Grass livery without water - how do you cope?

[spacie1977]

Hi there,

For those of you who keep your horses in a field (with or without a mobile stable), but don't have a tap on mains water, how do you cope? What do you do to ensure the horses have fresh drinking water every day, and how do you clean them up for the farrier or bath them before a competition?

 

[dollyanna]

I had a collection of water cans (ex-army ones are great as they are really tough) and just filled them at home and took down to the field as often as needed. Had a couple of decent sized troughs so that at least one was always full, I could run the other down to clean it as needed. I left the fulls cans in the field so I could top up each day as needed and did a water on average once a week - depending on weather.
Never washed in the field as had access to a yard but could just do it with buckets and the cans, just hard work. Same for farrier I guess.

 

[Follysmum]

I got a farmer to lend me a bowzer that we filled with water ( think thats how you spell it )

 

[spacie1977]

Ta very much for the replies. I'm asking because I'm looking at moving house so I can keep my horse at home, but there will be a pond between the house and paddocks so I've got no way of running even an extremely long hosepipe to where he'll be stabled. It's going to take some getting used to, going from a large purpose built yard to just a wooden box and grass. Gulp!

 

[Dry Rot]

Buy a cheap car trailer and put an IBC tank on it?

 

[spacie1977]

Buy a cheap car trailer and put an IBC tank on it?

Hmm... that's not a bad idea. Just looked them up and I could pick up an IBC for £40. They are blooming huge though. I'm wondering whether having a water butt by the stable would be a good idea. I could then use rain water for washing down, and only have to worry about fresh water for his water buckets.

 

[crabbymare]

if the land is not rented you could have a contractor dig a very deep hole or well and have a pump in to run water to the stables and if they live out have an insulated pump water drinker for the horses

 

[Tnavas]

Barrels to collect rainwater are great, or even direct to the water trough. One paddock I had as a teenager was a long way from the tap, we had around 10 hoses joined together, dad lifted the turf spade deep and we dropped the hose in it. Worked well except in really bad icy weather.

Tap was turned on when I arrived and left to fill while I rode.

 

[Jnhuk]

Collect water from the roof of your field shelter in barrels as Tnvas says above

We created a concreted area for horse tie up area near tap so I can wash/bath etc... when needed for shows and also where they come in from field for farrier etc... as he can get his van with mobile forge near them without going on to soft or muddy ground in the winter.

 

[Tnavas]

One thing I found handy for washing is a 4 litre pump spray. I have several - Fill one with hand hot water and shampoo, another with hot water for rinsing. Water goes a long way.

 

[DW Team]

All though we have water on the yard in the winter the pipes tend to freeze I have bought two caravan water porters which I use in the summer on the lorry great becasue you can just pull them along This is the type of thing http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WATER-POR...158?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2ee0fce6ce

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi there,

For those of you who keep your horses in a field (with or without a mobile stable), but don't have a tap on mains water, how do you cope? What do you do to ensure the horses have fresh drinking water every day, and how do you clean them up for the farrier or bath them before a competition?

If there was a shelter then I would use the water butt option to get water otherwise I would get a Jerry can up to the field - as for cleaning them for farrier I would have an old towel to use ti clean the feet as best I can

 

[spacie1977]

Thanks guys! Lots of really helpful tips. I'm now feeling a wave of relief as it seems with water butts, water ports etc. my set up won't be as difficult as I first thought.
I'm wondering whether I could pump water from the pond too? It's large and has stuff living in it so I'm assuming the water would be safe for horses to drink. Or would that be a no, no?

 

[AdorableAlice]

I would bite the bullet and have a contractor in to put in running water to paddock and building. You own the land so it is a permanent situation. Put in deep enough it won't freeze.