A good electric fence comes down to one thing: the conductor. Whether you're fencing a horse pasture, a paddock for cattle, or a temporary enclosure for wildlife, the choice between electric fence cord, tape, or classic steel wire determines whether your fence actually works, lasts for years, and stays safe for people and animals. This article covers what electric fence cord and tape are, how they differ from steel wire, when to choose cord versus tape, and which parameters matter when selecting the ideal conductor.

Electric fence cord (also known as polywire) is a round, discreet synthetic conductor (2–6 mm) suited to cattle, sheep and most hobby animals; electric fence tape (poly tape) is flat and wide (12–40 mm) and is mainly used for horses because of its better visibility. The right choice depends on the animal, the length of the fence line, and whether a clearly visible physical barrier (rail, wooden fence) is already in place.

What is electric fence cord or tape?

Electric fence cord and tape are synthetic conductors made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) strands woven together with thin conductive wires, usually stainless steel and/or tinned copper. The polyethylene provides strength, flexibility and UV resistance; the metal wires provide the current conduction.

Electric fence cord (polywire) is round and compact, typically 2 to 6 mm in diameter. It's the most commonly used conductor for cattle, sheep and most hobby animals, and stays visually discreet in the landscape.

Electric fence tape (poly tape) is flat and wide (12 to 40 mm), far more visible, and is therefore mainly used for horses and animals that respond less well to a thin, barely visible wire.

Both types connect to an energizer, which sends short, powerful pulses of current through the conductor.

Electric fence cord/tape versus steel wire: what's the difference?

Classic galvanized steel wire is the oldest form of electric fencing and remains unmatched on one point: raw conductivity. Metal fundamentally conducts electricity better than the thin stainless steel and copper strands woven into a synthetic cord or tape, simply because the wire is 100% metal rather than a handful of conductive strands embedded in a plastic sheath.

Conductivity and distance, in numbers

A common galvanized steel wire of 2.5 mm has a resistance of around 0.035 Ω/m, and a thinner 1.6 mm version still comes in around 0.07 Ω/m. By comparison, our own lowest-resistance FenceTech cord (5 mm, 6 conductors) sits at 0.11 Ω/m — so even our premium quality remains well above plain steel wire. Thanks to this low resistance, steel wire (or an aluminium-coated variant) can be used over distances of many tens of kilometres without noticeable voltage drop, making it the go-to choice for very large farm plots and permanent livestock fencing.

The link between resistance and power consumption

Resistance isn't just an abstract number. It directly determines how much energy is lost along the way as heat (in physics: power loss is proportional to resistance). With a high-resistance conductor, the energizer has to "sacrifice" a larger share of its energy just to maintain enough voltage by the end of a long line. In practical terms:

With low resistance (steel wire, or a premium cord/tape), a larger share of the delivered energy reaches the far end of the line. The same energizer can therefore cover a longer distance, or the same fence line can run on a less powerful — and therefore more energy-efficient — energizer.

With high resistance (an entry-level cord, or a long line with conductors that are too thin), more energy is lost along the way. To still deliver enough of a shock at the end, the energizer has to work harder — requiring a higher joule output and therefore higher power consumption (or faster battery drain on a solar or battery-powered system) for the exact same result.

In other words, low resistance isn't just about a "stronger shock" — it's also about efficiency: less energy wasted per metre of fence.

So why not always use steel wire?

Despite its excellent conductivity, steel wire has clear drawbacks compared to a modern cord or tape in short, most users still choose electric fence cord or tape because the flexibility, contact safety and lifespan of the synthetic sheath outweigh the small difference in raw conductivity:

Characteristic	Steel wire	Electric fence cord or tape
Conductivity	Excellent: 0,035 – 0,07 Ω/m	Good to very good: 0.11–3.8 Ω/m, depending on quality
Visibility	Poor, especially for horses	Good to excellent for tape
Elasticity	Minimal, snaps under shock load	Flexible, absorbs wind load and contact
Corrosion	Rusts over time, conductivity drops	HDPE sheath is corrosion-free
Safety on contact	Cuts or grazes on entanglement	Softer contact, lower injury risk
Ease of installation	Rigid, hard to coil	Lightweight, easy to reel and tension
Outdoor lifespan	Limited by rust and UV	Expected lifespan of 3 to 5 years with quality HDPE

Steel wire therefore remains the best pure conductor and the first choice for very long, permanent fences where visibility isn't a concern. As soon as animals, flexibility, contact safety, or the lifespan of the synthetic sheath come into play, a synthetic cord or tape with woven conductors becomes the more practical choice — at the cost of somewhat higher resistance (and typically a slightly more powerful energizer) in exchange for those benefits.

When do you choose cord and when tape?

