No water in barn during the winter.

[Reijel's Mom]

In the winter, we keep our hose in the basement so it doesn't freeze and I drag it out about every 2 weeks to fill the large stock tanks. We have plug heaters in the stock tanks.

 

[Rebecca]

Ugh, yup it's that time of year again.

Good suggestions all, I too am lugging a bucket from the sink in the house to outside, although I think it may be unreasonable to ask my parents about getting a stock tank with a heater lol, we only have two horses and there's nowhere to put that!

Last year sometimes when I was hauling water it'd spill and freeze on my pant leg. Not fun!!!!! Ahhh, good old New Hampshire. :Cold-Scared :Cold-Scared We've been getting a high of 35 F the past week......

 

[Royal Crescent]

I too am lugging a bucket from the sink in the house to outside, although I think it may be unreasonable to ask my parents about getting a stock tank with a heater lol, we only have two horses and there's nowhere to put that!

You might check the tanks out. The smaller ones will save you alot of heavy buckets to haul, and they are not all that expensive for a smaller one. Mine is , I think,about 1 1/2-2 ft deep by about 4 ft long and about 2 1/2 ft wide. You can get one with a heater for less then $150.

Barb

 

[Katiean]

I use the big 25 gallon rubber tub for water. Of course it freezes in the winter. The hose freezes solid too. So, I use the gallon water containers that we buy water in. It is usually the Niagra water bottles (they have a plastic handle the bottle hangs from). We use the hottest water we can get out of the tap and run the water out 2 gallons at a time.

 

[susanne]

We do exactly as Katjean does...hot, hot water to top off the "muck bucket" type water troughs. Hauling smaller amounts of very hot water is much easier than many trips with cold water.

We often have ice on top, so we punch that in and strain out the chunks with a kitchen mesh colander so that we don't freezae our hands. Then we fill with the hot water, and the result is cold, but not icy, water for the kids.

 

[Genie]

I know a lady in Northern Ontario who has frozen water all the time and feeds carrots by the bag full in the winter months, so they are getting moisture that way.

If you wanted her e-mail to find out how she feeds, I could forward your mail to her.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I got one of those plug in heated buckets. Works pretty well, I was thinking of buying a bigger one this year, but my guys really like their water fresh and drink more I noticed when I take it out twice a day. I have two minis so it isn't too bad a chore, except when it is slippery. I typically fill two half buckets from the house and carry, its easier to carry balanced and I quit spilling on my leg by doing that.

I started using barn dri on the ice. It is safe for their feet and I can use it in the stable as lyme too. It isn't powdered limestone, it is granular and it works great for dogs too. You can dust it right over glare ice and walk on it. Sometimes I keep it at the house and dust my way out to the stables during an ice storm. Not sure if this stuff is available anywhere except locally, but I will post the web page description so you can check it out. This has been a real life saver for me on our farm here since I have run in sheds and the paddock can get icy at times. Once I found my young boy had adventured onto solid ice during a storm... He was standing there looking like "Bambi on ice", I quickly dusted all around his feet and a path back to the stable and he just walked on it right away.

here is the link...hope it works...

http://www.martinlimestone.com/default.asp...geid=barn%20dri

 

[Bozley]

Shorthorsemom,

I checked out the website. That limestone sounds great. My paddocks get super icy in the winter. I am especially worried about it this year with a pregnant mare. I will have to see if I can find that product or something similar to it here in Maine. Thank you for suggesting it!

Sue

 

[shelly]

My driveway and paddocks get slippery too and I spread sawdust on it...works pretty well as soon as the sun shines on it to melt it into the ice a little. I haul water in buckets from the cellar to the barn in a sled...works ok if it is not too bumpy! I might look into putting a bigger heated tank in the barn this year though, my shoulders can't take many more bucket brigades!!!!!

We also have the heated buckets, though some still get a skim on top...what's up with that?

 

[Keri]

We use hoses. But after you're done, drain the water from them (blow it out as you're rolling it) and then store the hose some place warm (like you're basement or something). Just put them in a big bucket so that they just aren't sitting there. And then when they need water, all you have to do is take the hose out fill their buckets up and then roll the hose back up and store it where it can't freeze. Much easier than hauling buckets!

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I know a lady in Northern Ontario who has frozen water all the time and feeds carrots by the bag full in the winter months, so they are getting moisture that way.
If you wanted her e-mail to find out how she feeds, I could forward your mail to her.

Eek! I hope she has water available for them daily at least?

