Advice on Water Troughs - is a 54L/12Gallon Trough enough for one horse?

[Gorgeous 13]

Good evening, we are looking at running water into our paddocks using Blue Pipe and Troughs. I'm sure lots of people have done this and am wondering if there is any advantage to using individual troughs rather than shared, we will have electric tape/rope running over the top if troughs are the shared ones so I am thinking individual ones would be better? Any recommendations on which manufactures to use or avoid would be greatly appreciated. Also the individual ones seem to hold 54L or 12 Gallons which doesn't seem a lot to me...is this enough (I know they will refill so maybe this would keep the water fresher?). Thanks in advance of any advice x x x

 

[Carrottom]

I would choose the individual troughs as I don't like putting water near the electric fence in case a horse is fearful of the fence and doesn't drink. 12 gallons is plenty as I assume you will be checking it twice a day.

 

[meleeka]

I have 12 gallon ones for 3 ponies and 1 horse. You are correct that the small size keeps the water fresher. I empty mine a couple of times a week through the summer so they never go green. I personally wouldn’t want a big trough for the above reasons.

When you consider stable auto waters are tiny, I don’t think size matters. I wouldn’t want electric fence too close to my horses heads either.

 

[honetpot]

I have two large troughs and I do not like them, we are on metered water and it wastes a lot if they poop in it or drop hay and it festers, the cows drink a lot and it takes two days for them to empty them when they are in eating straw. I like the smaller troughs, and the ones nearest the shed I only fill every couple of days, so I can clean them and not waste water, the ones in the far paddocks refill. Never had a problem with not enough water.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Assuming you are topping them up and they are not automatic ones, they will be perfect. As others have said, by topping up more often, although its another job to do, it does keep the water fresher. Ive used larger troughs and wasted more water by chucking it away because its gone manky!

 

[milliepops]

the benefit of big troughs is they cope with freezing a bit better. if that's a consideration. my mares live out and my water pipe is not buried so i like a big trough that doesn't freeze as quickly.

 

[Aperchristmas]

the benefit of big troughs is they cope with freezing a bit better. if that's a consideration. my mares live out and my water pipe is not buried so i like a big trough that doesn't freeze as quickly.

I was going to add this as a consideration. I like larger troughs so that if there is a several days-long cold snap, there is a bit more wiggle room and I don't have to immediately start lugging.

Also, I'm really weird and I like to know that if I randomly get hit by a bus, the horses won't die in the next 48 hours. It's really irrational because there are many people who would know to take over (as long as they had been told of course...) so the horses would be fine, but it's also the reason I like to have winter feeds made up so that someone stepping in could easily manage for at least 24 hours. This is admittedly only a possible thought if they are out 24/7 though because otherwise they would run out of food very quickly....

And there's my weird confession for the day. But yes, I like larger troughs

 

[TGM]

I've got to agree with some of the comments above, I purposely bought some very big troughs to make life easier when things freeze in the winter. If very low temperatures are forecasted then I make sure I fill all the troughs to the brim. That way we normally have enough to last until it thaws.

 

[Gorgeous 13]

I would choose the individual troughs as I don't like putting water near the electric fence in case a horse is fearful of the fence and doesn't drink. 12 gallons is plenty as I assume you will be checking it twice a day.

Yes will be checking twice a day...and they should auto fill so if I ever can't get there for any reason they should be okay xxx

 

[Gorgeous 13]

I have 12 gallon ones for 3 ponies and 1 horse. You are correct that the small size keeps the water fresher. I empty mine a couple of times a week through the summer so they never go green. I personally wouldn’t want a big trough for the above reasons.

When you consider stable auto waters are tiny, I don’t think size matters. I wouldn’t want electric fence too close to my horses heads either.

That was my worry, if one of them gets caught on the electric fencing I don't want them to be afraid and stop drinking xxx

 

[Gorgeous 13]

I have two large troughs and I do not like them, we are on metered water and it wastes a lot if they poop in it or drop hay and it festers, the cows drink a lot and it takes two days for them to empty them when they are in eating straw. I like the smaller troughs, and the ones nearest the shed I only fill every couple of days, so I can clean them and not waste water, the ones in the far paddocks refill. Never had a problem with not enough water.

Thank you for replying...this is all a bit new as have been on livery up to now and not really had to worry! xxx

 

[Gorgeous 13]

Thank you to everyone for all your replies...really useful xxx

 

[Nicnac]

I put an old football in my troughs in the winter so if they do freeze, the horses can 'pop' the ball down to access water. They can't get their teeth around it either. I also have an old tennis racquet and a sieve to remove the ice blocks.

To date none of mine have ever pooped or dunked their hay in their troughs. I wouldn't have shared ones unless either side of a good wooden fence with no electric.

 

[rextherobber]

That was my worry, if one of them gets caught on the electric fencing I don't want them to be afraid and stop drinking xxx

I put a wooden post either side of the trough and use wooden rails rather than electric on that bit, the electric line goes way above that to carry it on, though I guess you could thread the electric fence tape/rope through a piece of blue pipe to insulate it? I have the Kingspan self filling troughs, I think they're 30l, which is plenty big enough. But I'm in the South, we rarely get a prolonged cold snap anymore. I have one trough serving two fields, but I only have my own horses, no liveries, so don't worry too much about transmitting infections, they're all out together anyway.

 

[PeterNatt]

We use the PaxtonAT24 Plastic 227 Litre automatic filling water troughs. One in each paddock. Each one has a stop cock on it so that it can be turned off and cleaned.