# Freezing Water Buckets



## MooreAcres (Dec 9, 2009)

Here in the northwest, as I'm sure other areas too, we are having a terrible cold front. It hasn't gotten above freezing in the last 3-4 days. Here at home, I have heated water buckets inside. I tried to find a floating heater for the buckets outside, but everywhere was sold out right now...guess everyone else beat me to them




But for now, at least they have water inside.

I board a few of my horses out. The stable cant allow us to have extention cords running all over the place, meaning no heated buckets.

My question for you is... Are there any tricks or tips you might suggest for keeping the buckets from freezing quite so bad. We're talking a couple inches thick. I've heard of salt, I've thought about having my dad insulate some of the buckets but worry if the horses would chew on it.

Anything????


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## Kootenay (Dec 9, 2009)

All I can give for advice is keep the bucket at ground level with shavings and hay around it with the warmest water the horses can stand. That will at least give them a few hours of drinking time before the buckets start to freeze. I have a goat in a stall tonight that i am trying that approach with. It is -13 celsius here right now, but was colder yesterday and earlier today.

I have a bathtub with a floating tank heater for the minis and goat outside as well.

Wishing you well, and hoping this arctic front passes soon.


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## Little Hooves (Dec 9, 2009)

On Yahoo Answers (no idea if it helps you):



> There was an incredibly simple solution to water freezing that I saw decades ago for an outside waterer or one in the aisle where sun can reach it, not individual buckets.
> 
> Using old large truck tires (make arrangements with a tire place to recycle some to you or deal with a semi place yourself), stack them
> one on top of another after you stuff them with straw. Insert a barrel that fits into the hole. I found that a narrow,tapered garbage can of about a 35-40 gallon capacity worked best. Fill with water. The black tires absorb the sun and serve as a solar heater. They have to come close to the top of the barrel. Cut a large round piece of plywood to cover the top and insulate it with sytrafoam and cover the foam with heavy plastic or another piece of plywood. This goes down, but not into the water.
> ...



Also, if you have oodles of money to toss around, this might also work for you (if you live in the sunnier parts of the PNW), a solar-powered heated trough.

Brenda


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## Kootenay (Dec 9, 2009)

I once read an article where people used big tires used as hay feeders for horses, and the horses bit chunks off of them and colicked (sp). When we first moved here there was a plethora of tires here, and I had my ideas until I remembered that article. My mini horse was chewing on chunks of ice today (boredom)--but I can just imagine what he'd do to a tire.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Dec 9, 2009)

I've never had heated buckets before last year and now I can't imagine how I did without them! I just bought another one today for our new horse and for the first time we've properly run the extension cords for each stall along the roof edges and down the wall beams so each stall has power and it's easy to disconnect the buckets for cleaning.

One thing you might consider doing is using a bigger bucket during the cold snap. The large muck buckets take much longer to freeze than typical water buckets and will do so in much thinner sheets that the horse can break out to get a drink. If you pile insulating straw or shavings under and around it, start with hot water, and break out and remove the ice multiple times a day it should stay pretty decent.

Good luck! This cold snap is hard on all of us.

Leia


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## Jill (Dec 9, 2009)

I remember when our first winter with horses, we didn't have heated buckets. Then the next winter, we had an extension cord running from the house... We used to not have electric and water at the paddocks so would lug water in winter, etc. _ (Tip for anyone who does have to lug water in winter -- use a new plastic gas "can" or similar and it will not slosh out on you like it will from a bucket)_.

Someone here (Marnie maybe?) gave a good idea in the past that was to take water jugs or some other kind of sealable liquid container and fill it up with hot water and drop that into the trough to keep water from freezing longer.

At the feed stores or farm stores, there also might be these blue balls about the size of a soccer ball (maybe a little smaller) that are to help keep water from freezing for cattle, I think (not sure but I think that's what they're for).

One important thing to know about horses and cold weather is that just because the water is not frozen, it may still be too cold for the horse to want to drink it. It hurts to drink really cold water, so some horses will not. This can cause impaction, etc. So, along with finding a way to try and keep it from freezing, it would be good to look towards finding ways to entice the horse to want to drink the water (like flavoring it).

