In an electric-fencing system, creating a gate system that conducts current is a challenge. Mohr recommends placing a floating diagonal brace on either side of the gate opening.

To keep the fence “hot,” he recommends trenching both insulated hot and cold galvanized wires 1 ft. deep under the opening. This may need to be deeper in high-traffic areas or low-lying wet spots, or shallower in less-used pasture settings. “The gate no longer needs to carry current, because you have your current going underneath the ground,” Mohr says.

“Putting a steel post anywhere into an electric fence is a big mistake, because you are then relying on the insulator to keep your fence from shorting out,” Gerrish says. He prefers the wood-plastic composite PowerFlex post or fiberglass. “No matter how good an insulator you get, eventually something's going to break or pop off, and you have the potential for dead-shorting.”