Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I wanted to teach my 3 boys about electric tape a couple of years ago, so I set up a nice area in the yard, and put them in one at a time with Scarlet (to keep them from getting too upset about being away from the barn, though you'd think actually having grass would do it!)  Every one of them would touch the fence, get shocked and instead of bouncing back, bolted right through it and took down the whole fence.  They're all 5 now and they don't have total respect for wire anymore.  For my fillies, this past year, I put the tape along the wood fence in the pen.  This let them learn about the shock, but also made sure that bolting away instead of through would be the reaction.  I think it's worked a LOT better.

 

Rae

Tall C Arabians - Central

heidi <ribbitttreefrog@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Barbara, I know you've already gotten some responses but I haven't read them, so hopefully I'm not just repeating everyone else. I have electric fencing and I usually take the new horse out in the morning so they all day to figure out the "area" and walk them the whole way around, the fence is on and I take a stick and tap it once in awhile to "show" it to them. I don't force anyone to touch it, but I do let them touch it if they are inclined to. It especially helps if there is a strange horse on the other side, so they have more of a tendancy to reach over and give it a sniff, usually getting a bite from the fence for their troubles. Then I'm not the bad guy who lashed out at them, it was their own fault. Usually it takes once around and one touch and I don't have any other problems. Even have two horses that can't go out together on opposite sides with no problems. They stomp the ground and act pissy, but respect the fence. I keep it on 99% of the time and they are not testers like my friends who have QH that run through the electric fence every couple of months. (not QH bashing!!!) I also flag my fences very well if I'm not using tape.They have become so conditioned to the electric tape/wire that I can flag baling twine around my lawn and they stay away from that too! Only a couple of times has anyone run through and it's usually been my fault, opening the electric wire gate and not getting out of the way when someone races in for dinner, thinking I'd put the gate off to one side. That in itself reinforces that the fence bites, they're careful(er) for a long time after that!

 

heidi larson

Barbara Berlitz <barbaraberlitz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I am looking for tips/advice on how or whether to introduce horses put in a new pasture to its electric fencing.

 

Should I let them bump it and fly away? risking flight/panic injuries?

 

Or make them bump it but have violated their trust?

 

Or warn them away and let them take the consequences? OR what??? Yikes.

 

Tips welcome!

Barbara in Pacific Grove

Heidi-aerc#M20935 /\_/\~ http://www.synjinarts.com
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