WHat brands are your favorite/most sturdy farm gate? Tarter? Others? I need a few gates, one in particular… My problem is I have a horse who sits/rubs on them - and I WOULD run a hot wire BUT that one gate divides two paddocks and he spends time AM on one side, PM on the other, and I can’t figure out how to run a wire that will work on either side of the gate. It would be the END of the hot wire. (Just in case anyone has a design in mind…) TIA!
You want to get gates that are designed to hold bulls…they are near indestructible, but plan on spending some big bucks–once and done though.
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How wide a gate?
The wider, the easier to bend.
Have a shop make you the gate out of 1 7/8" tubing.
That is what we use, some wild cattle have hit them hard and are still like new.
We use portable panels and gates, the heavy duty ones but not the super fancy expensive top of the line ones, from Powder River and they have stood up to plenty of crowding and being hit without bending.
The red Behlen heavy duty ones that TSC handles here are also bull stout.
They have rounded top ends, not as safe for horses if one were to rear and stick a foot between that and the gate post and get hung there.
Today horse gates and panels have square tops, no gap there.
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I’d use 6” extender insulators. Three on each post- one on each side, and one on top to run the electric up and over the top of the post if you don’t have electric on both sides of the fence to run from, and then have a handle on both sides of the gate.
Or just don’t even have a metal gate, run 3-5 strands of electric fence across the opening, each with a handle to open and close. I’ve boarded at barns that did that.
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We have custom ordered Tarter gates that our local farmer’s co-op orders for us. They are not inexpensive, but are VERY heavy duty. Heavy duty enough to withstand a beef bull, and heavy enough that my husband sets them on recycled telephone poles instead of fence posts.
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Just running hot tape might be the best answer. He does respect it.
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With some creativity, it is pretty darn easy to zip tie T-post or wood post extended insulators to the gate itself, and have wire on the gate. You do have to string it TIGHT on the gate, between the insulators. If it is too loose, you run the chance he will push the wire against the metal gate and short it out before he gets a good enough shock. If your power comes from the hinge side, just leave enough slack in a loop to open/close the gate. If power comes from the open side, you will need to set it up with gate handles. Smaller lightweight “simple” handles are best for this situation, not the big bulky ones…
EVERY SINGLE FIELD I have ever had drafts in, I have had to electrify the gate with extenders. It’s a quick and easy project, one that I could slap up and take down in a matter of minutes. I haven’t had any drafts in a few years, but the wire and extenders are still stored in a neat coil on the wall of my shed, ready to go again!
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A gate made of steel instead of aluminum is stronger. In Ontario, you would want to buy a diamond bar gate instead of a tube gate. I have never had one bend, and we used to have cattle.
This is a good idea. But the problem remains if having the hot wire on BOTH sides of the gate since it divides a paddock and he spends time on both sides… and just on the top wouldn’t stop his ass rubbing.
I don’t run it on the top, I run it on whichever horizontal “bar” is closest to “butt high”.
You can run electric wire on both sides of the gate as long as you have the ability to reach thru somehow to unhook the offside from the side you are on. If you were super handy, you could rig an easily accesible cut-off switch so that both side are “dead” at the same time.
and that is why I did nt think it would work. I need it on BOTH sides of the gate.
I can’t speak of the ability to hold up a horse bum, but I have 12 of these in lengths from 8 to 14 feet on my farm. I love them because my pawing horses keep their feet on their own side of the gate.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tarter-2-x-4-wirefilled-gate-black-12-wfgbl12-1362703?cm_mmc=feed--GoogleShopping--Product-_-1362703&gclid=CjwKCAiAnfjyBRBxEiwA-EECLKT9DlJaru1V6iFPN9ihaGJCM6vJaVPyymiWyDRWcEIXkpwHYmjiKRoC_cAQAvD_BwE
For your dividing gate, I’d just make that a hot tape gate. I’ve got two of mine set up that way (although I did it because it was cheaper than buying a gate, heh). Simple & if he does decide to destroy it somehow, at least it’s easy & inexpensive to replace.
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THIS!!! Those a SUPER heavy duty, expensive…but worth it!!
I also agree with an electric tape gate…“horsey” will only sit on it ONCE!!!
An interesting idea was presented today - a “sacrificial gate”/ Set up in the middle of the field, two posts and a gate they can scratch their little hearts (butts?) out.
And of course that brought up the idea of those “broom heads/ scratching post” set ups… maybe ina ddition to the hot wire gate. I’ll let yall know how it works!
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I personally would not encourage any sort of butt rubbing on gates. I would offer an alternative, though, I like the broom idea - maybe a long push broom head?
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Cattle have oil scratchers and hanging insecticide bags to rub on.
That is because when they scratch on any surface, in the right situation, they transmit lice and such to each other.
The scratching posts for cattle have a way for them to scratch and at the same time get dosed with insecticide in oils or powders.
Those also help with flies in season.
Horses don’t scratch near as much as cattle do.
Especially in the spring cattle itch fiercely.
When providing scratching posts for horses, if one has some kind of transmittable skin problem, other horses using that scratcher may also be infected.
Something to consider if using such scratchers, to keep them very clean and disinfected.
I have seen the broom heads idea and think I will do that. and thanks @Bluey no skin issues in my small group of three… knock on wood!
I installed the hot tape “gate” the other day. WOrked well.
