No electric/water & which energiser

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wallykissmas

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I'm now looking to move from a livery onto a private field, it has a few large barrels to collect rain water but am thinking how will this fair if we have a very dry season - any tips and pointers ? Also if they have lids on will this keep Mosquito lava out and those small red worm things(don't know technical name)

It has no electric so looking for pointer in the lighting direction - thinking of asking electrician to put up some lights to connect to a leisure battery ?

Also in need of an energiser (not mains) any good ones to cover two rows of electric fencing on 2 acres max ?

Any advise is welcome, a nice brew and ginger biscuits on offer :)
 
I've been on such a field for 18 months. Two acres, three little ponies, lovely, slightly decrepit, shelters & store room. Thoroughly enjoy the independence and only miss the company of a livery yard a little bit.
Water: I know the previous tennants used an enormous bucket and the guttering to collect rain water. Apparently using old tights on the end of the pipe to filter the water is effective. The guttering is now in need of repair so haven't tried this method. I bought three 25 litre water canisters from my local aquarium superstore, which I fill up at home and replenish the supply with on an almost daily basis in the summer, but obviously less needed in winter.
As for electricity - it's an absolute pain not having light in the winter. But there are lots of fabulous ideas about lights and generators if you do a search on here or Google. I've yet to get this sorted and am still on torchlight!
Electric fencing - I have a little Fenceman energiser attached to a battery. The battery gets charged one every three/ four weeks. Works a treat for splitting the field, although I would try to get the biggest energiser you can afford if you're doing the perimeter. Good luck and enjoy the freedom of your own place!
 
I have a field with no water and have a 200litre tank which is flat that sits in he back of the car. It has a tap that you can fit a hose pipe to. In my experience they drink the water fairly quickly so the mosquito lava never get time to grow, but you just need to cover the tank. In hot weather I budget 25litres a day per animal which is a large white plastic container that you can get from caravan shops for £6-10
The main problem with electric is getting it pinched so do anything to make it harder to get at. A local farmer swears by a blue bin staked internally to the ground and then its padlocked shut.
 
What's a blue bin HP ? Love the tights idea and the water container in the back of the car with a tap, saves lift it !

Stables are great where I am but could do with some hardcore infront or something.
 
Battery energiser will work fine, ideally with a leisure battery.

Other people have discussed the water issue.

Power for lighting, a battery is ok but the light given off isn't great. Have you considered a generator. You can buy them relatively cheaply is you only need it for lighting as they don't have to produce loads of power. One that kicks out 500w will power 8 or more 60w bulbs & considerably more if you use the energy saving bulbs. You can chain & padlock it one of your buyildings, a tree or post etc so it's difficult to steal. Keep it out of the weather so the electrics don't fail with the moisture.
 
I have a leisure battery just want some recommendations for good strong cheap energisers- do they exist ?

Hadn't thought of a Jenny but have a secure store room to put it in.
 
I have a Patura P20 energiser. I bought it in February as I had my 12v system stolen. The P20 will run on 9v or 12v. I am still on the same battery that it came with and it runs 3 strands (2 ropes, 1 tape) and its currently 7000v on the tester. At under £100 for it I can thoroughly recommend it.

If you send me your email in a PM I can send you some photos of the security I have in place. In short. It's a metal box that has legs and a lid. There are 2 holes drilled in the base. The box is sunk into the ground, and 2 of those spiral spikes used to tether dogs screwed through the holes into the ground. So the 4 legs stop it from being spun, the spikes prevent it being pulled up. The box also has 2 handles for when I want to move it ! The lid has 2 padlocks - one acts like a hinge, and the top has a strengthened steel bar attached by coach bolts. Its big enough for my energiser, and I could fit a 12v battery in too if I wanted to go 12v rather than 9v. But in fairness I have been mightily impressed with the 9v and it beats lugging a battery home every 3-4 weeks to charge.

