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Researchers found no notable differences in horses' stress parameters when in paddocks constructed from electric or wood fencing.

If you’ve ever worried whether electric fencing is welfare-friendly, you can put your mind at ease. New research from Switzerland has revealed that the threat of electric shock from electrical fencing doesn’t cause your horses to stress.

However, most horses will maintain a greater distance from an electric fence compared to a wooden fence, researchers say. And that could impact the total usable space of your paddocks.

“Horses will stand close to wooden fencing, but they don’t like to go near electric fences, so by using an electric fence you’re limiting your horse’s turnout area to a certain extent,” said Dominik Burger, DVM, a scientist at the Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine (University of Bern and Agroscope), in Avenches. Burger co-authored a recent study on the topic with Rupert M. Bruckmaier, DVM, PhD, professor at the Vetsuisse Faculty at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and other Swiss researchers.

In their study, the team looked at 20 horses aged 6 to 18 years as they spent time in different-sized paddocks fenced with either electric ribbons or wooden boards. Small paddocks measured 12.25 m² (125 ft²), and large paddocks measured 36 m² (360 ft²). The scientists monitored the horses’ heart rate, heart rate variability, and salivary cortisol levels throughout the experiment. They also observed how the horses used the available paddock area and their behavior, primarily for signs of stress.

They found that horses respected a larger “border” area—about 50 cm (nearly 20 inches)—in front of electric fencing than wooden fencing, Burger said. With small paddocks, this caused a significant reduction in the total usable space. Perhaps as a result of this, the researchers noted much less rolling in the small paddocks.

There were no notable differences in the stress parameters among the different paddock sizes and fence types, he said. However, the research team did detect a tendency toward more stress behaviors in small paddocks (regardless of fencing) compared to large paddocks.

“We didn’t see any signs of increased stress with horses that were accustomed to electric fencing,” Burger said. “This type of fencing can be considered safe and ethical to use for the contention of horses, provided owners keep in mind that it narrows the practical space of the paddock by about 50 cm all along the perimeter. Minimum paddock size recommendations (by law in Switzerland, 24 to 36 m² [240 to 360 ft²] per horse depending on paddock accessibility) should ideally be respected, taking in this calculation.”

However, there is one situation in which electrical fencing could cause stress, he added. “Our experiments focused on individual horses in paddocks, not on groups of horses. In the latter condition, lower-ranking horses might get trapped or pushed into that area near the fence,” he said. “If they find themselves in that zone, it can cause them stress.”

In shared paddocks, therefore, Swiss law demands enough space to let lower-ranking horses avoid that situation as much as possible.

The study, “No increased stress response in horses on small and electrically fenced paddocks,” was published in Applied Animal Behavior Science. 

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Miss Isabella Grifasi was awarded the Harford
County 4-H Camp Scholarship before the Livestock
Auction at the 2016 Harford County Farm Fair.
She received the scholarship for her achievements
at C. Milton Wright High School and 4-H; and her
leadership at 4-H Camp and in her community.
Miss Grifasi is an active member of the Churchville
Champions 4-H Club and has volunteered many
hours in the community. She is also an honor student
at C. Milton Wright High School.
“4-H helped me by gaining leadership, developing life
skills, and having lasting friendships,” Miss Grifasi
said, also noting that the best part of 4-H Camp was
“to get children to enjoy nature and the world around
them, instead of looking at a small screen.”
The scholarship is awarded annually by Harford
County 4-H Clubs, Inc., with funds also contributed
by the 4-H Clubs of Harford County. The Harford
County 4-H Camp is the oldest 4-H Camp in
Maryland. The Harford County 4-H Camping
program has run continuously for 96 years.
To learn more about Harford County 4-H Camp,
please visit www.deercreekoverlook.com/4-h-camps.html.
For additional information about 4-H in Harford County,
please visit https://extension.umd.edu/harford-county/4-h-youth.

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At the July 9 VitaFerm® Junior National Hereford Expo
(JNHE) in Madison, Wisconsin, Jarrettsville native
Melissa Grimmel was named champion senior showman.
But the accolades didn’t end there.
Melissa, competing in her final JNHE due to age restrictions,
also won the Walter & Joe Lewis High Point Senior Award,
and two of the seven head of cattle she exhibited were
named the show’s Grand Champion Cow/Calf Pair.
More than 900 children and their families from 41
states competed at the 17th Annual Expo. The event is
a showmanship contest sponsored by Sullivan Supply
and Stock Show University. With more than 1660 cattle
exhibited, JNHE is considered one of the largest junior
events in the country.
Melissa’s background and love for agriculture began at
home. As the fifth generation of her family’s grain operation,
she farmed corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, straw, hay and
produce in both Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as
running about 40 head of purebred Hereford, Angus and
commercial cattle.
Although Melissa’s 12-year tenure with 4-H ended in
2013 she has continued to raise and show breeding cattle through the national junior breed associations.
She plans to remain active in the industry. Melissa is a recent graduate of Kansas State University with
degrees in Agricultural Communications and Journalism and Animal Sciences and Industry.