Walker warns others of electric fence dangers along the Sychnant Pass

Sep 16 2010 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

A WALKER received a nasty shock after stopping to feed some horses in Conwy when he was knocked off his feet by an electric fence.

Nick Aimloglou from Mochdre was taking a walk with a friend along the Sychnant Pass recently when he received an electric shock so powerful it almost knocked him to the ground. He wants to warn other walkers about the dangers.

“It was a lovely sunny day last Bank Holiday Monday so myself and a friend decided to set off from Mochdre and walk along the Sychnant Pass in Conwy,” explained Nick, 36.

“We came a cross some horses in a field along the Pass on the right hand side of the road and leaned over the fence to feed them some grass.

“I must admit they did seem a bit reluctant to come over to us, but a couple eventually did and we fed them some handfuls of grass from the verge over the fence.

“All of a sudden I felt a shock or knock and thought one of the horses had kicked me. I was thrown back by the force of the shock.

“It was only after I composed myself that I realised it had come from the fence which was electric.”

Nick said he was not permanently harmed by the electric jolt, just a bit shook up, but he wants to warn other’s from making the same mistake.

“I was OK and gingerly preceded on my walk with no further aftershocks but I think there should be warning signs up letting people know it is an electric fence. It could have been a child or someone with a medical condition who received the sock and could have been a lot worse.”

Pat Oldfield from Pinewood Stables, located on the Sychnant Pass said none of her fields which have horses in have electric fences. But a private horse owner on the Pass said he did and knew of others who also had electric fences in operation, which can deliver anything from 2,000 electric volts to 10,000.

He said: “The electric voltage is relatively harmless and technically the fence is located on private land behind a perimeter hedge, so anyone who receives a shock is trespassing.

“Nevertheless we will consider putting up warning signs as we wouldn’t want anyone to hurt themselves.”