For those of you that do electric, what charger do you use? I had a friend with a tiny, battery operated one, but I can’t find it online.
I’ve used an electric fence set-up for 11 years of endurance riding. Never yet had a horse run through mine (as I used my truck (unhitched from the trailer) as a “buffer” pulled across the front of my horse’s pen). I use a solar powered charger purchased 10 years ago. Still works perfectly. As a backup I have a tiny plug-in charger that can be powered by an extension cord to my trailer’s inverter.
I know people who tie to a trailer, or use hi-ties. They like their setup and it works for them. I know people who use either metal or PCV panels. Saw a horse badly damaged by a metal corral when he pushed against it. Took 4 of us to hold the poor animal to get him untangled. He was lame when we finally got all the panels off him - he was REALLY twisted up in them with his legs tangled in the panel openings. Thankfully no broken legs - but it sure convinced me to never use that method of containment. Rider never got a chance to ride - stayed overnight to make sure the horse was OK (nice to have several vets in attendance!) then made the 7 hour trip home. What a bummer for him. Nice guy, too. Very experienced endurance conpetitor, and so was the high-milage horse. Just a freak accident.
Seen lots and lots and lots of horses escape from electric pens - funny thing that it always seems to be the high level endurance riders who have the escapes! :lol: Problem always goes back to the charger not being on, or the fence too small or only one strand of wire.
Tractor Supply has the tiny battery powered charger. But I would opt for the solar powered one - you never have to worry about dead batteries, or batteries dying at the worst time.
Here’s a good resource for chargers:
http://www.outfitterssupply.com/Highline-Picket-Corral-Kits/products/59/
[QUOTE=katarine;5317334]
Here’s a good resource for chargers:
http://www.outfitterssupply.com/Highline-Picket-Corral-Kits/products/59/[/QUOTE]
My friend has happily used this charger (on your website ^ but also for sale in other catalogs) for a while and recommended it to me: http://www.outfitterssupply.com/Horse-Power-Fence-Charger-2-D-Trail-Model/productinfo/WPH460/
Another friend told me that he found if he’s in the woods or if it’s cloudy all day, the solar one won’t have enough charge.
With the battery fence charger, if you need more charge, just pop in more batteries and you’re good to go.
I use a portable corral made of plastic step-in posts, 2 rails of white electric tape, and a portable battery powered charger. I have never had any problems. The two horses I regularly take on overnights are both extremely respectful of fencing and would rather die than go near an electric fence, so I don’t have much reason to worry.
I do put a lot of thought into where my paddock goes though so it’s not in a high traffic area that would be easy to run through. I also use my horse trailer as one side of the paddock which makes it more “solid looking” to loose horses that might be running through.
I have used the portable solar charged pathway lights to mark the edge of the paddock also so in the middle of the night a horse would hopefully see it and not run through if loose.
My Mom and I use a portable corral with plastic step in posts and two strands of fairly thick white electric rope. We have a battery that we can hook up, but the experienced horses really don’t need it. Our horses need to be separated, so we run a strand down the middle and they do great. I know everyone has an opinion and a lot of people have success with some sort of tying system, but I would never hard tie one of my horses overnight after some of the accidents I have seen. We have seen multiple horses caught in their ties at endurance rides, highlines, trailer high-ties, you name it I’ve seen them get tangled up in it, and even rescued several. They usually at least have rope burns and aren’t able to compete that/the next day. And yes, I have seen multiple horses break out of electric fences, but they run through the fences, and generally stop to greet neighbors or eat, or make a loop around camp and other riders catch them and they’re just fine. It’s part of being at a ride, but I’ve never seen one of these horses hurt by running through electric tape.
At one ride this spring Mom’s horse got startled and broke through the fence at a vet break (first time in five years we’ve had a horse break out of one, if they’re used to the fences, which we make sure they are before we take them anywhere, they are very respectful). But he stopped right away (would never leave his buddy), and we put him back and repaired the fence – five minutes, no damage done anywhere, the other horse didn’t get out, not a scratch. At the same ride a horse tied got the rope around it’s leg and went lame. And yes, perhaps these horses were improperly tied or whatever, and I’m not saying anything against people who tie their horses. It’s just not a risk I’m willing to take.
i use all methods but for the corral.
but i never ever ever use nylon rope or line for high lines.
nylon is too dangerous ime.
I prefer a highline if possible at night. During the day we often put up a hot wire and let the horses graze, but we ALWAYs move them to the highline at night. Too many elk and deer and run thru the hot wires at night and knocked them down.
If I’m where there are no trees, Then I like to use the HiTie. It’s a great products and works well for my horses. Last choice is to tie directly to the trailer. I don’t get any sleep if the horses are tied directly. They tuck and pull all night
HiTies
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/Hities.jpg
Horses in meadow with hot wire around meadow
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2009/Uintas/Horses3.jpg
Horses on highline
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2009/Union%20Falls/highline.jpg
I have used the electric portable corrals quite a bit and my guys are used to electric. I can even use binder twine and they think it’s electric. :lol: I’ve always used a small 2 D cell battery charger.
Saw these at a trade show and thought it would be great, although I would be putting flagging tape on the wires.
http://www.gallagherusa.com/electric-fencing/portable.component.aspx?mktprodid=5970
Nancy!
For chargers, I got the Zareba charger. It takes 4 D cell batteries and has always worked well.
That’s what I use and it works great. Works even better if you water your ground rod after pounding it into the ground.
For my electric I use a small tractor battery, it weighs about oh 10 lbs and fully charged lasts an entire week. I have a small solar panel as backup, that sits on top of my horse trailer. When I use my rails as I call them, I have them on the outside of my trailer (someone said they put them inside the trailer) no no, get a buddy to help you out with adding some posts on the outside of your trailer to hang your corral panels from! No sense wasting hauling space on a pen