Also, as a barn owner, I'd really find a way to have heated water in the fields or I would not board horses. Not to sound judgemental, but I would at least worry about the problem on my hands if I've got to help deal with someone's colic horse because the horse didn't get enough water. It may be something the barn owner is willing to explore. Maybe she/he has been also worried about how to fix the problem just like you are.

For those who can have electricity in their paddocks / pastures, those big 16 gallon heated "muck bucket" shaped water containers are awesome! We've been using them for years and love them.

Good luck!!!


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## friesepferd (Dec 9, 2009)

if its barely freezing, finding something to float in it may help.

I would suggest buying a floating heater online. you will get it in a few days.


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## Charlotte (Dec 9, 2009)

This was a BIG problem for us when we lived in northern IL. It wasn't unusual to have temps of 20 below for several days in a row....and high winds. We carried gallon jugs of hot water to the barn at feeding time and topped off the buckets. this gave the horses water to drink after eating. By morning the buckets were frozen nearly solid.



We had to have a minimum of 2 buckets to use for water for each horse so that we could get the ice out of one while the horse used the other.

We also fed soaked alfalfa cubes, very soupy, with salt in it to encourage more water drinking. that made up part of the hay ration.

thank goodness we don't live there any more.

Charlotte


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## TheCaseFamily00 (Dec 9, 2009)

The ice will break easier out of the black rubber type buckets.


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## muffntuf (Dec 9, 2009)

Yes before I could afford the heated buckets I used the black rubber buckets. You can bang on those with hammers and against wooden posts and they won't break. I put in water that was slightly warm, but not too warm for them to drink and that stayed a few hours before it froze, giving them plenty of time to drink their fill before it froze. And that usually emptied the bucket half way and was easier to break open.

You can also try to rig a few up with a bigger bucket on the outside and a black rubber bucket on the inside nestled in foam insulation. You just have to make sure you use duct tape to secure the foam insulation from nawing teeth. That will help wit time and freezing buckets. You just slip the smaller bucket inside the bigger bucket.


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## kmh (Dec 9, 2009)

My husband took a 30 gallon plastic barrel and put a smaller plastic barrel inside of the 30 gallon one. He then used several cans of that "foaming" insulation (it expands as you spray it out of the can) to put in between the two barrels to insulate it. The second barrel has to be small enough to allow sufficent room for good insulation between the barrels. He then cut a hole about 8" x 8" in the side of the barrel..with barrel laying on it's side. He built a wood frame under the barrel so it would stay in place and not roll.

He did not remove the plastic where he cut the hole in the outer barrel, but bent it down into the interior barrel hole so the horses would not get hurt on it and it also covers the insulation so the horses can't get at it.

We put a sinkable tank heater in it ($50 at farm stores)....it's round metal with legs on the bottom of it so it does not melt the plastic. You have to be sure to set it away from the sides of the barrel as well. We have used this for the past few years and have excellent luck with it.

Our other tank we used an oblong Rubbermaid plastic livestock tank about 30"' high, put 2 cement blocks in the bottom of it to hold up a smaller oblong steel water tank (steel tank is one foot deep) to make it high enough for the horses to reach. We put fiberglass insulation on the bottom and around the sides steel tank inside the Rubbermaid tank.

We used the same type of sinkable tank heater to set in the steel tank. He cut a piece of plywood to cover the steel tank and screwed it down to the steel tank top rim, cut a hole in the plywood for horses to drink. Then he attached more fiberglas insulation to the top of the plywood and covered the plywood/insulation with a heavy rubber "tarp" (for lack of a better word). He left the "flaps" (where he cut the drinking hole) of the rubber tarp hanging inside the water tank to keep the horses from the insulation. We do have to be careful when filling this tank so the water does not run over the top of the steel tank as not to get the insulation wet.

Hope this helps.

