Help! Water Buckets

sport horse

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Has anyone found a solution to a horse constantly tipping over its water bucket?
I have tried:
An ordinary bucket
A large tub of water
A bucket sunk in tyres
Water in the feed manger bolted to the wall
Always the same result, the mare is determined to upend everything. She uses her teeth, feet and all available amunition!!
The result is a stable resembling a bog and a complete muck out every day (fortunately we have rubber matting) but most worryingly, a horse without water for long periods of time ie overnight)
I have tried toys to attract her instead of the water bucket, but these too are destroyed!
She is quite calm and relaxed, has large quantities of bulk feed and is talented enough to wish to keep her! While I could keep her out at grass during the summer it is not really practical as she is a serious competition prospect.
I am reluctant to use clips and hooks having had a horrible accident to one of my horses that required surgery to reinstate its mouth after eating one such hook while at stud.
All suggestions welcome!
 

DollyPentreath

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Blimey, she turns a manger filled with water over! Determined gal!! Er... Automatic drinker? (Not much help really, am I?) Seems like you've exhausted a few avenues already..
crazy.gif
 

Maesfen

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Well I was going to say a spring clip hanging hook fitted onto the wall and to use D shaped buckets! We've used those with the youngsters to stop exactly that type of behaviour which I really hate and have never had any problems at all but you must make sure the hook part is at the back of the clip. Could you not have a shield of some sort over the clips so that you can reach up and hook bucket on it but horse can't reach hook itself. Failing that, something like a Belfast sink (used to be able to pick those up bargain price at any sale but not since upwardly mobiles fancied them for the kitchens!) but then again, if yours is such a hooligan it'll probablt smash it in frustration! What about a plastic dustbin with a breezeblock inside so they can't shift it?
 

SpottedCat

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My old mare who now lives with MFH_09 did this repeatedly at the vets...so they got a couple of those ' over door buckets' with hooks on and hooked them so they were hung on the outside of the door (if that makes sense) so she had to put her head over the door to drink. She never managed to get them off, but even if she had, no mess in the stable! Well worth a try I'd say. Ridiculous creature never did it at home...
 

JAK

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An alternative selection of 'toys' to keep her amused & divert her attention from the water? Snak-a-ball, lickits, a swede on a rope?

Daft suggestion but have you tried putting the buckets in the opposite corner of her stable? (Sometimes simply moving something can help, e.g. if the bucket is on her 'favourite' side of the door for looking out of, it will be all too often 'right under her nose' as it were!)
 

Tangaroo

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My boy did this and frequently didnt have water all night. I use the big blue buckets you get from farm dairys and my husband made a wide metal band that attached to the wall. You put the bucket into this and it slides up under rim of bucket. He has regularly tried to get it out but hasnt succeeded in about 4 years.
 

piebaldsparkle

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Echo MFH_09 have never had a problem with clips and 'D' shaped buckets, but clip opening <u>must</u> be against the wall.
 
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