Installing Electric Across Metal Gate

[Pico_Banana]

Need advice from the collective wisdom of COTH (you have been awesome with all of my “new farm owner” questions!).

I have a paddock that is three rail post and board. It’s in really tough shape and I plan to replace it after I’ve figure out my final layout, so for now I slapped on new wood where necessary and have also installed Horse Guard electric on the inside of the top rail to keep the horses off the fence given its condition.

Fast forward to this last weekend, when my foster horse arrived. First day in turnout, she panicked and attempted to jump the gate. Thankfully, she is okay. (It was super fun having the vet out on an emergency basis when I’ve had this horse less than 24 hours. Oh, and it’s a new to me vet, too.) Actually, she mostly made it which was pretty impressive considering she’s 27. But based on this, my vet recommended that I put electric across the gate, as well. (Horse has not been turned out again yet based on vet advice.)

I’ve never been at a barn where the electric went across the gate so am not sure what to do. The gate is a regular steel gate. Any advice?

[Simkie]

Stand offs on the gate posts and electric tape with a handle. It’s a PITA, truly, though. Trying to manage the horse, the actual gate and the hot gate, all without accidentally energizing something kinda sucks.

This would make it a bit easier (as long as it works as advertised!)

http://electricalfencingsolutions.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=48&osCsid=85d8caf11a945f25c8056ea60bfa5c93

Has she shown any inclination to repeat the performance? Was she shown the fence line, in both directions, prior to letting her loose in the field? Was there another horse with her?

I’d probably chalk it up to a one time deal and not worry about electric on the gate, unless she’s showing signs that this is just her thing.

[clanter]

@Pico Banana

The gate is a regular steel gate. Any advice?

could just run an inert Horse Guard Tape across the panel, but I really do not think the horse would try it again.

I think I could place a piece of electric fence tape on the ground and the horses would give it wide berth …or push the pony over to make him check to see if its hot.

[xQHDQ]

We have the curly wire spring-like thing that goes across across where the gate is but doesn’t touch the gate. You detach it from one side, which turns off the electric in that area of the fence. It’s under tension, so unhooking it without it snapping and scaring the horses, takes some practice.

[SuzieQNutter]

An electric fence will not stop a horse jumping.

They have to be touching both the fence and the ground for it to work.

The gate has to be not grounded to be electrified.

The gate needs to be metal but attached to wooden posts. If attached to metal posts that will ground the fence out and it will not work.

If she is determined she can jump the fence line, not just the gate.

[clanter]

@xQHDQ

We have the curly wire spring-like thing that goes across across where the gate is but doesn’t touch the gate. You detach it from one side, which turns off the electric in that area of the fence. It’s under tension, so unhooking it without it snapping and scaring the horses, takes some practice.

had to laugh as I proposed the same on another electric fence thread and there were many posters who feared for their horse’s tails becoming entangle in the springy thing ripping out the tail…

We have two of these highly feared killer spring gates on a temporary fence line and none of our horses have yet have run over to these gates to entangle their long tails in the spring…

So, springy gate thing, should be labeled use at your own risk, at least here.

[Pico_Banana]

Thanks all. Based on this feedback I’m inclined to give her some time and see if she tries it again before doing anything. She hasn’t been back out yet upon vet’s advice.

[DMK]

I have electric wire run across most of my gates (buried under one). The trick is to have the “hot” run in one direction, never close the loop. Then make sure your gate handle is the one that is keeping the wire over the gate (and beyond) hot.

As soon as you unhook the handle that line is now dead, and you can hook it safely on the gate while opening/closing it.

[wsmoak]

For this purpose (making her think twice about jumping) I’d just stretch a piece of horseguard across above the gate and not bother making it hot.

I’ve done that across a gate I don’t use much, because I was not out there supervising when it was installed, and it got set lower than I wanted. My fences are 5’ tall for a reason!

[ParadoxFarm]

@clanter

…or push the pony over to make him check to see if its hot.

:lol: Haha…poor pony.

[halt]

You can make one that is not live/hot, and just pull it across the gate. That is usually a deterrent enough for most horses.

