How many insulators do you need per acre of land for a horse?

Question

I want to keep my horse at my house it is very wooded where I live. How many lines of wire do you think i need? I was thinking three is that enough? so how many insulators would I need for 1 acre of land and 3 lines

Answer 1

Boy - you ask some very open ended questions.....need more info.  What type of wire?  What type of posts and how often will they be placed on the fence?

Tractor Supply Company has a product catalog they revise every year.  In there, with different types of fencing are descriptions of how best to erect them.

As a starter idea, if you are using electrical wire, you need an insulator any time there is the potential for the wire to touch a metal object and short out - every post the line is held up by must be insulated.  Electric Wire can be effective for horses used to in in 2 or 3 strands, but I would suggest at least 3.

Consider visibility.  The horse doesn't see well at distances or when spooked, so if you have a hard time seeing it, they won't.  When first putting up the fence, go to a hardware or TSC and buy a few rolls of the bright colored plastic flagging tape.  Tie short pieces of it maybe 6 inches long about 6 feet apart so the horse will see the fence when first turned out.  These will rot away and are biodegradable but by the time they do, the horse should know where the fence is and be able to identify it by the posts or brush or other obstacles.

I keep my horses in high-tensile wire.  There are 5 stands of which 3 are electrified.  If the wire fence is built properly, the horses typically won't get hurt on it, but if it's allowed to sag or is not marked somehow and a horse running straight into it they can get hurt badly.

I know others who purchase the white lightning fence.  Although costly it's great stuff.  The non-electirifed lines are encased in white plastic so highly visible while the electrified ones pack quite a whallop - doesn't take more than once for a smart horse to touch it for them to learn not to touch it again.

I would suggest, if you're new to horse ownership, visit your local farm supply store and canvas employees for ideas - also contact people at your local feed elevators and horse-supply stores.  Grab all the knowledge they are willing to share and use it, don't just listen to one person and do what they say because your horse might be more or less high strung or have experiences that affect how well they mind the fence you put in.  

Whatever you do, I would NOT suggest welded wire - it comes apart and can cause puncture injuries.  If you prefer a sheeted fence, TSC offers a horse fence that has "V" shaped openings that doesn't climb and is VERY horse-safe.

If you use steel fence posts (T-posts) please, by all means buy the rubber caps for them and use them and replace when they disappear - many horses have gotten hurt on the unprotected tops of steel posts costing them pain and their owners money and stress in vet bills, the protectors are well worth the small amount they cost.

I would suggest, if you wish to talk more, gather yourself a group of contacts from the responses you get and email them directly to start up a conversation away from this forum and ask them specific questions as to:

Type of wire

Type of posts

Spacing of posts

Manner of supporting corners

What type of insulators they have found success with

The best way to plant the posts for the ground you are in

and since you're building in a wooded area, if using electric fence, you'll need to constantly patrol the fence-lines a couple times a year to trim or spray errant branches or brush so the fence doesn't sort out.

There are also many concerns about pasturing in a wooded area - for example, Walnut tree bark and leaves are fatal to horses if ingested.  You need to be understanding of all these considerations as well.

good luck.

Answer 2

I am in th UK and I use2 strands ( if I use 3 the lowest gets shorted om the long grass) so it's 2 insulators per post.