Many horse owners are looking to keep their horses safer by adding electric fencing to their current paddocks and horse fencing. Combination fencing can help preserve your fence and ensure the safety of your herd. This process can be made easy by using ElectroBraid® for your combination fencing needs.
You’ve invested a lot of money into your physical fence for aesthetics and safety; you want it to last a long time in between repairs! But, your horses say otherwise; they’re leaning on the fencing, using it as a scratching pole, and nibbling on your wooden posts. This constant abuse can create a safety hazard for you and your horses, but a fix can be easy and affordable. Whether you have wood rail, woven mesh or traditional high-tensile wire, ElectroBraid® can extend the life of your fence and keep your horses safer.
Adding ElectroBraid® to a Wood Rail Fence
Perhaps you’re worried that your wood fence will succumb to the elements, or you’ve noticed constant mistreatment from your horses. This fence was likely a large investment of time and money. Rather than continuously making costly repairs, you can add ElectroBraid® to your existing fence before damage occurs! Adding a few strands of electric horse fence to the inside border of the fence will prevent horses from leaning and cribbing on the fence and prevent fence posts and crossbeams from cracking and splintering.
To make installation quick and easy, you could use Zareba® Duralator – Wood Post Self-Drilling Insulators. These insulators can each be installed in about 10 seconds with a power drill. Place the insulators on the innermost side of the fence.
Adding ElectroBraid® to a Wire Mesh or No Climb Fence
If you have a wire mesh fence, you know that when your horses lean on it they can crush it down and bend it all out of shape. Wire mesh is also harder to see than a painted wood fence or brightly colored polyrope or braid. If you want to preserve the look of the fence, then teach your horses to respect it by adding a strand of ElectroBraid® at the top of the fence. If you have T-Posts on your fence, use ElectroBraid® T-Post Cap Insulators to add braid to the top of your fence line.
Converting High-tensile Wire Fence to ElectroBraid®
While traditional wire fencing does its job, if you have ever had the misfortune of a horse crashing through it, you know that it could severely injure your horse – so much so that it may need to be put down. ElectroBraid® is a much safer option than high-tensile fencing for your horses and transitioning from a traditional wire fence to ElectroBraid® is a breeze. ElectroBraid® is safer than wire because it has stretch, similar to the rope used in a boxing ring. Plus, the color makes it highly-visible to the horse.
Converting Barbed Wire Fencing
It is never recommended to fence in horses with barbed wire. If you’re currently using barbed wire and intend to add electric lines to it, be sure to remove all barbed wire first. If barbed wire is combined with any electric fencing, a horse may become entangled, severely injured or worse. ElectroBraid® is a much safer option for fencing your horses due to its high-visibility, smooth surface and tensioned stretch to prevent injury.
Why ElectroBraid®?
Many prominent equine vets say ElectroBraid® is one of the safest fences for horses. In a survey of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Practitioners, ElectroBraid® scored a safety rating of 8.6 out of 10. With no sharp points, hard edges, and no boards to break or splinter, the ElectroBraid® Fence System is designed to minimize injuries and secure horses safely.
As herd animals, horses are more comfortable when they can experience open spaces and see each other. ElectroBraid® offers this low-level of intrusion in the horses’ landscape, making them feel more safe and secure. Meant as both a physical barrier and a psychological deterrent to horses, ElectroBraid® features a strong, durable and resilient construction that is highly visible to horses in all three of its color selections.
ElectroBraid® polyrope looks like a high-quality braided yachting rope. A double helix of copper wire conductors is braided into the outer jacket of the rope. Three or four strands of braid, each ¼” in diameter, are mounted with electrical insulators on the fence post. These posts can be wood, which is the best option, vinyl or steel.
For every instance of ElectroBraid® installation you will need:
- Fence Planner Tool: This online tool uses Google Maps to help you plan your fence line, providing you with a list of materials to build a complete system.
- Insulators: Having the proper insulators on your fence line will keep your fence from experiencing a short.
- ElectroBraid®: Measure out your fence line to determine how many feet of Braid you will need, and how many strands you will be installing.
- Ground Rods: We recommend at least 3 ground rods. Learn about the importance of proper grounding here.
- Fence Energizer: Since ElectroBraid® uses copper conductor in its braid, only a charger with copper or brass connectors should be used. No matter how large your fenced area is, ElectroBraid® is sure to have a charger to meet your needs.
- Tension Kit: One of the reasons that this fencing type is so safe is because of its ability to flex and bounce when properly tensioned.
- Gate Kit: Of course you will need an entry and exit point for your horses, so be sure to grab a gate kit.
- Poly Rope Connectors: When switching reels or adding in fence material, you will need to connect your rope properly. Poly Rope connectors will help get the job done quickly and effectively. You could also use Split Bolt Connectors for this job, if you prefer.
- Lead-Out Wire: Be sure to get copper lead-out wire to connect the charger to the ground rods, fence, and to go under gates for a continuous connection.
- Fence Tester: You should always have a fence tester on-hand to be certain that your fence and charger are preforming properly. This tool will make any potential troubleshooting much easier! Two great choices are the Zareba® Digital Electric Fence Tester, which measures voltage; and the Zareba® Fence Doctor, which measures voltage and detects shorts in your line - pointing you in the right direction with an arrow on the display screen.
If you’re considering making the switch from traditional physical fencing, or installing a new ElectroBraid® fenced area, our Service Experts are happy to answer any questions you have, just call 1-855-EB FENCE or email info@electrobraid.com. You can also request a free sample of ElectroBraid® to see the quality before making your decision. Be sure to visit www.ElectroBraid.com to sign up for our eNewsletter to get the latest deals and updates and visit ElectroBraid® on Facebook.
