Polybraid temporary electric fencing for rotational grazing

I am a complete novice to electric fencing. My understanding is that you build a perimeter fence using high-tensile galvanized wire. Then, you can build temporary paddocks for rotational grazing using polybraid wire and temporary step-in posts. You run the polybraid wire directly off the perimeter fence. My question is does the paddock emclosed by the polybraid wire have to be a closed circuit with the perimeter fence tap-in point? In other words does the end of the polybraid wire also have to connect to the hot perimeter fence?

I am asking because people seem to speak as if the circuit for the electric fence is closed by the ground wire. In other words, there will be no shock unless there is a functional ground.

I said that I am.a novice

Angela Aragon wrote:
I am asking because people seem to speak as if the circuit for the electric fence is closed by the ground wire. In other words, there will be no shock unless there is a functional ground.

I went through this learning curve last year, and yes, you are correct. The end of your polybraid can just end. It does not need to connect back to anything. The ground is what completes the circuit.

My fence is just three strands of poly rope that enclose three sides of a pasture since the forth side is secure enough without, and it took a lot of convincing for me to accept that I could run three wires that just end and rely on the ground to make it zap. It does zap indeed, just ask my poor dog who didn't know any better yet.  

At the fence controller, one or more ground rods is installed and the charged ("hot:) wire is connected to the perimeter fence. The "circuit" is formed when something conductive (you or an animal) is in contact with the charged wire and the surface of the ground, getting a shock in the process.

So no, you do not have to connect both ends of the polybraid wire to the perimeter fence. Only one end must be connected to make the wire "hot."

Edit: Matt beat me to it!

Thank you both so much for clearing this up for me! There are many basics like this that never seem to be included in descriptions and guides.