Well, this is what I do. I do the plastic barrel thing too, but I do it in different ways. I stand the barrel up and cut in horizontally about 12 inches from the top. That gives me 1 big water tank and 1 grain dish. The big water tank would be for my big horses. I can also use it to put hay in for the big horses too. Another way I do it is I cut the top off horizontally at about 12 and then cut the bottom off horizontally at about 20 inches. That gives me a grain dish (the top), and a water tank (the bottom) for the minis. The middle is waisted, but I do not mind. I also lay the barrel down and cut it in half the long way. That gives me to feeders. I just screw a 2x4 on each side of it so that it can not roll. They are great for grain too. All and any of these can also be screwed into a wook wall ina stall or just sat on the floor or ground in your pastures.
And, for portable fencing, or protable stalls, I use pallets that are in good shape with about 3" spacings between boards. I screw them together and it holds them in real nicely, and yet they can see out just fine. It is fast and easy and all you have to do to move it around or take it down is remove the screws. It makes for great protection against dogs and other critters that might try to harm them. You might have to use a T-Post here and there to make it stable if the ground is uneven. Just use bindertwine to tie the pallet to the T-post.
Another thing is you can use the big laundry detergent bottles, the ones with the spouts and screw off caps, for carrying around water. Of course it would have to be cleaned out very well. It is so much easier than carrying a bucket full of water. Also, take a bleach bottle cleaned out real, real well, and cut the bottom and part of the side off. It makes for a great grain scoop.
Oh, and when the water freezes in the plastic tanks, I beat the sides with a hammer, and use a screen drainer to get all of the ice out. It works great. It also works for getting hay, leaves, or whatever else falls into their water out. The screen drainer is flat and has a handle for putting over frying pans to drain the grease out. I get mine at the dollar store.
One more thing you can do, if you have any, is take the cat litter buckets, clean them out good, and use them to store treats in and take a marker to mark what kind of treats are inside. I like it better than leaving them in the bag they come in. You can stack them up on the floor instead of having to clutter up your shelves or cupboards.
That is all that I can think of right now. Hope this helps.