Steph


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## AJ (Dec 9, 2009)

All my horses have access to heated water. (my own contraption s with battery blanket heaters). However, if you are having frozen water, you must have snow. I always like to feed hay on the snow, and find that some horses drink no water but will crunch snow as they eat, even if hard packed because of no fresh snow. This will give them some liquid in the event your bucket freezes before they drink. Horses generally only drink after 1 1/2 to 2 hours into their meal. Have never had a winter colic.

PS Have used tires in various formats for 20 years and never had a problem.


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## targetsmom (Dec 9, 2009)

I didn't read all the responses so maybe this was already mentioned.. They make insulated buckets for big horses that hold a Strongid-size bucket but you can make your own. We have mostly heated buckets and tubs but one mare I just don't trust with a cord so she gets an "insulated" bucket made by putting one bucket inside the other. Air acts as insulation or you can put anything between the buckets that they won't eat, like rubber pieces from stall mats. It may take awhile to find the right combination, but if you do, you can use it all year.

The insulated buckets that you buy come with a piece of styrofoam to cover the water, which also helps. If you trust your horse not to eat it!


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## Carolyn R (Dec 9, 2009)

They do sell the insulated contraption that mounts to a wall and holds the average size 5 gallon bucket.

I have also heard on here in the past to use the same concept as the strw in the tire but to use manure, its microbial decomp gives off heat.


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## Jill (Dec 9, 2009)

muffntuf said:


> You can also try to rig a few up with a bigger bucket on the outside and a black rubber bucket on the inside nestled in foam insulation. You just have to make sure you use duct tape to secure the foam insulation from nawing teeth. That will help wit time and freezing buckets. You just slip the smaller bucket inside the bigger bucket.


At least one very good member here lost a horse because it swallowed duct tape. I would not rig up anything for our horses that involved duct tape.


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## LindaL (Dec 9, 2009)

AJ said:


> All my horses have access to heated water. (my own contraption s with battery blanket heaters). *However, if you are having frozen water, you must have snow. *I always like to feed hay on the snow, and find that some horses drink no water but will crunch snow as they eat, even if hard packed because of no fresh snow. This will give them some liquid in the event your bucket freezes before they drink. Horses generally only drink after 1 1/2 to 2 hours into their meal. Have never had a winter colic. PS Have used tires in various formats for 20 years and never had a problem.



Nope, no snow...just FROZEN air. This morning was 13 F. at our house...air dry as a bone. (I live in the same area as Erin, the OP).


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## wantminimore (Dec 9, 2009)

targetsmom said:


> I didn't read all the responses so maybe this was already mentioned.. They make insulated buckets for big horses that hold a Strongid-size bucket but you can make your own. We have mostly heated buckets and tubs but one mare I just don't trust with a cord so she gets an "insulated" bucket made by putting one bucket inside the other. Air acts as insulation or you can put anything between the buckets that they won't eat, like rubber pieces from stall mats. It may take awhile to find the right combination, but if you do, you can use it all year.
> The insulated buckets that you buy come with a piece of styrofoam to cover the water, which also helps. If you trust your horse not to eat it!


I have the insulated bucket holders, 3 are the plastic ones that came with a plastic floater to keep the water from freezing. I needed another one and couldn't find where I got the others so I ended up ordering one that is metal with thin blue insulation in it and the floater was just a piece of blue board insulation, it took no time for the horse to break it in half (blue board)so I wasn't to thrilled with that type but I did find where I can buy just the floaters and got one for the 4th bucket. The water does freeze some when it's extremely cold but I add hot water and the floats thaw right out.

Someone gave me a heated "muck bucket" and i'm just now trying it. Last year was the first time that i've used a heated bucket, 2 of my stalls don't have the insulated buckets so I thought i'd try the heated ones, i'm still undecided on them.


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## Leeana (Dec 9, 2009)

We use all heated water buckets - the smaller 5 gallon buckets inside the stalls and then the bigger buckets out in the pasture. We have a heated feed room with a sink where we run the water hose from, we drain the hose and bring the hose into the feed room so it does not freeze.

Its simple, it works.