After having the live configuration in my barn, the day we tore down the existing fencing and made our own I nearly popped champagne. I cannot tell you how many times I got the #### shocked out of me or a horse dealing with the horse, the fence, and the gate. We put the gate in a totally different spot and I still can’t walk by the old gate’s spot without remembering how many times I got zapped to Mt Olmpus… and it’s been over ten years!! It is a huge PITA and I’ll never set up hot tape across a gate again.

[clanter]

@ParadoxFarm

:lol: Haha…poor pony.

poor pony is Forty something, pretends it can not hear But in the morning he Can hear me open the nearly silently moving door when coming out to feed from 200 feet away …then he nickers for breakfast

Latest Trick the other guys have developed is walk over to the fence charger to listen to it …they have learned if no Click-Click …then charger is not powered and fence line is OK to graze under.

[Bicoastal]

Intentionally resurrecting this old thread for a very similar question. I need to install hot wire in front of a 16’ metal gate that is used almost daily. I’d like it about 4’ high. I need it to stop cattle from laying against the gate or intentionally pushing on it. They popped it open today accidentally and now they are testing it. It’s chained at the moment.

Ultimately I’ll need to install a hot wire on both sides. Sounds like a major PITA to me.

What can I do that will remain taut enough to not blow into the gate and short out? 16’ is a lot to span without support. The spring gates look like they have way too much slack (never mind that I can’t find 16’).

Help! Narrowly avoided a disaster this morning and my heart rate still isn’t back to normal.

https://kencove.com/products/category/gates/subc/spring-gates

[endlessclimb]

Just use stand offs. Instead of putting it across the top, put it on the side you need it on.

Amazon.com: Dare Products 3359-10 831950 Tube Post Insulator (10 Pack), Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

[goodhors]

We have hot tape across the gates to the barn for the same reason, horses were leaning, young horse STANDING on the bottom pipe! Gate got popped open with chain just hooked in slot at times someone forgot to finish locking it closed. Gate was getting bent, so there needed to be changes!

We have electric fence handles on each end of white hot tape, which hook onto the wires of fence. We just unhook both ends to remove tape, swing tape w/handles over the fence line clear out of the way. We now have two free hands, tape cannot get underfoot. Then we start to halter horses to bring them in, with pipe gate being the barrier at that time . Tape piece is tight with the springs in handles giving tension to keep tape in place on the hot wire. I would not bother hanging anything that is not hot. Horses WILL test it eventually or get pushed into it and find nothing bad happens. THEN they create trouble, keep testing to see if fence is hot.

Foster horse may know nothing about hot wire!! Do not expect her to stay back if she never met electric before! We bought a 12yr old gelding from Virginia, land of stone fences. We walked him around the paddock, showed him the fences which have flags for visibility. Turn him loose to graze. He tried to walk thru the electric fence which then knocked him down!! It had rained, he was in a puddle at the fence. He jumped up, backed away, then tried it AGAIN! After getting up the second time, he stayed in the center of the paddock all day. He did learn the fences, was never pushy about them once he got things figured out.

Our hot tape across the gates keeps horses back, is very visible so no one gets close as they gather for coming inside. Very effective

[Bicoastal]

Thank you, @endlessclimb, I was unaware of an offset insulator that fitted tube gates. That’s the ticket.

@goodhors TWO handles is genius! Completely eliminate the electric element when you need to move through the gate. Thank you!

[SonnysMom]

The farm I work at has these in a few places.
https://kencove.com/products/detail/electric-bungy-cord-gate
It says it will do up to 20 feet. We have them as the gate not in front of or over a gate but if you use offset insulators it would probably work

[4horses]

I have electric around my entire property including the gates (thanks to my young horse who climbs, not jumps, fences). I just tie a knot with a loop in the polyrope and end the line of electric fence over the gate.

My electric fence charger plugs into an outlet outside the house. That outlet is controlled by a light switch so I turn off the light switch to turn everything off. There is a light bulb on the same circuit so I just look to see if the lights on, as then the fence is also on.

When you run electric fencing, you really have to plan where you start your lines, where your lines split and where you want the line to end. I always end the line over the gate. If I don’t want the gate electrified, I can just fold the line back to the next post and it’s out of the way.

I also have my horses trained to walk under electric fencing if I lift it out of the way… so the back gate to the property has electric over it with no breaks. I just lift it up and ask the horse to walk under it. I’m pretty sure my horses know that if I’m touching the fence it is off. They have all learned to cross without hesitation.