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A Very Safe Fence at a Very Low Cost
Testing the Earth Return System of your fence
1. Turn the fence energizer OFF.
2. 300 or 400 feet from the fence energizer, create a short circuit of the current in the
fence by laying two or three steel stakes or lengths of pipe against the lowest, hot
line of the fence, preferably where the ground is damp. DO NOT ALLOW CONTACT
WITH THE GROUNDED LINE OF BRAID – it is important that the electrical current
flow freely from the electrified fence lines into the Earth Return system.
3. Turn the fence energizer ON.
Using Your Digital Voltmeter…
4. Apply the voltmeter probe to one of your ground rods. Apply the ground pin to a
small steel stake (such as a screwdriver) placed in the ground at least 3 ft from any
ground rod.
5. The reading on the voltmeter should be 0.3 k volts (300 volts) or less. If it is greater
than 300 volts, the ground system is inadequate. You may need more ground rods.
Trouble Shooting
No Respect
: If you find your horses are showing less respect for their fence than
normal, it is very likely something is reducing the voltage on your fence, or the
grounding of the fence is not what it should be.
Here are some things you should do:
• Follow the instructions under “Testing your Fence”.
• Check all electrical connections to ensure they are secure.
• Check that the ground rod clamps are secure and connector wire is intact.
• Walk the fence line to ensure nothing has happened to cause the fence to short out.
• Are your horses standing on ground that is so dry or frozen that they are insulated
and prevented from getting a shock? Is this a general problem, or is it localized?
• If grounding is the problem, take steps to improve grounding.
Loss of Tension:
If you detect a loss in tension, check the following:
• A post may have moved at a corner, end or gate.
• A poly rope splicer may have slipped and needs to be tightened.
• Broken insulator
