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Horses will be horses.
A secure, safe, and effective electric fence is vital on horse properties, considering the trouble they can get themselves into.
Fence battens, or droppers (depending on where you are in the country) are an ideal solution for building a secure and robust farm fence. Plastic battens, wooden battens, insultimber battens, wire lightning droppers…there’s quite the choice.
But with so many types to choose from, how do you know which ones to go for?
We can save you a heap of time by telling you our new Styx batten is all you need – but if you’re the type who likes to do more research, then read on for our reasoning why!
Not all fence battens are created equally
Material problems
Traditional wooden fence battens usually have knots in their wood, causing weak points. All timber dries out and gradually takes on moisture, resulting in staples coming loose and the timber cracking. As the fence ages, timber battens tend to move very easily along the fence line, allowing gaps to open up that animals may push their way through.
In coastal areas, staples rust as a natural reaction to the treated timber, resulting in failure and rusty wire where the wire meets the staple. As the fence gets older, you’ll find broken or lopsided battens that need to be removed and replaced (often within a couple of years).
The Styx batten is made from a UV-resistant material that provides exceptional strength and resilience, and the batten itself is designed to flex rather than snap outright if animals lean or put pressure on the fence. Styx battens are interwoven down through the fence wires creating a woven fence structure similar to a netting fence, without the use of any staples! The batten can never be removed from the fence by stock pressure, won’t rust, and can last forever.
Electric problems
When using wooden battens in electric fencing, there are two ways to do this. Both methods have their problems. In one, the hot wire runs extremely close to the face of the wooden battens potentially resulting in an easy short. And the second method is to attach an insulator to every batten which is an expensive exercise in labour and additional insulators.
The Styx batten is one big insulator. Made from recyclable plastic, there are no metal components to rust or earth. There’s no need for extra insulators, and the electrical flow is not interrupted, meaning less time fixing problems. The hot wires run through the batten at any position without any compromise to the fence structure.
Installation problems
You may have 1000s of kilometres of fencing, or you may have two hectares to fence into individual horse paddocks. Whatever the situation, installing new fencing, or even repairing or replacing old fencing, is time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. Do you try to save some dollars and attempt it yourself, or do you book the fencing contractor (who is often extremely busy with a long wait time)?
The Styx batten is unique in that it’s easy for one person to install, on their own, without the need for staples or additional tools. Simply click and go. It’s extremely cost-effective, too, as you need less battens per metre of fencing. Possibly the best bit? It’s exceptionally light, weighing four times less than a traditional wooden batten. Making transporting it, carrying bundles across the farm, or throwing into the back of a ute, a breeze.
Environmental problems
Traditional battens are made of treated wood, not exactly environmentally friendly to dispose of. It is illegal to burn any treated timber and as a result old battens and posts need to go to landfill.
The Styx batten is made from 50% recyclable plastic, reducing the amount of material that could have gone to landfill. At the end of its useful life (although we think it will outlive us all!) it can be recycled into another product. It won’t leach toxins into waterways like treated timber does, nor will it grow unwanted moss or algae. It’s the perfect, versatile batten/dropper to use along waterways and hill country alike.
These are just some of the ways Styx battens are superior to other battens out there.
Ours is a new, innovative product, designed and manufactured in New Zealand, by experts for experts, and we love to give our customers an easy, economic, and effective method of fencing their land.
There’s a huge choice of fencing materials out there, and it’s often hard to know what to use, how to do it, and where to find everything you need. Should you go for a temporary set-up, a semi-permanent fence or put in some permanent fencing? Replace or fix? With traditional fencing, it’s often a case of head to the nearest farm store, buy what you think you need, and spend days and days fixing your fencing. Even handing it over to an experienced contractor can mean a long wait time.
The Styx Solution
If you’d like to learn more about electric fencing for horses, you can check out our blog post “How to safely install electric fencing for horses” and see how our battens play an integral part in this process.
Or call, email, or visit us in person, talk to us about your situation and your needs, and we’ll help you come up with the best fencing solution for you.
You can find all our products on our website product pages at www.styxsolutions.com, and don’t forget to add your name to our mailing list too, so that you’ll be the first to hear about any new products, special deals or one-time offers.
Simply head to our Contact page to sign-up. We’ll see you on the inside!