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## luv2ridesaddleseat (Dec 9, 2009)

Leslie, can you tell me where I can get one floater cover, as I am short one.

Thanks!


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## Knighthawke (Dec 9, 2009)

I heard this in a horse course I took in college. People talked about putting like a bucket inside a bucket and then packing straw in between them. I was told in my course to mix horse or cattle manure in with the straw. Of course when it is bio degrading manure causes heat so it will keep it warmer and keep from freezing.

The one idea they talked about is in a pasture to use an old bath tub and build a box around it an then pack the straw and manure in the box.. You of course have to clean it out in the spring.

I do have the horse buckets that are not heated but have an insulated unit around the bucket and the floatation device in it. They stay pretty un thawed the most I have to do is hit the float and if there is any ice I will dip it out.

Barb


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## susanne (Dec 9, 2009)

> The large muck buckets take much longer to freeze than typical water buckets and will do so in much thinner sheets that the horse can break out to get a drink.


Leia, you had your heated buckets last winter, so you were saved from the sad truth that what you say is true in a normal winter...but not in this sort of weather.

I learned last winter that it was much easiest to go with frequent trips to switch out small buckets rather than to break and remove ice from the two muck buckets and haul multiple buckets to fill them -- only to have several inches of ice within a couple of hours.

Perhaps I should move the manure pile over by the gate to set the buckets in...composting manure does create considerable heat.

Sadly, my method is only good if you work from home.


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## Bess Kelly (Dec 9, 2009)

My weather in SE area of VA is not anywhere near the climates you guys are talking and I can say without reservation.........

My heated buckets/tubs are one of the best investments I have ever made!!









Now my concern is to not lose electric in any storm. Still have my 6 gal, screw on cap, water jugs.

They are experienced at hauling hot water





Beyond that, The bucket in a bucket helps. You can build a square box to set the water into, with straw or insulation around, then a top hooked on with a hole in it to allow drinking. Absolutely the straw will help insulate. But in the steady temps you describe, not much beyond some heating units will truly prevent freeze, IMO. Those insulated/molded units that hold the 5 gal buckets are pretty expensive -- but, if no power available you gotta do what ya gotta do.

Geesh, I'd move!!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Dec 9, 2009)

susanne said:


> > The large muck buckets take much longer to freeze than typical water buckets and will do so in much thinner sheets that the horse can break out to get a drink.
> 
> 
> Leia, you had your heated buckets last winter, so you were saved from the sad truth that what you say is true in a normal winter...but not in this sort of weather.


Dearheart, I didn't get those heated buckets until the last week of three weeks of temps in the teens. Believe me, I dealt with it! *LOL* And Spyder did not have a heated bucket until last night as this year I had three horses and only the two buckets. For me, *personally*, with the house so far from the barn, it is far easier to use big tubs that have a wider surface area than smaller buckets which freeze inches deep in an hour. I'd have to drag all three smaller buckets up to the house, melt the solid ice out of them, fill with hot and bring back outside which I can tell you right now I'm not up to five or six times a day. With the big muck bucket tubs they've frozen a few inches deep over the course of the entire day and I can break it out with a wooden handle, remove the chunks, and dump in some hot water and it's good for another few hours (more when temps are just below freezing instead of down in the teens).

I'll admit I've been spoiled in that my horses are all good drinkers when it's cold so nobody fusses as long as the water is not technically frozen, but I've definitely done my share of hauling buckets. Our biggest challenge is Spyder's feed! If it were just drinking water I wouldn't mind, but his beet pulp freezes while prepping, there is no running water to rinse out the icky feed dish, no water to add to prepped food to make it soupy enough to serve, and no water to make the next batch. I end up hauling FOUR SEPARATE BUCKETS of water just for Spyder, plus drinking water for the other horses, and all of that at least three times a day slipping and sliding all the way from the house. We bought the heated buckets out of desperation because both Dad and I were about ready to drop. At least now I just have to haul two buckets per meal for his feed and occasionally enough water to refill the heated buckets which really isn't all that bad. I rely on the two minis to clean out his frozen feed dish for me with the help of a dash of hot water, which they seem to consider an enviable chore.





