Rain water....

[rebmw]

Just wondered if anyone uses rainwater as drinking water for their horse?
My friend has a couple of extra large water butts that she uses to collect rainwater from the stable roof to give to her horses, to reduce costs as she's on a water meter.
Anyone else do this? I'm not sure if it's a good substitute for fresh, clean tap water myself....

 

[Enfys]

What sort of chemicals does tap water have in it?

Personally, I'd drink rain water any day over treated tap water. If the butts and guttering are cleaned now and then they'll be fine.

One disadvantage to relying on rainwater as a supply is that it isn't always guaranteed, even in the UK! The way to test it is to give the horses the choice, bucket of tap water v bucket of rainwater.
I had a very irregular supply in my field on the mountain, so water troughs were positioned under downpipes on run in sheds. It never killed any of my horses.
I was at a livery yard for years where we had NO mains water, we drew all water from the river, nothing died there either.
I now live in an area where there are NO mains at all, my water comes from a well, that well water is good old rain, it hasn't killed us yet. Household water by law has to run through a filtration unit, but the barn water doesn't.

 

[millitiger]

rain water is fine to give to horses- we do it at our yard with no ill affects at all

 

[beckieswann]

Most horses prefer water that's a little "dirty" than fresh clean tap water. We use the water off the roofs as well, and top the large containers up if they need to using tap water. Never had any problems!

 

[vhf]

In the 9 years I've been where I am, my current mare is the only one who has ever prefered the tap water; broodmares, youngstock, ridden ones, visiting equines, all drink the rainwater given the choice.
But then, my girl'd also prefer it if I held it up at just the right height in a gold-lined bucket...

 

[Goya]

If you think about it, field troughs must get rainwater in surely, so horses must already drink it?

 

[SpruceRI]

Mine prefer water out the butt, especially when it's a bit brown!!

I put a bit of mesh across the top to stop the leaves and bugs falling in as it turns slimey quicker, but apart from that, only clean the butt out a couple of times a year