Rainwater - my attempt to be green

[jumpthemoon]

Does anyone know if it is safe to use rainwater collected and stored in a covered container for horses drinking water? If not, is there anything you can do to make it safe?

 

[xxcharlottexx]

cant see why it wouldnt be safe as long as the container is clean and doesnt contain any types of chemicals
Will stand to be corrected if im wrong though!

 

[pixie]

Er, we did, when we lived on our smallholding. If you think about it, the troughs are going to get filled up with rainwater when it rains

We had a big concrete container down by the barns. Water was taken off a couple of inches below the top (any debris should fall down to sit on the bottom). Obviously you need to check regularly for animals/plant debris falling inside and try to keep it as clean as possible.
All of our household water was either rainwater or borehole water; collected and stored in a big concrete pool, and it was filtered as it came out. When we had a drought we used the (non-chlorinated) swimmingpool water - it was basically just a great big water reserve

The water was absolutely gorgeous. Soft, fresh and slightly sweet

 

[jumpthemoon]

[ QUOTE ]
If you think about it, the troughs are going to get filled up with rainwater when it rains

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what I thought - she regularly wanders over to the rainwater tub and drinks out of it when I bring her in, before I can drag her off it (it's ok she does have water in the field- she just seems to like it) so if I clean it out and get a cover for it and check it for dead things etc, it should save my Dad on his water rates (that will please him!)

 

[Tia]

It's very common for people over here to give rainwater to their horses. Many people have huge water bowsers that fill up from the roofs of their barns and they give it to their animals. Some people put chlorine in it to kill off any bugs and others just feed it straight from the container.

 

[jumpthemoon]

Brilliant - it seems daft to use the hosepipe when I have a huge rainwater collecting tub right next to it! Especially with all the rain we are having at the minute lol

 

[vhf]

Ours chose the rainwater on a taste test - we even have a "dirty water" tank, and they prefer that over all else, grubby lot, drag you there for a drink if they think they can get away with it.
You can get it tested, but I don't think it's that cheap.
The way I look at it, if you had a stream you wouldn't stop them using it. (well, at the moment, you'd have a job avoiding it...)

 

[pottamus]

All my horses water comes from rain water...I have water butts with lids on attached to my stable guttering. You need the lid on though or it will stagnate.

 

[Blizzard]

My horse always drinks out of the big overflow barrel things at the end of the stable block, because they are very tall and the perfect height for him, doesnt do him any harm and its all rainwater from the gutters.

 

[claire1976]

I don't have running water in our field so rely on a natural spring and rain water. In fact, ours turn their noses up at tap water now and it has a distinct bleachy smell compared to rain water.
We collect water from the stable roof via guttering into large water butts and use a stone trough, which is a natural filter, in the field.