Alternatives to gates

Animals
1

We’ve divided our minimal grazing up and have ‘gates’ from one field to another. We use electric fencing as we can’t afford to post and rail it (one day…!) so we’ve got metal springs and plastic handles on all three strands - need three as Frizz is such a pig she limbos underneath otherwise to get at any odd strands of grass at the other side.



All has been fine for several years but in the last couple of months, Frizz has got her tail stuck in the metal springs twice - wrecking the gate (and her tail!) but more importantly, it could have been much worse. At least she stood there and waited for me to cut her free. Yesterday morning, I found Brownie with a metal spring wrapped round her back leg and embedded in her hock. Again she was fab, stood stock still whilst we cut it out and thankfully, the flesh wasn't pierced. Leg was swollen and she was lame but I rubbed it to restore circulation and whacked some anti swell gel on and she is fine today. But it has scared me witless and I need a replacement system. We have four gates and they need to be able to electrified as the system runs on one loop. I'm going to replace the springs with white electric tape in the interim but its not really a solution. Anyone got any brill ideas please?
2

Thats a good thought. Otherwise we were going to cover the coils in electric conduit if I can find some the right size and it is not too expensive. Hopefully bright yellow and really really scary looking to keep them well away from it!

3

We have always just used the electric tape for the gate way with a small spring loaded gate handle on the end (top and bottom row). I personally prefer this to an elasticated one as we have had a few horses here that are frightened of going through the electric fence gateways (always made more tricky when you have elastic in one hand and scared horse in the other).

There is an elecric elastic rope gate kit on the market though that would be safer than then coil one.

4

I use those metal springs and have never had the problems you describe. The only thing with them is they are difficult to see so I have tied white bags along them…in our big field we just use white tape with handles as gates and it works fine. Have never seen another way to do electrified gates, sorry…