re on year 4 of Horseguard BiPolar tape (chosen as I was worried about the depth of a ground rod in frozen Minnesota) and I still love it. We put the whole fence up ourselves as total amateurs and it’s been great.
We keep it hot 24/7 and it’s very easy to fix - it’s easier with two folks, but one can absolutely get it done.
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For the past 12 years I’ve had electric fencing as perimeter fencing. About 1000 feet is electric tape, about 600 feet is electrobraid. Electrobraid sheds snow and ice better whereas electric tape builds it up and really sags. In strong winds it’s not uncommon for electric tape to work loose so it’s important to attach it to the posts with something that closes fully - not just a slot it drops into. But I think the super wide tape looks nicer than the electrobraid.
I have also used both types as divider fencing and have only ever had horses blast through the tape. I have never witnessed it so I don’t know why they blasted through - always happened at night. My horses have never challenged my perimeter fencing but I always put the herd bound horses in the barn if I’m doing something with the others.
I don’t notice any difference in the conductivity between the two.
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Not all e-tape is created equal. I haven’t seen any e-tape from any farm store look as good and hold up as well as Horseguard. Here in NC we get ice storms almost yearly, sometimes it’s just a little bit, sometimes it’s 1’4" or more. Our properly tensioned HG tape, with posts properly spaced (I think ours are 14’, I need to measure, it’s been way too long, but whatever it is, it’s less than the max allowed), and there’s very little sag.
our longest run is about 1000’, fully exposed to all wind from any direction, and nothing has come loose or flapped even in 75m hurricane/tropical storm winds, and yes, the HG insulators fully clamp down on the tape, it’s not something the tape just slides into
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Unless your horse pulls it all down…
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Personal fan of White Lightning….if you’re just doing hot wire than 3-4 strands. Make sure your wood posts are braced and you tension the wire properly with ratchet tensioners and a good strong fender. I have a way bigger fencer than needed for my pasture but my horses never challenge my fence either.
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well, since the topic was wind…
Wood boards don’t come down either, unless your horse pulls it down…
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Yeah, I’ve never had a horse pull down dozens of feet of board fence by rolling too close to it.
Tape seems like a fine way to save some money on cross fencing. I’m sure the flexibility is nice. Using it as a perimeter is terrifying since it doesn’t, you know…actually keep horses in the field.
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For what it’s worth, I have a mare who is queen of rolling juuuuust a little too close to the fence - since the insulators on the Horseguard clamp down tightly it just stretches that section between two posts and not the whole line. Heck, she one time rolled under a section and tried to get herself caught up (cross fencing so only two strands to our normal perimeter of four) and unless the outside camera had caught it we never would have known it.
The ONLY time we’ve had actual fence come down and require emergency repair was when a deer got caught in ours and the actual tensioner broke - the fencing itself was reusable.
Horseguard is definitely a different product - why/how it’s so much better than the tape I could get at the farm store, I honestly am not sure. Magic?
We get it, it terrifies you and you won’t use it, so don’t, nobody’s trying to convince you otherwise. It’s been our only fence for 20 years.
Clearly it has worked very well, for a lot of years, for a lot of people.
Like no horse has ever escaped a wood fence when they managed to take down a top board.
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Nothing barring something designed for rhinos is going to keep a horse in a field.
Electric is and always was a psychological barrier.
Just like pretty much every other kind of fence, because if they’re scared and want out, there they go…
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The difference is that a wood fence (or any other solid fence) isn’t designed to fail. Just like how a break away halter isn’t always suitable, a break away fence isn’t always suitable.
There sure are no guarantees with horses, but I’m going to stack the deck in my favor that horses will be kept in the field with a solid perimeter fence. It doesn’t have to be wood–there are plenty of non break away fencing options out there.
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That a horse will still break down if they so decide.
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