 

[whitney]

I have water in the barn now "you all remember my water line project".

But for 25 years did not. I stationed my 200 gallon tanks with heaters, I had 4 of them, on the drip line of the barn fill them to the top before the hose freezes. The LORD kept them filled with melted snow/rain throughout the winter.

Also if you don't have a heater put an UNTREATED wooden fence pole in it so the pole is "standing up" if it doesn't stay below freezing for too many days you can wiggle the pole and it will break the ice.

Don't you just LOVE WINTER, NOT!

 

[Annabellarose]

I don't have water at either of my barns. I have a 30' x 50' that has a run-in area to the back and stalls to the front and a 10' x 20' run-in shed that we just finished building a couple of weeks ago. [a bit off topic]We are having our first cold rain of the year today and my mare is standing in the barn... YAY![/a bit off topic] Both of my barns are close to the house, but everyone usually stays out 24/7/365 with 24/7/365 run-in privileges and I water in large metal stock tanks out in the pastures which are even closer to the house (and the spigot) and I use floating tank deicers. I have never had any problems with floating tank deicers. I used to blow the air out of the hose and last year I treated myself to a nice hose reel, it has pneumatic (air) tires and a wire basket on the bottom that holds my spray nozel and my soap and my bucket scrub brush. When I roll up the hose it drains the water out of it and then I roll it into the garage close to the wall of the house. I paid around $70 for the hose reel and I got it at Sam's. It's one of the best investments I've ever made!

 

[susanne]

I always worry that, even with the troughs ice-free, they may not drink as much in the cold. So in addition to regular de-icing of troughs, we also make up their beet pulp extra soup to ensure they're well-hydrated.

I hate using salt on the ground, as it's so bad for plants and microbial life in the soil, so I'll have to look into that lime product to see if it's available around here. Of course, lime will change the pH of the soil...

An aside...

our two new neighbors (one built a new place, the other purchased an existing home) both blacktopped their very steep driveways. We've noticed in previous winters that we had no problem navigating the steep hills so long as we were on our gravel driveway or side road -- the problems came up when we reached the paved roads. I'll be very interested to listen for sliding cars and gunned engines this winter...hope they're okay...

 

[Reble]

We have a subpump in our spring fed pond, the pipe line is under the ground and a tap in the barn.

All we have to do is plug in the pump and water.

This I found interesting. Let me know if anyone has tried this?

Get an old tire off the rim, and stuff it with rocks. Wedge a container (like a large bucket) in the hole in the tire and put the water in there. The black tire will absorb the light from the sun during the day and heat the rocks within the tire The rocks will radiate the warmth enough to keep the water from freezing. This suggestion comes from a horse magazine, to keep water for the horses in the fields in winter. The barn manager piled a few rock-filled tires on top of each other and then inserted a water bucket in the center of them. She said this actually prevented the water from freezing for a period of time.

 

[CyndiD]

We are fortunate to have water in the barn, but in the past we had troubles and had to haul it down...and I have used a shop-vac to blow the water out of the hoses after filling the tanks..that seems to get it out faster on really cold days than looping it over a rafter to drain it out...

I have the cleats, but never really used them till last year..believe me I have them hanging right where I can find them easily this year. I fell a couple times and don`t intend to repeat that.

As for traction on icy places I have used cracked corn. Its pretty cheap...and if you sprinkle it around the walkways it provides gritty traction and a bonus for the birds...

 

[shorthorsemom]

Has anybody tried those hoses yet that look like a big spring? Just wondering. I was admiring them recently and wondering if they would work here and be more compact for storing. I need a better system with the hose, but I need such a long hose I can't bring it in the house and our basement door is too heavy for me to lift.

 

[Keri]

I use them for washing my horses. They are nice to store, but harder to get the water out. I can just lift and roll my straight hoses where as it takes me a while to get the water out of them.

 

[wpsellwood]

We have water in the barn but I cant stand the dust in my round pen (which is enclosed and attached to the barn) so I wet it down. Then to drain the hose I use the blower (which I have for the horses) shoots the water right out.

We have purchased 3 houses in the last 12 years, everyone of them we had to trench and put hydrants in. T

 

[Minimor]

Get an old tire off the rim, and stuff it with rocks. Wedge a container (like a large bucket) in the hole in the tire and put the water in there. The black tire will absorb the light from the sun during the day and heat the rocks within the tire The rocks will radiate the warmth enough to keep the water from freezing.

Haven't tried it, and don't have to try it to know that it won't work in this climate!