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How high should an electric fence be for a horse?

5 min read

Asked by: Craig Snow

Fence Height Fences should be a minimum of four feet tall if horses are kept in the pasture. The fence height needs to be increased when electric fencing, to a minimum of five feet for horses if kept in the pasture. This is because the average horse eats standing up and does not run or jump like a cow.

How tall should an electric fence be?

For a two wire fence the first wire should be 22 inches from the ground and the top wire 40 inches. The top and bottom wires should be connected together at least every 1/2 mile.

Can you use an electric fence for horses?

Electric fencing can be ideal for horses for many reasons. Safety for the horse, as well as low cost and ease of installation, make electric fencing one of the best options for equine containment. Horses are easy to control with electric fencing.

What type of electric fence is best for horses?

  • #1) ElectroBraid Horse Fence Conductor Reel.
  • #2) Farmily Portable Electric Fence Polywire.
  • #3) Gallagher Poly Wire Electric Fence.
  • #4) Baygard Electric Fencing, 1/4-Inch White Rope.
  • #5) Zareba Poly Wire Horse Fencing.
  • #6) Farmily Portable Electric Fence with Nine Conductors.
  • How do you set up an electric fence for horses?

    How to Install an Electric Fence for Horses (Step-By-Step Guide & Tips)

    1. Measure the Area.
    2. Collect Your Materials.
    3. Attach the Insulators & Install the Fence Charger.
    4. Run the Electric Wire Around the Perimeter of the Fence.
    5. Attach the Gate Fastener.


    Is a 4 foot fence tall enough for horses?

    Gates should be as tall as the fence to discourage horses from reaching over or attempting to jump over the gate. Gates can be up to 16-feet wide, with a minimum of 12 feet to allow easy passage of vehicles and tractors. Horse and handler gates should be no less than 4-feet wide, with 5 feet preferred.

    How deep should a horse fence post be?

    Line Post Holes – should be approximately 24-36” deep. End/Corner Posts Holes – should be 36-48” deep depending on frost line. Fill the hole with concrete to approximately 4” below ground level. Make sure that the bottom of the hole​ is at least 6” wider than the top of the hole.

    How many joules should a horse fence have?

    Typical recommendation is one joule per mile of fence. Keep in mind that bigger is better, until the point that induction occurs. Induction will power gates and neutral wire when voltage gets too high.

    Does an electric fence have to make a complete loop?

    The answer is no, an electric fence DOES NOT have to make a complete loop. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to completing the fence loop. Creating a continuous loop will increase voltage on the fence line, because power is pushed in both directions.

    Can you tie poly tape electric fence?


    Or an end post wire or poly wire can simply be tied off on your insulator.

    Can you use galvanized wire for electric fence?

    High-tensile wire is available in two options: galvanized steel and aluminum. Both are strong, hard-wearing, and low maintenance, and are a good choice for constructing perimeter fences to contain slow animals. Galvanized steel offers an economic solution that will effectively carry an electric charge long distances.

    Can electric fence wires touch each other?

    Wires tend to flip due to the wind. Many people tend to install in-line strainers above each other, but this is not the right way to do it. You should separate them by a fence post so that they don’t catch on each other.

    How do you ground an electric fence?

    Use a mallet sledge or post driver to drive the ground rods into the ground making. Sure they are at least 4 feet deep to get below the frost. Line.

    What happens if you don’t ground an electric fence?

    If It Isn’t Grounded, It Won’t Shock



    When an animal touches the electrically charged fence wire, the animal feels the electric current as the charge passes through the body. The charge then completes the circuit through the soil via the ground rod and then up the ground wire to the ground terminal charger.

    How deep does a ground rod need to be for an electric fence?

    To ensure ground rods come in contact with enough soil moisture to complete the circuit, best practice is to install 90 cm (3′) of ground rod below the water table for every joule of output provided by the energizer.

    Does rain affect electric fence?

    Electric fences are effective even in the rain.



    However, due to the small size of raindrops, they do not do any damage to the electric fence. It would only be a problem if the electric fence had already been destroyed by the time it started raining.

    What happens when you pee on a electric fence?

    It is NOT possible to be electrocuted by urinating on an electric fence line. The electric fence safety features preclude that. A stream of urine separates into individual droplets the further it goes. Because the urine isn’t a steady stream, it would be unlikely that an electric current could travel up it.

    Why is electric fence clicking?

    It is almost entirely due to a spark or arcing of the electrical current across the fence hardware that most radio noise created by electric fencing is caused. This form of interference generates a distinctive tick-tick-tick sound that can cause communications to be disrupted over distances of up to a mile in length.

    How far apart should fence posts be for electric fence?

    How to fix it: In an electric-fencing system, Derynck reccomends fence post spacing 80-100 feet apart, or about 50 posts per mile. He suggests using a “stay” – a shorter post that sits on top of the ground and holds wires up – if posts are spaced 100 ft. apart.

    Do electric fences use a lot of electricity?

    The typical Zareba® fence charger uses about 33 watts per day. So, 33 watts multiplied by 31 days is 1,023. Divide that by 1,000 to get 1.023 kilowatt hours per month. The U.S. average cost of a kilowatt hour is 12 cents.

    Does electric fence ground wire need to be insulated?

    All wires you want “hot” must be properly insulated. That means the hot wire must not be in contact with the ground through battens, posts, waratahs or for that matter any uprights.