Cord (polywire) is the standard choice for cattle, sheep, goats and most hobby animals. It's more compact, cheaper per metre, and sufficient because these animals respond well to the shock itself, even though the conductor is less visible. Cord is also a valid choice for horses whenever another clearly visible physical barrier is already in place.
Tape (poly tape) is the choice once horses are involved, or when visibility over long distances matters (for example along roads, paths, or in changing light conditions). Horses have a wide field of vision but less precise depth perception for thin lines. A 20 mm tape with contrasting colour stripes is noticed far more quickly and helps prevent panic reactions that could cause injury.

A rule of thumb: the more unpredictable or nervous the animal, and the higher the risk of panic on contact, the more visibility and therefore tape matters.

What if a clearly visible physical barrier is already in place?

The reason to choose tape for horses isn't the tape itself, but the visibility of the fence as a whole. If there's already a concrete rail, wooden rail, or other clearly visible fencing, that structure already fulfils the visual function — the horse can see the fence perfectly, regardless of how thin the electric conductor itself is. The cord then only needs to stop the horse from leaning on, pushing against, or chewing the rail. In that situation, a discreet cord is just as safe as tape, and often the more attractive option visually — it sits less prominently alongside a well-kept wooden or concrete fence. As soon as the electric conductor is the only visible barrier — such as in an open pasture with no physical fencing — tape remains the recommended choice.

Combining cord and tape rather than choosing, on long horse pastures

On large or elongated horse pastures without additional physical fencing, many customers in practice don't choose exclusively tape or exclusively cord, but a combination: the top (and often most prominent) line is run in tape for visibility, while the lower or inner lines are run in cord. Those lower lines don't need to be visible. They mainly need to conduct well and keep the whole line under sufficient tension. This has two further benefits:

Less wind load. A wide tape of 20 to 40 mm catches significantly more wind than a 5 mm round cord. Over long, open pastures this leads to more stretching, vibrating lines, and insulators coming loose faster. Cord stays more stable in wind and requires noticeably less maintenance over long distances.

Lower cost per metre. Cord is cheaper and more compact on the reel than tape. Over large areas, where many metres are needed, this makes a real difference in purchase price and ease of installation, without sacrificing conductivity.

This keeps visibility guaranteed where it matters, while the rest of the fence conducts optimally at a lower cost and with less sensitivity to wind.

Parameters for choosing the ideal electric fence cord

Five factors together determine whether a cord or tape suits your situation:

Resistance (Ω/m): the lower the resistance per metre, the stronger the shock stays over distance. For short fence lines (under 300 m), higher resistance isn't a problem; for long fences, low resistance is essential to maintain enough shock at the far end of the line.

Number and type of conductors: more conductive strands, and a combination of stainless steel with copper, lower the resistance and significantly improve conduction.

Tensile strength (kg): determines how well the cord withstands wind load, tension, and occasional contact from animals without breaking.

Diameter/width: thinner is more discreet and cheaper; thicker/wider is stronger and more visible (especially for tape).

Length of the fence line: the longer the run, the more important low resistance becomes to avoid voltage drop.

Why stainless steel or copper wire? The importance of the conductor

The metal wire in the cord determines the quality of conduction:

Stainless steel is durable, corrosion-resistant and mechanically strong, but conducts electricity less well than copper.

Tinned copper conducts excellently and has much lower resistance, but is more prone to breaking under repeated bending, and is more expensive.

That's why quality products combine both: stainless steel for strength and longevity, copper for conduction. Conduction quality is expressed in Ohms per metre (Ω/m) the unit of electrical resistance: the lower this number, the less resistance the current encounters, and the better the conduction. The higher the proportion of copper strands and the more conductors in total, the lower the Ω/m value, and the more suitable the cord for long fence lines.

Quality tiers

Based on conductor configuration and resistance, electric fence cords broadly fall into three quality tiers:

Entry level (stainless steel only, higher resistance, 3–4 Ω/m): suitable for short, temporary fence lines up to around 300 m.

Mid-range (stainless steel + limited copper content, 0.3–0.5 Ω/m): suitable for most permanent fences up to around 1,000–2,000 m.

Premium (stainless steel + high copper content, < 0.2 Ω/m): suitable for very long fences (up to 18,000 m) and large pastures, where voltage drop over distance is the biggest risk.

