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Index

pages 23 and 24

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Fence maintenance

Check your fence regularly

Electric tape fence also has weaknesses! It is so efficient that once it is installed you are inclined to think that all your fencing problems are solved. The most important ways to make sure fences are secure is to check them regularly for trouble spots.
Use a fence tester to check your fence and check the voltage on a regular basis to ensure at least 4000 volts on the fence line.

TS4

Fence Tester

$ 33.30

Broken connections

Check your fence tape and the connections regularly to discover and fix the problems before your horses get loose. Keep the fence tight and re-stretch it if necessary, the wind fl utter can break the wire conductors in a sagging tape. Look for broken insulators, broken tensioners, if any, do not hesitate to replace them. Inferior and cheap insulators that don't maintain the tape properly will end up cutting the wire conductors making the electric fence ineffective.

Never make a knot with the tape.

In the event of a broken tape, release enough tape from tension to allow slack and use the splicing buckle to reconnect the ends together.

The charger is not operating

Checks the batteries : the batteries might need to be changed and often it is so obvious, it doesn't come to mind. Check the fuses. If they are blown replace them. If they blow instantly, the charger has to be serviced where you purchased it. Make sure that you have selected the charger with the maximum energy for your circumstances. The impulse energy has to be more than 1 Joule output for small fences and more than 5 Joules output for long ones.

Do not attach the tape
directly to the post

The electric tape fence should not touch anything, including vegetation, metal or wooden posts, apart from the insulators, tensioners and insulated posts.

Weed control.

Don't forget to always turn the charger off before servicing your fence. Regular mowing underneath the tape is a good method. A horse that leans over or through a weak fence may loose respect for it.Use a powerful fence charger that can sustain power even with such losses of power.Install the tape high enough above the ground but low enough for horses and ponies not to creep under it. A happy medium is somewhere between 20" (0.50m) and 28" (0.70m).

Keep vegetation away by mowing or once a year, use a weed killer.

Storms

Although your fence charger is usually protected with a fuse, it is always better to turn off the fence when there is lightning or an electric storm. Lightning is a major cause of fencecharger failure.

Immediately after a storm, inspect your fence to make sure it is in good shape. A fallen tree might have fl attened your fence, opening up an escape route before you realize it.

In the event of a broken tape, release enough tape from tension to allow slack and use the Bi-Polar splicing buckle to reconnect the ends together. #BP34

BP34

Bi-Polar Splicer Buckle

$ 2.80