Electric fence?

[Chestnut mare]

In preperation for the horses going back out for the summer soon (fingers crossed ) need to sort my electric fence out! We have post and rail around the outside and 1 line if electric across the middle which we use to strip graze!
Our field gets narrower and wider at different places on its way up! The electric fence has been knotted/tied up/wrapped round the posts to take up the slack! Hence break in circuit=escaping ponies! I want to try n put a new fence up with no knots etc! How can u adjust the tension as the field changes.....what do you all do? Elastic rope, springs at gateways? Help

 

[Holzdweaver]

I used to have the same problem until i permanently split my field in half and rotate instead

If i were you, but all this is depending on the size of the field lol, id start again with fresh tape , attach a 'start' piece directly onto the wooden fence post, then the same at the other side of the field and attach the tape before putting in the electric fence posts, set your posts out and thread it through the posts without looping it round them. You can tension it as needed at one end and litrally double the spare back on itself and then when you want to move it up a bit, you just have to remove the 'start' screw in bits, and undo the bit where its doubled over and walk the posts up, pulling the slack through where needed and then tightening the whole lot up again. sorry not very good at explaining things lol, but here are the 'bits':

Start/end pieces so you can tension too:
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=el...start=18&ndsp=24&ved=0CKcBEK0DMBM&tx=63&ty=94

the bit used to connect the spare 'end' when doubling back:
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=el...48&tbnw=209&start=18&ndsp=24&ved=0CO4BEK0DMCQ
just dont use it as it shows, slide over the tape and attach the other end through the same

 

[Dolcé]

Go for rope rather than tape if you can, it is more expensive but is soooo much better to work with and has far better conduction. Use the wooden 'pencil' posts, these are easy to move if needed although admittedly not as portable as plastic posts and impractical if you want to move daily. Use the proper clips to start, join and end the lengths of rope, they can then be used to quickly tension as needed. Use the ring insulators and then if ever you need to tension very quickly you can just wrap around the insulator without any loss of power until you can tension properly. I have 3 stallions behind permanent electric and haven't had a single breakout in almost 2 years despite one of them being a natural born houdini!