Do you have automatic water in your fields??

[Teddybully]

Do those of you who have your own yards/fields mostly have automatic watering? Is it a massive pain to have fields that don't have a water supply - how do you get the water to them if the hose won't reach!?

I know it would be more work - but how much more!

 

[lizziebell]

I have some large plastic jerry can things which I fill up and then transport with the wheelbarrow. Yes, its a pain - but good work out for the muscles. I've been thinking about whether you can get a bowser type thing to tow behind my quad - not sure if they exist or if I've just made it up !

 

[martlin]

I haven't got automatic water in fields at the moment, it is on a to do list for near future, but we do have to prioritise In the meantime I have a water bowser which I fill up at the yard and then drive round the fields filling water troughs. It is a bit of pain in the bum, but I have large troughs and when the weather isn't to scorching I can get away with doing it every other day.

 

[lindsayH]

In my case, I just kept buying hoses and connecters until they reached! Pain in the winter though when it was frozen but there you go. Some people do have a tank they tow with a quad.

 

[smellsofhorse]

Yes you can get large water containers/bowsers to tow.

A yard i worked at had them.
You can get different size, it makes it much easier than taking water in a wheelbarrow,especial when there are lots of horses!

 

[charlimouse]

I finally put automatic waterers to all my fields last summer. It is so much easier. Up till that point I was carrying buckets from the yard, it was a nightmare, and used to take nearly a hour to do all the fields the horses were in.

 

[littlemisslauren]

We just keep connecting hoses untill they reach!! They do freeze up in the winter but if you walk the length of the hose and bend it (will make a snapping noise as the ice breaks) it will take less tive to melt!

I dont really know if that works! I do it every winter and like to think they is reason behind my madness!

 

[Ranyhyn]

We have auto water in all but two of the fields at my yard. On those ones we have jerry cans filled with water that are taken down there every week.

 

[Puppy]

I have a load of hosepipes joined together to reach my further paddocks, but I tend to bring those in, in Winter, so they don't crack up, and in that case I use a big water drum or a H2Go bag in the barrow. It is a tedious job, especially when the fields muddy, but I've always coped. It also means I very frequently clean out the trough.

 

[Bosworth]

It is actually cheaper to buy the pipe for your water and then get a contractor to dig it in. Should be able to put in about 500yrds of pipe plus 2/3 troughs in less than a day - contractors rates are about £20 an hour for man and machine. Once in - job done and life far far easier. Look at teh financials - hoses and attachements are more expensive.

 

[Puppy]

Well, in my case, it's not my field, I rent the grazing. But also, as I strip graze, splitting it down into as many as 5 paddocks, then I move the troughs around a fair bit.

 

[LMuirEDT]

We dont have automatic water troughs but YO has put in taps at various points up the track to the fields so all we need todo is attach a hose to the tap.

 

[Enfys]

I have automatic waterers in a couple of fields, they draw water from the well (same as the house)
The pipes are all insulated and laid about 6' down, also they are heated.
I simply could NOT manage without heated water troughs, the stalls, and cats/dogs/goats all have heated water bowls.

Hosepipes are as much use as chocolate teapots from November to March.