My issue with the deer is going through the fence, not over. I haven’t found any 3-4" ish stand offs in black for wood posts that take tape. Can you link me to wherever you’ve seen that?
Yep, no problem finding them for wire/rope/etc. Tape is tough!
Hrm. Don’t really need or want a full foot 
Thanks for the link, it’s good to know this is out there.
I’d just do the aluminum wire. It’s super easy to splice if the deer bust it, lots of options for stand offs - tape would be a pain to repair all the time.
How far apart is your post spacing? Do you need stand offs, or can you just use regular tape insulators on the posts? Or even on the board?
(Still voting for the thin aluminum wire tho)
Posts are 8’ oc or a little less depending on line length. No more than 8 because boards are 16’.
My initial thought was tape on stand offs on the posts, so it would be 2-3" proud from the boards. Tape on regular insulators is not proud from the boards, it’s “inside” the fence, and I’m just not sure how that goes since horses could be touching rails before they’re touching tape.
Wire or that black twine @Leather found could go on stand offs and that could definitely be the answer. Mucho easier to find stand off options in black for that type of product.
Or tape could go on regular insulators on the second board of the four board, so it’s still proud (ish) from the fence, but it’ll need to go below the top board on the 3 board sections (“inside” the fence, maybe it’s less of an issue with the wider board spacing, idk.)
I think that’s about the run down of options at this point. I really might pick up some pieces and try it out on the old fence to see what it looks like and gauge the deer thing. Kind of an investment but I really don’t want to be wrong on the new fence.
Ah, didn’t realize you were set on tape. Skinny tape would probably fit. I use regular insulators for my skinny tape
The wire breaks easier than the tape does. Aluminium especially. I had a deer yesterday get some wire around an antler, and took off with 30 feet of it. The tape, the tiny wires in the tape that carry the charge will break, then the tape no longer carries the charge. But the rest of the tape is very strong, does not break (even though sometimes it would be best if it did break). If you have a wire that breaks, it’s easy to splice in a replacement piece. The best insulators are the “black widow” ones… and they are black. They hold the wire close to the fence, and they don’t break. You can take a wrap around an insulator every now and again if you want to.
Not insisting on tape, but those stand offs are what I just can’t find At least not in black! Which seems odd, tbh.
I hadn’t really considered the skinny tape, but that could be an interesting compromise! Have you ever seen it in black?
@NancyM yep, the break strength is definitely a consideration, esp with the deer. That’s good to hear you’ve found it easy to mend the wire. Are you talking about these insulators?
I like the look, but think I want wire/twine/etc a little more proud from the fence, at least if it’s going on the posts.
That same company also offers these, which they say come in black (a unicorn, srsly) but don’t seem to actually be for sale anywhere, and aren’t even pictured on their site. Booo.
I like the insulators with only one nail/screw to attach–fewer holes to rot!–but have also read in reviews that single attachment insulators fail more. Have you experienced that (if these are the black widow insulators you’re talking about)?
Stand off. Most are orange/yellow. I think there are a few black ones not sure.
The problem with the tape is two fold… 1) if something gets caught in it, a deer, a horse, or anything… it does not break. Major wreck. 2) the tiny wires woven into the tape work back and forth in the wind, throughout the length of the tape between the insulators. And then they break. Tiny little breaks that you can’t see, can’t find, and can’t fix. The tape just no longer carries a charge. And since you can’t find it, you can’t fix it. So you have to replace the entire tape. Or (as I have done in cases where I NEED the tape in order for the fence to be SEEN where I have NO permanent fence -through the deep bush in my lower pasture), I run a metal wire as well as the tape. That way, the tape is the fence they see, but I know that the solid metal wire is there too, which will for sure carry the charge from the box and keep it all energiized, even if the tape itself is dead. But if you have a solid and obvious wooden fence, you don’t need the tape. Just the wire. And it will carry the charge. And it is easy to splice in a new piece of wire if necessary. Aluminum breaks easier than steel wire. Both are easy to fix.