I think some of the ideas here are really good and I'm making note of them for the many times when power is simply not available (be it out or too far away) and things are freezing. I especially like surrounding the bucket with composting poo and the hot floater idea- I may try one that in the beet pulp prep bucket to see if it helps.

Leia


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## Shari (Dec 10, 2009)

We have a properly grounded heated large water tank and the smaller heated water buckets. Up in the Hill area ...we need them almost 3 months out of the year and they are well worth buying and setting up.


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## wantminimore (Dec 10, 2009)

luv2ridesaddleseat said:


> Leslie, can you tell me where I can get one floater cover, as I am short one.
> Thanks!


I got it from Woodstar Products, Inc. I think I found them on the internet but their slip doesn't show a web site address.

Phone # 1-800-648-3415

Fax# 262-728-1813


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## luv2ridesaddleseat (Dec 10, 2009)

Thank you so much!





Joyce


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## wantminimore (Dec 10, 2009)

Sure, no problem


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## Miniv (Dec 10, 2009)

Just wanted to make sure that everyone invests some money on the heavy duty outdoor extension cords when running them out to their water troughs. They are worth their weight in gold!


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## eagles ring farm (Dec 10, 2009)

I feel so spoiled

but our best investment here has been to

save enough to run freeze free hydrants

we have 7 and when they trenched to run water for the hydrants

we put electric & phone wires in the hole also

we are fortunate to have hydrants inside 2 of our barns and 5

in our individual pastures with electric to plug in heaters right at the tubs

It's not cheap but well worth saving for.

We installed al of them when we had (16) full size horse boarders

and we were full size horse people

so the income from that was how we paid for all the improvements

We still have 3 full size boarders to offset some of our costs


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## ohmt (Dec 10, 2009)

Well...we're WAYYY up north in North Dakota. Not just that but we happen to live in the red river valley--when I say there are no hills, I mean there are absolutely NO hills. The only trees here are trees that farmers have put up for shelter belts. The wind is absolutely atrocious. Its been below digits for a high for days now.

Its been 20 years now, we have never had heated buckets. In the morning the horses get warm water (we use a big wagon that we put the buckets with hot water from the house in--we use 6 of those). At night we get all of the ice out of the buckets. We have a pole that we put them on and bang them back and forth. This usually suffices. They are then hung upside down until the morning. The horses sleep in their shelters at night and never drank the warm water we would give them at night anyway, so this is what we do. We've never ever had problems. We do have a watering trough that rarely freezes for the mares which is nice. We just have to lug around water for our 7 stallions and weanlings/yearlings. Not too bad! Chores usually only take us about an hour. We use face masks, wool socks, cotton gloves covered with heavy duty ones, 'jump suits' (thats what i call them! very stylish), coats, and of course heavy duty hats. Even with all of this we have to come inside for breaks some days. I don't think we've ever had a winter without a couple 40 below days. its COLD!


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## susanne (Dec 10, 2009)

Hmm...

Leia, I presume "Dearheart" is to the northwest as "Bless your heart" is to the south...

I keep forgetting that you live at a more civilized elevation than Erin, Daryl, Shari and I. I'm sure the tubs do fine most anywhere, as they do in most weather here -- just not at 14 degrees!

However...I may have to reconsider our watering approach, as I seriously tweaked my back this morning -- and I still had to haul two buckets of fresh water to the corrals, distribute hay, and feed chickens...ow ow ow ow...

On the bright side, the clock/thermometers in Scappoose read 26 degrees at around 7:30 this evening, so there's hope!


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## ~Lisa~ (Dec 10, 2009)

40 below OMG- I do agree this weather my horses just do not drink at night we have 4 with heated buckets and I filled them to the brim - 4 days later they are still filled to the brim the horses are turned out during the day with heated water (when the heaters can keep up with the cold which is most days anyway) I bring out hot water to the barn horses around 9 for the last time at night.

