Are Electric Fences Safe for Horses?

Unlike the kick from actual horses, the ''bite'' horses feel from an electric fence is short-lived and doesn’t physically harm your horse. The electric current acts as the Alpha in the pecking order, so your horses are safely contained within their boundaries! In the wild, horses are herd animals, meaning there is a hierarchy among them. Horses will respect the bite, nudge, nip, or kick from the alpha/dominant horse. Electric fencing provides that ''nip'' and helps teach horses to respect the barrier. It makes perfect sense to our horses; the fence is saying ''stay away''.

We offer many of the best electric horse fence options on the market available here: https://www.rammfence.com/fence/electric-horse-fence/​

 

"How is your electric fence different than what I find at my local farm store?"

  • Ask about the number of electrical wires in the farm store fence. You’ll probably find that RAMM’s electric fence contains more wires and has a stronger break strength. ​This could mean the difference between your horses staying in their pasture or getting loose.
  • Find out what type of plastics the rail is constructed from. Plastic that is not UV-protected will fray from the sun's damaging UV rays.
  • Don’t forget about the warranties. You may find you are getting more bang for the buck by installing your pastures with RAMM’s time-proven electric fence solutions. When you purchase an electric fencing system from RAMM, you’re getting a higher quality product. Our products are farm-tested to ensure performance.
  • You’re also getting customer support from a dedicated staff ​that will help you through your entire project, from planning-to-completion. Our representatives care about your horses and will spend time finding out about your animals and their needs and how they can help you stay within your budget. We’ll help you choose a fence system that will do the job it should.

*Please be aware, the best way to use any electric horse fence is according to manufacturer’s recommendations.

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How Often Should I Turn on My Electric Horse Fence?

We recommend electric fencing be ​turned on at all times; they are designed to be electrified. Electric fences work because horses learn that when they contact the fence, they receive a shock. This teaches the horse to stay away from the fence line.

Electric horse fence rails are not as strong as most non-electric options because they are not designed to withstand constant contact from horses. If you don’t keep the fence electrified, your horse will be more likely to contact the fence. If your horse has some experiences with the fence when it is not electrified, it may lose respect for the fence and ​could become tempted to go through it. This produces unnecessary wear-and-tear or abuse to the fence and ​puts your horse ​at risk of an accident.

The cost to keep an electric fence on 24 hours a day is quite minimal and is well worth the extra costs per month to keep your animals safe! If you're unsure whether your electric fencing is operating adequately, we offer electric fence testers.