Electric fence "wire gate": How wide? Detachable fence post?

[CobyRupert]

Anybody have any thoughts or experience?

My current project is putting up some temporary electric fence for the wife's hay burner (aka. horse) using a top ribbon wire and bottom nylon/steel "wire" on 6' steel posts. Because it's temporary, it doesn't make sense to have permanent , post driven metal or wood gates. I was going to string the electric wire across two of fence posts and use a insulated fence gate handle to attach/unattach the wire.

The problem is I'd like to keep the gates, very wide, about 20'-25' across, for a variety of reasons. Mostly cause one has to turn as they are entering them. And a tractor with loader and forks, maybe pulling a log, or a truck and trailer, etc...is going to need some room to swing.

Anybody know any good tricks to cheaply and easily get a 25' electric fence wire "gate" without a lot of sag. I've been thinking of using a "detachable" post in the middle of the span (something that easily pulls out), so the wire doesn't cross the full span unsupported. But what about freezing winter? Maybe have a tube set in the ground that this post sets into? Another con: Seems like a pain to wrestle with another post every time you open and close the gate.

Maybe have a spring as part of the span wire? Like a storm door's safety spring that hold the tension, but is still easy (springy) to open/close?

Anybody seen any good ideals?

 

[DT86]

I use lots of temporary fence. I would look for the plastic step-in posts if you don't already have the steel posts. They are easy to install and remove.

Another thing I've done when crossing a large gravel area and needed a moveable post in the middle is to put a post in a 5 gal bucket and fill it with rocks until the post seems stable. To move the post you just grab the bucket handle and away you go.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just use the nylon rope type electric fence wire and you can easily span 50' or more without a lot of sag. Those insulated gate handles have a small spring in them that will help hold it tight. OR you can buy some insulated wire like is used for burying a section of electric fence and just make a hook on one end and a loop on the other. Tie your nylon fence wire on to one end and just hook the other end on a nail at the post. That is what my BIL does and quit using the insulated gate connection.

 

[tcreeley]

Electric Fence, High Tensile Fencing Supplies - great place for six foot 3/8 white fiberglass poles. Good height for horses. I use the 1" flat tape- lasts and very visible.

I'd suggest two steel posts for your gate ends and a twenty foot span should be fine. Use your FEL to push them in and to pull them out. One thing I do is to just drop the electric wire fence gate wires on the ground and just drive over them. For horses you need to move the wires to the side- safety, etc.. Around here the only posts that make sense are steel and fiberglass. The winter heaves everything else - regardless of depth, -but these you can just hammer or push back down.

 

[whistlepig]

We use the 1 1/2" nylon tape. It doesn't sag.

Electric Horse Fencing | Pro-Tek Tape Rolls

 

[CobyRupert]

Thanks all. DT86: Eureka! That was the solution I was looking for. Damm, why didn't I think of that! Winterproof. Simple, functional and easy. Elegant. The information gathered from the collective intelligence of the internet almost makes up for the oppressive fact that one has to endure all their computer activites being monitored and recorded. :confused2: Thanks all.

 

[Ken45101]

I was going to string the electric wire across two of fence posts and use a insulated fence gate handle to attach/unattach the wire. View attachment 330295

Please NO!!!!

The worst day we ever had with horses was the day we weaned our buckskin Paint colt. He was the very sweetest horse we ever had. He would come up behind me and just touch my hand with his wiskers to let me know he was there.

We had a gate with a hook exactly like that. Apparently he ran into it and it became unhooked. The line wrapped around his ankle and completely broke it, his foot was hanging by a slight bit of skin. It's been eight years now and there are tears in my eyes as I type this.

Please, do not use gate handles like that!!!

 

[rd_macgregor]

If you have any ice storms, or even very sticky snow, expect the horse tape to sag a lot as it accumulates weight.
Although we haven't (yet?) had injuries to our horses from tape or poly rope electric fences, I've heard that the rope in particular can be a serious hazard if a horse gets entangled.
I have many gates set up like you are describing. Some are over 20' of span. Although I have had horses run through fences occasionally, it has always resulted in broken fence, handle and/or post, never yet in injury...though I have to admit that horses seem to go out of their way to find hazards, so I don't know how long our luck will hold out!
BOB

 

[Ken45101]

We have had the electrified rope up for 6 or 7 years and have been very happy with it. It's a lot less work to install. My only issue is the gate handles like the original post. If I were to use rope for a gate, I would use a closed snap link (and a switch to shut it off.)

 

[Beltman60]

I would use 2) 12' gates
I use those gate handles only for my electric acrossed a gate
I still have a gate up and this only electrifies a small aluminum wire that can break easily as not to cut the animals