Automatic water drinker question

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Patches

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When you've had them put in, do you automatically assume the horse will drink from them?

Do any of you still put a bucket in for a few days or do you think putting a bucket in would just mean they'll drink from the bucket and not the new water bowl?

I was thinking of turning the stopcock off at say 6pm and then turning it back on about 10pm and listening to see which ones (hopefully all of them) start refilling. That would be a sure fire way to know they've used them wouldn't it? Just a bit concerned as Oliver walked into his stable snorting at his.
 
They only hold a couple of mouthfuls though, so do you really want to deprive them of water for 4 hours?
 
I've never really considered it before. Don't recall doing anything with Patches and Tweenie's when they had theirs. I was just quite surprised by just how spooked Oliver was with his. Was wondering how he'd take to the noise of it filling as we've bought ones that fill directly from mains pressure, not from a header tank.

I'll leave him with it and see how he goes. Could add a bit of peppermint cordial to it to tempt him!
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Don't think you should worry about Oliver. Some horses spook at anything new, don't they? I'm sure, if he's thirsty, he'll drink. The filling noise might alarm him at first, but I bet he gets used to it quickly. Good luck, anyway.
 
I can't help but worry about Oliver, he's precious cargo!
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I'm sure he'll be fine. He snorts at a lot of things but that's about as "severe" as he reacts to all things new. He's a good, level headed pony for a youngster. Hacks out fabulously in all manner of traffic.

He really was a find.
 
I would owrry, know of a guy who knew a guy (he told us this story you see), horse was brought to somewhere for hunting, put in a stable with an automatic and didn't drink, wen thunting hard and dropped from dehydration.
Your idea is a good one. I've heard all of ours refilling and seen them drinking
 
It's a fabulous website and very, very reasonably priced. We buy most things from them now. Super fast delivery too.
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Anything that works off a ball valve is prone to failure. I personally think they're crap and have fixed several for people who can't live without them. Big bucket 2 No. that's the answer, horse was built to drink from the floor anyhow not waist height
 
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I would owrry, know of a guy who knew a guy (he told us this story you see), horse was brought to somewhere for hunting, put in a stable with an automatic and didn't drink, wen thunting hard and dropped from dehydration.
Your idea is a good one. I've heard all of ours refilling and seen them drinking

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That was my worry too. I can't reach the stop cock (well I could but it would involve going near where spiders inhabit) otherwise I'd have turned it off this morning for a few hours to see what happened. We were going hacking today and it was quite sunny and hot. He'd been in overnight too. When I hayed them first thing, before riding, I admit I put a bucket in, just in case he'd not had a drink from the bowl over night. Didn't want Hannah riding him and me wondering whether he'd be thirsty.
 
Maybe horses were designed to drink from the floor but my troughs in the field are all huge water troughs, the same we use for the cows to drink from. None of them are floor level and are possibly higher up than the water bowls. We do have a lake the horses sometimes wade in to drink from, but they usually seek the fresher water from the troughs.

Never had a problem with the first two we had put in a couple of years ago now. In my experience (with toilets and the huge troughs in the cow sheds/fields) when anything does go wrong it usually means they run over, so it's not like the horses would ever be without water until they're mended.
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Wouldn't place a bucket in his stable, as you say, he will just drink from the bucket and not the drinker. I have known a few spook when drinkers are re-filling, but they soon get used to them. As someone pointed out horses can smell water. If you are worried prior to riding perhaps offer him a bucket of water out of the stable before you go?. He'll get used to them soon, I recently put a home made hay-bar in one of my stables as a trial run, you'd have thought there was a monster in the corner of the stable - they soon got used to the idea though when they realised it contained food!!
 
Don't give them anything else and they will drink I promise!
The instinct to survive way overcomes any fear of the noise.
If you leave a bucket they won't use the drinker.
just make sure you use the plug in the bottom of the modern ones to empty the bowl every day or so, as food congeals in the bottom otheriwse from their mouths when they drink.
 
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Don't give them anything else and they will drink I promise!
The instinct to survive way overcomes any fear of the noise.
If you leave a bucket they won't use the drinker.
just make sure you use the plug in the bottom of the modern ones to empty the bowl every day or so, as food congeals in the bottom otheriwse from their mouths when they drink.

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I have to empty Patches every couple of days. She's a messy toad. Tweenie's only gets done once a week but the water that comes out is always crystal clear.

It's taken two years for him to get around to finishing the other stables off. No more carrying buckets. It's heaven!
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I recently moved to a yard with automatic waterers and I have turned it off - opting for good old fashioned water buckets! I may just be being paranoid
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but i like to know how much water my horse drinks?
 
You see, I understand your thinking, but when you have troughs in fields that auto-fill you don't know how much they drink during the course of a day anyway. Especially when they share that water source with other horses.
 
Does your horse go out in the morning?
When i moved my pony to the yard im at now they have automatic waterers and she had never used one before. I left her without any alternative all night but she would come out her box and go straight to the water in the field and drink for England. I persevered for a week or so but she still did this every mornning and i started to feel bad so i just turned it off and she has had a bucket for the last three years!
Not saying your two will be like mine but it is something to watch out for!
 
He doesn't seem eager to drink when he leaves the stable. I do make sure they're cleaned out every couple of days though as the water that's held in the reservoir can quickly become stagnant, much like in a bucket.

I'll be so disappointed if he doesn't use it.
 
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You see, I understand your thinking, but when you have troughs in fields that auto-fill you don't know how much they drink during the course of a day anyway. Especially when they share that water source with other horses.

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Thats very true Patches, but I have found that my horse still drinks the same amount every night (I also note his poo and wee patterns!!) and i'd be a little concerned if it drastically changed - so I spose I can monitor him for 16 hours of the day!
So I guess I have realised that I am paranoid!! LOL
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I installed the large plastic Plasoon T45 corner drinkers in each of our stables. Each one has it's own stopcock and drain hole which ensures they can be easily cleaned out. Saves a fortune on the metered water bill. All the horses got used to them.
 
Not paranoid! My stupid horse drank himself silly with his automatic waterer. We established this was his problem after he had started to wee loads and was losing weight - many clear blood & urine tests later!!! He now has a bucket in his stable - he doesn't seem to do it in his field.
 
Not paranoid at all. I would notice if my horses suddenly had a drier stable than normal or if the dung looked as though it as lacking moisture. I guess you can tell alot by the way they leave their stable! Bit like reading tea leaves for horse owners.
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Haha now that a lovely thought! Ill be thinking of that while im mucking out later! Trying to read my future!
If my YO goes on a water meter i will try again but its as easy for me if she has a bucket she doesnt drink much anyway!
Good luck im sure he'l be ok.
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