Maybe found a problem to water in paddock freezing

PurBee

PurBee

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The design of that is that it has a float valve that is automatically filling the trough, so its got to be connected to mains, ready to auto-fill after being drunk from.
The pressure of the re-filling water and the tank being full at all times keeps the white balls popped up , which the animal pushes down on to get to water. The balls then serve as a constant ice-breaker of the surface in very cold conditions aswell as insulating the surface of the water to prevent that freezing in the first place.

If you wanted to use it as a fill up once every 2 days, youll find the balls will drop down, allowing cold air to sink into the drinking holes to freeze the water.
I dont think the holes look big enough for a horse to get into the trough to drink from when the level gets low , if you’re not going to hook it up to mains water. Youll be lucky for them for reach halfway down so youll be spending hundreds for a trough of 40 litres of water in an insulated plastic box.

Thats why they say the design works best if many animals are using it, so the water is always trickle filling, preventing the inlet float valve refill from freezing.
In my experience just -10 is enough for an external exposed 1 inch pipe fitting to freeze within half hour. Ive buried all water pipes and the external small sections have used plumbers thick pipe insulation.

What lowest temperatures do you get where you are?

If the horses are out on just grass with no hay, then 80litres should see them through in the hours you say theyre out, for 2 out sessions.
If they have dry hay in the field, youll want more water. Haylage requires less water.
My 2 get through 80-100 litres in 24 hrs with hay. If theyve been prancing about they drink more, so if your 3 are active/playful with oneanother in the fields they could want more hydration too.

To be honest, ots a very expensive insulated box with a limited design use, that works well if it does have a mains connection autofill and plenty of animals sipping from it regularly.

The plastic ball idea is good however, so maybe you could get a 100+ litre trough/old bath size...put a few large plastic balls that will bop around the surface preventing the surface from freezing? Any breezes/winds will also keep the balls moving gently.
 
Winters100

Winters100

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PurBee said:
The design of that is that it has a float valve that is automatically filling the trough, so its got to be connected to mains, ready to auto-fill after being drunk from.

Thank you so much everyone! This is very useful information. I think it won't work for us because we can't easily connect to the water main.

My issue is that they are on a very nice yard, supposed to be full care, but they do not put water to the paddocks. I have discussed it with them and they just don't do it, so I have to manage somehow. In summer it is easy as I have several large troughs, but in winter I worry that if I can't go in the morning no one breaks the ice. They have hay in the paddock and while my old mare just potters about the 2 geldings are constantly playing. They have hay in the paddock too, so water is a must.

This year has been very mild, but most years we get a period of -10 or below. If I don't find something I can keep managing things to always go in the mornings or get someone else to go, but it would be so useful to have something reliable to keep the water from freezing.

Interestingly it is more than 200 pounds cheaper if you buy it in Poland, so if anyone wants one shipping from here would be a good option (but only for some days as after brexit VAT would apply).

Thank you all very very much for this great help.
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Beausmate

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Salt water in plastic bottles floating on the top. You need some water in them so they don't just blow away, and to keep them bobbing about. The salt lowers the freezing point and prevents the water in the bottles freezing.

There was some ice, but it was thin enough for the horses to break it easily.
 
Winters100

Winters100

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Beausmate said:
Salt water in plastic bottles floating on the top. You need some water in them so they don't just blow away, and to keep them bobbing about. The salt lowers the freezing point and prevents the water in the bottles freezing.

There was some ice, but it was thin enough for the horses to break it easily.
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I tried this without success! And then experimented at home with 5 buckets, 4 of them with different concentrations of salt water, sadly I didn't see a difference. Maybe I was doing it wrong - I filled all the bottles full - maybe they also need some air?
 
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