I like hot tape for paddocks when we camp and I want to easily take it up and down, horses can see it, other campers can see it, deer might see it lol.
I hate it for permanent installations. As others have said, something happens at some point and then it’s all dead or sporadic. Tada, you get to replace it all.
Tada, you get to replace it all.
maybe because for decades I worked on industrial low voltage problems locating site problem issues for equipment manufacturers. With a meter I can find where a tape has become non functionable, then bridge around the defective area by splicing a tape on top of the defective area
However as I have said none of our horses will touch a tape once shocked, a tape could be just on the ground and they will walk around it
We do not have a deer problem however the coyotes will jump a fence
Maybe because you have a modest plot, it makes sense to spend that much time finding a break. For most, a broken bit of wire is faster to find and easy to fix.
For anyone outside DFW, it makes less sense to poke around with a meter ;). And @endlessclimb has a fence tester, and lots of us have donkeys. Donkeys 100% keep one honest about fences.
I’ve got a fence tester that would make quick work of finding the failure. I also installed all of it myself so I’m very aware of how/where the power runs.
If I hadn’t installed it myself it would be more confusing for sure.
Thankfully this is a straightforward install without intersections or complicated bits so troubleshooting should be equally straightforward. But I’m still keen on keeping it as maintenance free and easy to deal with as possible for sure.
Ha, great feedback, thank you! For permanent install, are you using the lightweight aluminum wire, like endlessclimb? Where on the fence are you installing, and how often do the deer screw it up for you?
@NancyM I’m surprised to hear your tape isn’t breaking! We’ve had threads here about horses breaking tape and break strength, while def higher than wire or twine, still looks achievable for horses overall. The deer, though, certainly might be a whole thing. Ugh.
I run it just inside the top line. Either the thinnest wire or one step up. I haven’t had a ton of deer issues to be honest. They are around, but not an issue.
I’ll put it a plug for Horseguard. I installed some this spring and absolutely love it. I understand you want black though IMO HG brown on black could look quite nice.
HG is tensioned by pulling it hand tight. Since you’d be running it on board fence your bracing is in place already. It’s a heavy duty 1.5” tape and doesn’t need to be twisted for wind resistance like the cheap farm store stuff. Since installing it we had a derecho wind come through - took out a decades-old maple near the house 
but the fence was fine. Unlike the cheap stuff it’s constructed so it doesn’t need constant tensioning, which drove me nuts with the other stuff. I “found” HG on this forum and it really lives up to the positive reviews. Having dealt for many years with cheap farm store junk, the HG quality and permanence really stands out.
Next to nothing. This is the conclusion drawn from posters in previous threads also.
. I’ve gotten familiar with it though. It takes some time. They do offsets:
I’m experimenting with stain colors so these photos may give you an idea of how it could look. Also shows how insulators look and work.
We run deer by the head here. I’ve had no problems. I had no END of problems previously, with the cheap stuff.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Thanks very much for all the feedback, and you’ve got a beautiful place! I really am wedded to black. Ramm makes a black tape that gets high marks, so that’s an option. I was really surprised when I started this search that Horseguard didn’t make a black product.
When you say you “run deer by the head” does that mean you’re raising deer for hunting or consumption? Or just that you’ve got a shit ton of wild deer wandering around? 
We’re the latter, but do tell about your business if you’ve got the former!!
This, I’m afraid. Our neighbors have cows and some evenings the deer in their pasture outnumber them! They’re cute when they’re little spotted fawns though 
Totally agree, I love seeing the babies (alllllll the babies!!)
(Forgive the mess, she stopped by with her momma right as I finished up felling for the day.)
I feel like fawns were late this year? She seemed teeny for August!
Your (general you) mileage may vary on this.
I have one that tape on the ground is sniffed and then picked up and carried off. Fun and games begin.
I think they can very easily tell if it is hot or not and when you have one that thinks they should be helping…
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