The RAMM ground rod kit comes with everything you need to get your electric horse fence up and running, including three 5' ground rods, three clamps, and one ½” x 58” roll of 12.5-gauge soft zinc aluminum burial wire. If your electric fence charger isn’t grounded properly, the electric current will be compromised and your horses will receive less of a shock (allowing them to test their boundaries). This electric fence ground rod kit promotes the proper grounding of electric horse fence chargers.
The Importance of Ground Rods
"If a fence charger was the heart of an electric fence, the ground rods would be the veins carrying the blood back to the heart."
The amount of energy picked up by the ground rods is the amount of energy the animal will feel in return. Example: If there was a fence with 10,000 volts, then 6,000 volts are lost through the resistance of the animal and earth, and 4,000 volts would flow.
Voltage declines when met with resistance; a fence charger must produce a much higher level of voltage to accommodate the deterioration from Earth's high resistance. The level of energy introduced to the fence from a low-impedance fence charger will range from 5,000V-10,000V – the amount needed to effectively deter a large animal is 2,000V to 4,000V. It is extremely important we create the best possible condition for the return of voltage back to the fence charger.
Installation: Ground rods should be placed at least 25' from your fence charger/energizer or the charger/energizer may get damaged during an electrical storm. The ground rods should also be at least 50' away (shock hazard) from any underground piping, cable, or any other grounding system and near the fence line. A ground rod closer than 50' from a waterline (even if the waterline is plastic) may cause signal interference on your home computer, phone, radio, television, or anything else that requires an electrical signal. The universally accepted standard for an adequate grounding system has a minimum of three ground rods spaced at least 10' apart, in a vertical configuration. If you space them less than 10' apart, it may reduce the amount of energy returning to the fence and the amount of shock the animal will receive.
*Note: For added effectiveness with dry or barren land, you may need to purchase additional ground rods – placing each additional rod at the furthest point away from the initial three rods. Energy moves through Earth via minerals and living plant roots. If the ground is moist, the plants and minerals are connected and energy will flow. If the ground is dry, it becomes more difficult for energy to flow and it will rapidly decline.
