Frozen water buckets!

[Belle22]

Just wondering if anyone has any good tips for stopping their horses water buckets freezing in the stable. I know the wall in the water trick, but it's not working so well at the minute...

 

[L&M]

Sounds gross, but I am going to try surrounding mine in fresh warm manure - may just work?

You can also store filled buckets semi buried in the muck heap, as again the warmth of the manure stops them freezing, but just warn others they are there.....!!

 

[TGM]

Put the bucket in a corner well away from the door and put a rubber mat underneath it.

 

[bex1984]

wedge it in the corner, and surround it by a very thick layer of straw, all the way round, especially between the bucket and the exterior walls. This stopped mine freezing last night, it was about -6 here! My straw around the bucket was about 8 inches thick.

 

[kerilli]

as above, wrap bucket in bedding to insulate.

 

[CrazyMare]

My buckets are inside plastic feed sacks stuffed with straw - on a good cushion of straw underneath.

 

[D66]

as above - also shut the top door and the horse's body heat stays inside the stable and is often enough to keep the water liquid.

 

[Belle22]

as above - also shut the top door and the horse's body heat stays inside the stable and is often enough to keep the water liquid.

Is your horse ok with that? My dad has often asked why I don't do that when its cold, and if im honest I didn't think the horse would like it, due to the feeling of being entirely boxed in. But it's deffinatly worth a try, I may start shuting it most of the way and leaving a gap to start untill she gets used to it.

 

[Brontie]

Is your horse ok with that?

Many horses are fine with . Where I work, they have all the stables full shut. Mainly for security reasons, and the fact that they don't have windows as such, it's just fully bars. So without the top door shut, there'd be no shelter.

 

[makkapakka]

Cosy timber stables, shutting top door, water in corner away from door and adding a kettle of hot water last thing at night when feeding hay. I am also feeding sloppy speedibeet made with hot water to make sure taking in water.

Otherwise traipsing to field with kettles to make sure water tyre bowls are free.

 

[Honey08]

We shut our top doors too at night in windy/frosty/snowy conditions. Each stable has a window that looks out onto the yard anyway. They're fine with it - shut the doors to try while you are on the yard, and keep talking to them. Even our silliest horses are fine. They whicker to each other at first, and once they realise the others are there they're fine.

If you haven't got rubber mats, stand the buckets on a slice of straw, and pack more slices around the sides. I love the bucket in a sack full of straw idea. Guess the horses will try and eat the straw if you're on shavings though! Definately move the buckets away from the door.

 

[makkapakka]

Should also mention we installed large polycarbonate stable mirrors (1.2m sq). We often get strong coastal gales (force 8/9/10 fairly common and force 11 a couple of times a year) which can result in horses been kept in for 36/48hrs. Seems to keep them happier as horses stand beside them. Wouldn't necessarily buy them for an overnight lock-in only but recommended if you have a stressy horse. In hindsight would have preferred talk grilles between looseboxes (or an american barn......).

Also stable ventilation should be good and not rely on the doorway (to make sure no build up of ammonia).