In winter I have a super bright head torch.
 
I really wouldn't bother with a genny too much hassle getting it going and noisy. Rechargeable batteries in led lights and a head torch are your friend. Water container with tap that you don't have to move is inspired. You could put a hose on it if you can't drive close enough, as long as the container is higher than the bucket its going into.
 
Easypeasy with some DIY. (My field's same as yours).

Water: If you can stretch to £150 approx, then get yourself something like of these: they come with tap fitted to bottom, and with lid on top. You then just make a hole in top for your gutter downpipe to run into. Mine was cheaper (£150 delivered with tap), from a different supplier though I can't remember who...
http://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/1000_litre_water_tanks/1200_ltr_round_water_tank
Then you use short length of hosepipe to run to your trough (nearby) for refill purposes.
Your stable gutter probably won't be high-enough that you can stand a bucket underneath the tap (tap will be too close to ground but fine for a hose).
Whatever you use, lids help stop mosquito larva, (and drowned rats/birds too)

Lekkie: solar-powered LED lights from Maplins. Solar panel goes on roof. Light screws inside to wall. Handy remote control to save you trying to find switch-in-dark. One per stable/feedshed is enough for general poopicking, grooming, feeding, etc.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/remote-control-portable-solar-light-223425

Headtorch is a must in winter. Makes life so simple. Mostly I don't bother switching lights on in winter as I have headtorch.

Emergency lekkie: eg for vet calls at night. A powerful torch/lantern that you can hang-up. Keep it at home (or in car). Keep it charged up and ready for use. Or keep a small generator at home and some plug in lights.

Energisers: depending where you live, energisers and batteries are very nickable. (I stopped using energisers after a spate of thefts round our way so my neds have all 2 acres all year round). If you go down energiser route, be prepared to watch it walk and so treat it as a consumable which you have to replace every so often. Ditto the battery. Some good starter-packs with posts and tape available. e.g..
http://shop.electricfencing.co.uk/index.php?m=shop&c=view&id=42:53:63:348

Sieve: keep a kitchen sieve alongside your trough to scoop out leaves, hay wisps and any algae floating on top surface.

Troughs: galvanised troughs are long-lasting but heavy and nick able. Black plastic loft water storage tanks are easy to lift. Both may come with extra holes where been used in lofts so buy a car-repair-fibreglass kit (epoxy resin/araldite) for about £6 from car spares shop to block up any holes with. Traditional advice is to clean out troughs weekly. In a rainwater-only situation, water is too precious to chuck away each week, so the sieve helps keep water healthy and clear for much longer. My trough is cleaned out about 3 times a year.
Old baths tend to turn the water green really really quickly. I never have a problem with water turning green in my trough but did have when I used a white enamel-steel bath. With any of these, ensure you remove or cushion (paint with an araldite cushion) any sticky-out bits so that neds don't catch themselves.

Water in icy weather: get yourself some 20 or 25 litre water containers (eg the ones used for caravanning) as when everthing's frozen in winter, you'll need to transport water to the field to top the trough up, esp as they'll be drinking lots cos they'll be eating hay.
http://www.towsure.com/product/Caravan_Waste_Container_Black_23_Litre

Wheelbarrow: a good wheelbarrow is essential (for putting those full-up water containers in) and makes life easy.
Roadplanings or crushed limestone: essential in the gateway/tie-up for grooming/feeding area, to make muddy winters do-able.

Security: smartwater and permanent-marker-pen or paint your postcode/phone onto all butts, troughs, energisers, battery, any feedbins, grooming kit, poopicking skip, wheelbarrow, even posts. Mark "this item is smart watered" too. Put the smartwater sticker onto the entrance gate. Freezemark and chip the neds. Don't leave tack in shed. Put your mobile phone number onto the entrance gate too (handy if a passer-by notices your horse is ill as they can contact you in a hurry).

And ENJOY! Having your own space is wonderful.
 
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