Electric Fence Conductors, cont’d.
Polywire: This polyconductor (see products 02-10 thru 02-12A, 02-67, and 02-68) is not visible enough or strong enough to serve as the principal conductor on a stand-alone electric horse fence. However, it is affordable and very easy to handle. Unlike metal wire it can be reeled up and re-used repeatedly. It is also reasonably durable and quite conductive, so long as the fence is not very long. So it has a place in the horse fence world–both in protecting barrier horse fence and in providing lower polyconductor runs in some of the smaller temporary horse fences; and of course it plays an important role in electric fences designed to contain smaller livestock.
Polycoated Wire: This is a 12.5-gauge high-tensile steel wire coated with a durable polymer to a point where it reaches a final diameter of 5/16 inch. There are two forms of this elegant product, one “cold” (non-electrifiable) that is suitable for placing under tension and the other “hot” (electrifiable) that can be tensioned and that also has three strips of electrically conductive material running from its metal core to its surface (see products 02-65 and 02-66). By virtue of their visibility, durability, and strength both types of polycoated wire are well suited to permanent horse fences, and the high conductivity of the “hot” product comes as a decided bonus.
Polyrope: Most polyropes, including all those offered here, are about a quarter-inch thick (see product 02-60). One can find them 3/8-inch thick, but the price is generally higher than that of our standard 3/8-inch polybraids (see products 02-62 and 02-62A), which stand out as superior products.
Polyrope’s visibility, durability, conductivity, strength, and affordability (about 5 cents per foot for standard products) has made it a mainstay of both temporary and permanent electric horse fences. Those concerned about visibility (it is not so visible as the polytapes but is also not so vulnerable to wind) can find a black and white polyrope (product 02-59) that can be seen in winter and will remain visible year-round against just about any background except a herd of zebras. Regarding strength, the polyropes we offer have breaking strengths ranging from 750 to 1,000 pounds, which means they can put up significant physical resistance to horses and other large animals while simultaneously being thick and resilient enough to promote safety and reduce the chances of accidental injury. Polyropes are bulky, so if you are interested in using them with temporary fences that shift about it is worth getting a large takeup reel and several empty spools (see products 01-40 and 01-41).
Regarding conductivity, polyropes are generally made of polyethylene fibers intertwined with variable numbers of stainless steel or coated copper wires. If these wires are stainless steel their thickness is important, because that thickness plays a large role in determining the polyrope’s ability to conduct electricity. If the wires (commonly six in number) are 0.2mm thick the polyrope’s conductivity tends to be quite limited, and the product is suited mostly to electric fences less than a half-mile long. On the other hand, if the wires are 0.3mm thick (the maximum in common use), then the cross-sectional area of a single wire is more than doubled and the polyrope can be expected to conduct satisfactorily on fences up to a mile long. It is not advisable to seek out polyrope with 0.4mm stainless steel wires, because the stiffness of these thicker wires causes them to stand out from the rope, detracting from the product’s appearance and increasing its vulnerability.
