Insulated fence tensioner

An insulated fence tensioner for use with a flexible polymer fence rail having at least one electrically conductive member comprising:

• a metal mounting bracket having a spaced pair of parallel plates, a metal barrel coupled to the plates, the metal barrel including a slot for receiving an end of the fence rail, an electrically non-conductive tubular liner comprising a longitudinally extending outside cylindrical surface that is contiguously coupled with an interior surface of the metal barrel, the liner including two edges defining a slot aligned with the metal barrel slot, and an electrically non-conductive sleeve surrounding and contiguously coupled with an exterior surface of the metal barrel, the sleeve including two edges defining a slot aligned with the metal barrel slot, one set of the liner and sleeve edges being formed as a pair of folded edges positioned to penetrate the metal barrel slot and overlap the other set of the edges so as to insulate the interior surface and the exterior surface of the metal barrel from contact with any flexible polymer fence rail received in the metal barrel slot.