Electric fence help

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xxcharlottexx

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In an attempt to have a mud free area i have bought an additional battery and energiser to fence off access to the hardstanding area behind the stables and the field gate. We still need access to the area for water and muckheap so I bought some gate springs

I bought these ones from ebay but ive got got myself confused now and dont think they're right


Can I just attach the insulator hook to the gate post and then knot the electric tape to the loop at the opposite end of the spring which then electrifies the spring or is this just going to short circuit the system.

Its going to be electric fence posts in-between so needs to be secure.

If this isnt the right thing can anyone help me find what it is I need!

Thankyou :)
 
Yes, as you described, knot onto the round loop spring end and the whole metal gate line to plastic hook handle will be electrified, except plastic handle.

However, if you have horses that stand by the gate I’m not sure you’d want a spring coil gate. I’ve had mine get their flicking summer tails caught in springs on just handles if they’re really stretched out tight.

I use just a rope line or tape as a gate line, and fix just a plastic handle to one end that clips onto a post insulater ring for tight stretched lines - usually 2 or 3 lines for a gate.
 
Thanks for your reply. Good to know it will be electrified but something to consider with the tail swishing though its only for temporary. Once the ground dries up (if it ever does! We wont need it) I thought I was ordering 2 sets of 2 but only 2 arrived. Given one of the beasties to contain is a miniature Shetland I need at least 3 strands. Before I just went and ordered another I'll have another rethink of the setup!
 
PurBee said:
Yes, as you described, knot onto the round loop spring end and the whole metal gate line to plastic hook handle will be electrified, except plastic handle.

However, if you have horses that stand by the gate I’m not sure you’d want a spring coil gate. I’ve had mine get their flicking summer tails caught in springs on just handles if they’re really stretched out tight.

I use just a rope line or tape as a gate line, and fix just a plastic handle to one end that clips onto a post insulater ring for tight stretched lines - usually 2 or 3 lines for a gate.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you said that - I've read awful things about spring coil gates
 
eggs said:
Sadly I know of a lovely youngster that had to be euthanised after he got his tail caught in the spring coil, panicked and broke his leg.

I do the same as Purbee suggested.
Click to expand...

That’s very sad to hear. It’s so easy to think that many general farming items are benign and useful, without thinking of all the risks pertaining to horses especially with flowing manes and tails.

My boy caught his tail in the spring coil of the handle because I had it stretched very tight. That caused the spring in the handle to open and stretch beyond the inner tube of the handle. Just 4 rounds of spring exposed, but because they wait at the gates, after years like it, one day I went there and found the electric fence posts broken, snapped, line everywhere and the spring fully stretched out of the handle almost like a straight bit of metal. It was only the fact that there was some long tail hair wrapped on it that told me what the cause was.
It was such a fluke, and accident that took years to happen, but then did one day. Luckily for mine he got away unscathed.
Now, I never have the plastic handles pulling the gate line extremely tight- just taught. So the spring remains in the handle.
The spring of the handles could be taped with gaffa tape, on the outside, if anyone is nervous of springs - as the metal inside will still conduct the electricity.

Using a spring line gate is a big risk with hairy manes and tails nearby.
OP you can return your coil gate lines to the eBay seller, and just use plastic handles and tape/rope lines if you want to keep ultra safe.
 
Another who has seen two nasty accidents with horses and spring coil gates. Apart from that I've found them horrible to use as they stretch, get tangled up and wriggle about and this was only using them to access hacking routes. I do as Purbee does, a plastic handle and tape and never stretched tight. I also have a shetland and need three or four lines on all my fencing.
 
Just tape across the gateway with a handle works well as the handles usually have a spring so you can have it tight while still being able to undo it.
 
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