Choice table: dimension, animal and fence length for fence cord (polywire) and fence tape (poly tape)

Product	Diameter	Length	Conductors	Resistance	Max fence length	Suitable for
FenceTech short fences	2,5 mm	250 m	6x stainless steel	3,8 Ω/m	Short < 300 m	Sheep, goats, small pastures, temporary enclosures
FenceTech long fences	2,5 mm	500 m	6x (5 stainless steel+ 1 copper)	0,40 Ω/m	Long	Cattle, sheep, permanent pasture fencing
FenceTech very long fences	5 mm	500 m	6x (3 stainless steel+ 3 copper)	0,11 Ω/m	Up to 18.000 m	Large pastures, nature management, long-distance farming and horticulture; also for horse pastures that already have a visible physical barrier (rail, fence), where the cord only needs to prevent leaning or chewing
FenceTech electric fence tape for horses	20 mm	200 m	5x (3 stainless steel+ 2 copper)	0,18 Ω/m	Up to 1.000 m	Horses, ponies, donkeys; high visibility needed when the conductor is the only barrier

Which conductor for which animal?

Beyond the animal itself, the height and number of lines also determine which product is best suited. Below is a guideline per species, matched to the recommended FenceTech reference.

Animal	Purpose	Height and number of lines	Recommended FenceTech references
Horses	Containment	85-105cm, 2-3 lines	Tape 20 mm, up to 1.000 m or cord 5 mm when a visible physical barrier is already in place, or as the 2nd/3rd line combined with tape
Ponies and donkeys	Containment	60–85 cm, 2–3 lines	Tap e 20 mm or cord 5 mm, up to 18.000 m
Cattle	Containment	80–95 cm, 1–2 lines	Cord 2,5 mm, long fences
Sheep	Containment	85–90 cm, 4–5 lines	Cord 2,5 mm, short or long fences
Goats	Containment	85–110 cm, 3–5 lines	Cord 2,5 mm, long fences
Pigs	Containment + double fencing	50–75 cm, 2–3 lines	Cord 2,5 mm, short fences
Poultry	Containment in run	60–120 cm, 5–7 lines	Cord 2,5 mm, short fences
Dogs and cats	Containment in garden	50–105 cm, 2–4 lines	Cord 2,5 mm, short fences
Hares and rabbits	Exclusion	~55 cm, 3 lines+ ground line	Cord 2,5 mm, short fences
Wild boar	Exclusion	75 cm, 2–3 lines	Cord 5 mm, up to 18.000 m
Wolves	Exclusion	90–120 cm, 4–5 lines	Cord 5 mm, up to 18.000 m
Deer (large game)	Exclusion	tot 150 cm, 5 lines	Cord 5 mm, up to 18.000 m

Other elements worth mentioning

Grounding and energizer power: even the best cord performs poorly without proper grounding and an energizer with enough joule output for the length and number of lines.

Insulators: cord and tape should always be mounted on dedicated insulators, never directly on metal posts otherwise current leaks away.

UV resistance and lifespan: UV-stabilised HDPE monofilament typically has an expected lifespan of 3 to 5 years outdoors, preventing brittleness and premature wear.

Maintenance: regularly check for knots, wear, or breaks in the conductors. A single broken strand can render the entire line ineffective.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between electric fence cord and tape?

Electric fence cord (polywire) is round and compact (2–6 mm), electric fence tape (poly tape) is flat and wide (12–40 mm). Tape is more visible and is mainly used for horses; cord is more discreet and cheaper, and is suitable for most other animals.

How much resistance should an electric fence cord have?

For short distances (under 300 m), resistance up to 3–4 Ω/m isn't a problem. For long, permanent fences (over 1,000 m), a low resistance of 0.1 to 0.4 Ω/m is needed to maintain enough voltage all the way to the end of the line.

Is steel wire better than electric fence cord?

Steel wire conducts better (0.035–0.07 Ω/m versus 0.11–3.8 Ω/m for cord) and is therefore more efficient over very long distances. Electric fence cord and tape, however, are more flexible, safer on contact, and more resistant to corrosion.

Which electric fence cord should I choose for horses?

For horses, a 20 mm electric fence tape is generally recommended for visibility. If a visible physical barrier such as a concrete or wooden rail is already in place, a discreet cord is sufficient.

Which systems are FenceTech cords and tapes compatible with?

FenceTech cords and tapes are compatible with most common electric fencing systems on the market: standard insulators, connectors, and energizers from the usual brands work with them without issue. This also makes FenceTech an ideal choice for repairs on an existing fence, even one originally built with a different brand.

Conclusion

The choice between electric fence cord, tape and classic steel wire comes down to three factors: the animal, the length of the fence line, and whether a clearly visible physical barrier is already in place. Steel wire remains unmatched in raw conductivity and energy efficiency over very long distances, but lacks the flexibility and safety of a synthetic cord or tape. For short, temporary lines, a simple stainless steel cord is enough; for long, permanent fences, low resistance through a high copper content is decisive; and for horses, the real requirement is visibility of the fence as a whole via tape when the electric conductor is the only barrier, via a discreet cord when an existing rail or fence already provides that visibility. With the three FenceTech references above, you cover nearly every situation on the farm, at the riding school, or in nature management.

Electric fence cord or tape: the complete guide to choosing the right conductor