They do drink alot most days though

They do get soaked beet pulp and alfalfa pellets for dinner with their oats. I figured out how much water per horse and it ends up being almost 1 gallon of water per horse with their soaked feed so I am thinking that has to help some


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## LittleRibbie (Dec 11, 2009)

Living in Florida, I, thank heaven, do not have to worry about heated buckets or freezing. But I still like to give the horses warm water in beet pulp so this may help. Since we have not had the $ to replace Hot Water tank in the barn. In the AM before going to the barn I take a little 12 pack size igloo cooler and put in enough boiling water for the lunch time beet pulp, when I get to the barn I add the beet pulp and mix, close the lid and by 12;00 or 2;00 its still nice and warm ( not boiling )...that way it has plenty of time to soak and it stays warm for their lunch ( usually Im in a hurry and just have enough time to quickly feed but this way its already and I dont have to wait around for it to soak. And its nice and WARM

But this may help.....but it may take a little training.

Take a regular Igloo Cooler ( a big one ) with the lid that folds back....start by adding a few carrot pieces or snacks...my horses seem to learn pretty quickly that they can nudge the door open to find the treats ...once they learn they can lift open the door how about filling it w/hot water. If you put the cooler right next to a fence or wall the lid will not be able to flip back and will close again once the horse stops drinking and the water will stay warm....in theory

I guess you could just try filling a cooler with warm/hot water and see if it is still warm by the next morning or at the least, not frozen. I just dont know how you guys do it in those cold weather areas..god bless ya!!


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## Matt73 (Dec 11, 2009)

I HATE winter :arg! The past two mornings I've taken all my time getting ice out of buckets and tempering everything with hot water. I haven't even done stalls yet (I'll do them at lunch). Plus, no one has been out for two or three days due to the really high winds etc. The minis can handle being inside for a bit, but I want my big guy to get out. If the wind dies down some more I'll hand-walk everyone. Did I mention that I hate winter (except at Christmas, of course



).


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## wantminimore (Dec 11, 2009)

I haven't had any ice in the buckets that are in the insulated bucket holders yet. Just today I plugged in the "muck bucket" water tub and I think i'm really going to like having one but i'm sure I wont like the power bill when it comes.


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## jegray21 (Dec 11, 2009)

We try to put water in the horses any way we can. Soaking hay, feeding mash, even adding water to regular grain. In Ga the weather changes dramatically and the horses just do not drink well...I am hating this winter 60's then down to the 20's I moved my minis into the garage and have access to hot water that way. My big horses not so happy the do not fit in the garage (note minis do have stalls and mats in the garage its safe! )


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## hobbyhorse23 (Dec 11, 2009)

Susanne, be careful out there!









The last thing you need is to hurt your back on top of your other problems.



If you can make it another couple of days the weather report has daytime temps above freezing soon and eventually nighttime temps too. Hang in there!





I _am_ at a lower elevation than you guys I think, but temps last year got down to 11 degrees (unheard of in Western WA) and they've been at 14-16 already this year. Brrr! The big muck tubs haven't had hot water for days now and I'm fairly sure they're frozen all the way through. Fun fun!

Leia

P.S.- "Dearheart" has long been an endearment of mine, but I do admit when I'm amused it may sometimes have similar usage to "bless your heart."


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## barnbum (Dec 12, 2009)

I just bought a 16 gal heated bucket and I am soooooo happy!! The heated bucket is used inside the run-in area of the barn for all the horses during the day. It's so nice to be at work and not be worrying about their buckets freezing over. Happiness!! I unplug the bucket at night--the foals use that one at night--but it stays warm enough for them unplugged--old barn--just makes me too nervous to leave plugged in.



I carry hot water from the bathtub every night for stalls--there are not heated buckets in stalls. But, I've checked and the water stays warm through their thirsty stage.



The water in stall buckets doesn't ice over unless it's about 12* all night. The buckets are as empty as they'd be in the summer.

The other decision I made was to NOT haul water to every pasture they wander into for the winter--just to dump out the ice when I get home. They'll just have to go to where the water is for the next several months. Makes them stick to where the best shelter is.


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