Electric Fencing

What is required for building an electric fence?

• Electric fence posts
• Tapes, ropes or poly-wires
• Energiser with earth stake
• Electric fence battery with grounding cable
• Insulators
• Gate handles or gate handle systems

An electric fence for a horse paddock must be escape-proof to ensure the safety of the horses and the environment. This means that the electric fence should be stable, sufficiently high in relation to the size of the horses, and highly visible to them. For a permanent paddock, sturdy wooden or metal posts are recommended. These can be supplemented with plastic posts. A mobile paddock, which can be used at competitions or on hacks, can also be fenced exclusively with plastic posts. When building an electric fence, particular attention should be paid to the corner posts, as this is where the strongest tensile forces come into play. Ideally, stable metal posts should be installed in the corners; these are additionally secured in the ground and can better withstand the tension of tapes and ropes.
Youll also need the fencing material itself, which can consist of tapes, ropes or thinner poly-wire To maintain conductivity and keep resistance as low as possible, fence connectors are the best way to connect tapes and poly-wire - you shouldnt knot them together.
For easier in-and-out access for horses, plastic gate handles that can be hung on the electric fence, or gate handle systems with elastic ropes, are necessary. Insulators come in various designs, depending on which posts have been chosen. For wooden posts, insulators with threading that can be screwed into the wood are suitable. On T-posts, insulators can be clipped on. There are also screw-on insulators. The type of insulator required - ring insulators or tape insulators - depends on the fencing material used. Plastic posts have their own attachment options and generally do not require additional insulators.
Finally, to make the entire electric fence escape-proof, an energiser with a battery or mains connection is necessary. To ensure that the circuit is closed and the current can flow back to the energiser unimpeded, an earth stake should always be used. The earth stake is connected to the energiser and should be at least one metre deep in the ground.

What is the right fence for my horse's paddock?

For every horse, the electric fence should be sturdy, tall, and highly visible. The height of the fence is determined by the withers height of the horses to be enclosed in the paddock. Whether you use tape, rope, or poly-wire, or a combination of several fencing materials for the electric fence, is an individual decision. Generally, the fence should provide a visual barrier that is well accepted by horses. If tapes are combined with poly-wires, the top row should be a wide tape. However, tapes are susceptible to strong weather influences such as wind, as are plastic posts, so you should consider this when choosing fencing materials.
Poly-wire, round wire, or electric fence rope are less sensitive to wind and therefore better suited for windy locations. Here, pay particular attention to good visibility, which is usually ensured with a diameter of 6mm. For diameters below this, either tape should be combined, or loops of fluttering tape should be attached at regular intervals for increased visibility.
The greatest safety in terms of stability and visibility is provided by wooden fences. Horse paddocks with wooden fencing are ideal as permanent pastures for riding stables and stud farms. Even near motorways and dual carriageways, where even more care should be taken regarding breakout security, wooden fences can be used for horse paddocks. These should, however, always be combined with an electric fence.
When choosing the electric fencing energiser, you should pay attention to the size of the electric fence and the thickness of the horses' coats. The thicker the coat of the enclosed horses, the more vegetation grows up along the fence, and the longer the electric fence is, the stronger the output of the energiser should be. A minimum voltage of 2,500 volts is required for adequately secure containment. If your horse has a thick winter coat, at least 4,000 volts are necessary. At Kramer Equestrian, you can purchase electric fencing energisers for 9 volt, 12 volt, and 230 volt batteries or mains connections with different pulse energies. You can find out which electric fencing energiser is suitable for which conditions in the respective product description.

Further important information on building an electric fence and what special features you should consider regarding the electric fence for horse paddocks can be found in our Guide on Paddock Management.

How do I calculate the correct length for electric fencing?

To calculate the necessary materials for building an electric fence, you should know the length or perimeter of the pasture. Based on this measurement, you can easily calculate the required metreage, for instance, using our electric fence calculator. Keep in mind that you need to add the metreage for additional fence rows, as a break-proof electric fence should have at least two, preferably three, rows. In the Kramer Equestrian online shop, you can purchase tape and fence ropes suitable for fence lengths up to 1,200m, 10,000m, and 18,000m, ensuring good conductivity up to these lengths.
The number of fence posts required depends on your calculated fence length. It is recommended to place a post every 5 metres. The spacing size depends on various factors, including topographical conditions and external influences such as wind, proximity to roads, etc.