A few basic rules when installing electric fence systems

A few basic rules need to be followed when installing and using the Fieldguard electric fence system.

The tape was developed from a medical bandage and follows the principles of flexibility, strength, and visibility. However, this flexibility – which ensures that animals cannot be cut – has to be countered and this is achieved by making the fence “active” using an electrical charge similar to a static shock.

Dry weather will also make earthing of the animal and the energiser poor therefore always use the most powerful energiser possible and earth it very well. In hot weather regularly pour a few buckets of water over the earth rod. The smaller energisers require a minimum of 2 metres of earth rod. Our ER3 is 1 meter but double-sided.

With active fencing, once any animals have touched the fence they imagine there to be a wall of shocks above the fence only. They are all convinced that the shocks do not come from below the fence and will try to climb away from the shocks by that route. It is therefore essential to teach all animals about the properties of electric fencing in the first instance, to stop them from wanting to jump over or crawl under the fence. Horses should be turned out as normal and left to find out for themselves.

Most fence systems are well below the jumping height of the animals they contain and many can be crawled under. This will cease after the first “bite”. For pigs, sheep and goats an initial training pen is desirable. Highly strung animals such as dogs need to be well under control for their first contact. Dogs are well insulated along their backs and a free dog will crawl under most fencing with ease; this will only serve to enhance their thoughts that there are no shocks below the fence, as they seek to escape the enclosure after their initial “bite”.

The fencing can be used for a very wide variety of applications. If wound round a tree trunk it will stop animals eating bark. Laid on a chair it will stop dogs jumping up. It is ideal for fencing in equine schools, round pens, for isolating hazards, making travelling paddocks, securing fish ponds against wading birds, keeping dogs in open-plan gardens, protecting bird cages against cats, heightening or protecting existing fencing, and keeping small animals out of allotments. It is even useful for encouraging recalcitrant animals into trucks.

Fieldguard makes the impossible possible.