Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to get your Horseguard fencing delivered?

A: HorseGuard fencing is located in Montgomery, IL, so by placing your order online or over the phone it will be in the UPS truck the following business day and about 3 or 6 business days later ready for you to install.

Q: Is the fence tape safe for Humans?

A: If you touch the electric fence tape you will receive a strong shock, which is why a fence tester is recommended! One should not let small children play closely to it, and elderly peopleor people with a heart conditions should not get in contact with electric fences. Extreme caution should ALWAYS be used around electricity. Warning signs have to be displayed every 300 feet.

Q: What would you suggest for paddocks that already have a natural tree line?

The insulators can be screwed on the trees, and the distance should be no more than 16 feet between the trees. If it is more a fiberglass stake could be a good solution. Two strands are usually enough for an electric fence.

Q: Is it safe or dangerous for Horses ?

A: An electric fence is a psychological barrier rather than a physical one so the animal mustbe educated to respect the fence. The pain that an animal feels is short lived and does not physically harm the animal, unlike barbed wire, which can cause severe cuts and long lasting pain while also damaging the hide.

Q: Will Horseguard fence work on metal posts? We have about 4 acres that already has T- posts in the ground just no fencing yet?

A: The fence can be made with any kind of posts. The insulators for the tape are always the same. Just the attachments change.

Q: What happens if the animals run into it? Does it break? Can it be easily repaired?

A : The breaking point of the tape is 600 pounds. So if a horse ends up going through, the tape will brake or stretch, with little or no injury to your horse. The tape can be simply and quickly repaired with a splicing buckle, depending on the location of the break, some insulators or tensioners may have to be replaced. Its a good idea to keep a couple spare parts on hand for emergencies.

Q: If I run the tape down a straight line and then back to the origin and then back down the straight line, will the tape all be energized if it only connect the positive and negative to one end?

A : Run three lines. Each line attached to a tensionner at the start and at the end.. Connect a charger to the start of one of the lines. Connect two jumper wires #between the three strands That? all! For the traditional tape the ground is the return. For bi-polar it? the lower side of the tape which is the return.

Q: Could you tell me the difference between the traditional tape fence and the bi-polar tape fence?

In case of traditional fence the current goes from the tape in the ground. If the soil is very dry or frozen it? not conducting and the horse doesn? get a jolt. With bi-polar tape the current doesn? have to go in the ground but it returns in the tape to the charger. The horse get a jolt under all weather conditions.

Q : If the fence fails whose fault is it? What about potential injuries?

A : Please be aware that horses spooked by animals, thunder, or any unexpected loud noises may panic and run straight into any fence no matter what its design! If the fence is built next to a road, in many states horse owners are liable for any damage caused by their hses to humans or to vehicles. Make sure your fence is properly installed with all the hardware recommended and sold by the manufacturer, make sure that the fence is built according to the risk involved and make sure the fence is maintained adequately and that the zapping from the charger is always more than 4000 Volts. As horse? behaviour is not always predictable and no fence product is totally safe, there remains a potential for injury to horses.Therefore, HorseGuard fencing system shall in no event be responsible for any injury topersons, horses or personal properties.

Q : What about the longevity of the tape?

A : When we invented the fencing tape in 1985 it was by far not as strong as the one we produce now (1/3 lighter) but we still have customers that use it as it was. Its longevity can go from 10 to 15 years depending on circumstances and the way it is installed. Mildew will not damage it. It is only an aesthetic matter. It is always better to turn off the fence before stormy weather. In a windy area do not exceed 12 ft between each post, and make sure you stress the tape enough with the proper tensioners. The tape has to be set up with our insulators & tensioners which are built so if the tape fl utters with the wind it does not get cut. The Universal insulators that you can buy anywhere are a copy of the model that we designed 20 years ago and they are inferior. We have improved the model since, but the competitors haven’t .

Q : What about the warranty?

A : HorseGuard webbing is guaranteed at 600 lbs break strength, free from defects and is warranteed for 5 years against deterioration under to normal weather conditions. Please see our Sales Terms and Conditions page 62.

Q: Can one section of the fence be 3 strand and another section just be 1 or maybe 2 strand?

A: You can make a combination of different numbers of strands.

Q: Will Horseguard fence work on metal posts? We have about 4 acres that already has T- posts in the ground just no fencing yet ?

A: The fence can be made with any kind of posts. The insulators for the tape are always the same. Just the attachments change.

Q: I have a regular “hot wire” now. How can I tie your fence into my already installed hot wire?

A :You do it with a #59H jumper wire. One side attach to the hot wire, the other end to the starting buckle #36W of the tape fence..The charger has to be low impedance.

Q: Can you dead end with this fence or does it have to make a complete circuit ?

A :The fence doesn’t have to make a complete loop.

 

A FEW FAQ FOR THE BI-POLAR FENCE

1 What are the average gap between the tapes?

2 Why is the tape half brown and half green and why are the connecting cables also brown and green?

It’s to make sure the system doesn’t short itself out. Green always goes with green and Brown always goes with brown. Green connecting cable hooks up to the green side of the tape and brown with brown. The colors insure that Bi-Polar Tape system is foolproof.

3 Is it hard to connect the connecting cables to the Bi-Polar Tape?

Not at all .You connect the green jumper cable from the charger to the fence first tensioner #BP32 then attach it to the next tensioner with bolts and nuts, and redoe the same procedure for the brown jumper cable.
Bi-Polar connectors for insulator #2BC8 can connect the fence on any insulators along the fence and even more you can use these insulator connectors to charge another paddock

4 How many connecting cables (#2BP59H and #2BP59L) do you need for each strand of tape?
5 How many gate handles do you have?

We have 1 gate handle that carry the charge on the other side of the gate and ensure the continuity of the electric fence, you attach to them the length of the stretchy tape #BPSTgr that you need for the size of your gate. It is called #BP13A for the tensioner #BP32 . It closes the circuit.

6 How to cross under the gate?

Run the 2 heavy duty insulated connecting cables through a buried garden hose or a pipe conduit then reset the connections and the Bi-Polar tape in the tensioners #9bl on the other side of the gate.

7 Can the Bi-Polar be a year-round fence?

Absolutely, whatever the conditions of the ground are, the horse will get zapped and learn to respect the fence.

8 Can you connect Bi-Polar fencing to a existing traditionally grounded Horseguard fence?

If the Bi-Polar tape is used as a traditional tape with traditional accessories yes you can, but to fully benefi t from Bi-Polar Fencing’s advantages, why not use Bi-Polar equipment exclusively on one of your paddocks and hook the other ones up to a different charger. That way you’ll be guaranteed that at least one of your paddocks will work perfectly no matter what the grounding conditions are…

9 Testing the Bi-Polar Fence

With the new digital voltmeter tester made for Horseguard it’s easy to mesure the exact voltage running through the fence. (here the tape was frozen but still zapping!)

10 Will my horse get hurt when he hits the fence?

No the energizer puts out a pulse every second so there is time for the horse to fly away from the fence.