Water, water everywhere...rant!

[Box_Of_Frogs]

The field where my horse is at the moment - along with 6 other horses - has a huge water trough that all us DIY liveries need to keep filled. We have a load of water containers that are an easy size to carry, and I guess each horse would drink about 2 of them per day during dry weather. So for 7 horses, you need to put in 14 containers of water EVERY DAY just to maintain the same level in the trough. ALL liveries should be putting in AT LEAST the amount their horse drinks EVERY DAY or, if they don't come up every day (???) then they should put enough in for however many days they won't be up. But see if you can guess what's happening??? Yup, the mug (ME) who constantly checks on this (after all, water is an essential to life) and despairs at how low the water has got, is doing 95% of the filling and carrying and emptying! Any ideas for prodding the culprits into getting off their bums and pulling their weight without damaging a happy yard through outright confrontation????

 

[Ravenwood]

Can you put a polite notice in the tack room saying "have you remembered to top up the water?"

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

It's the usual story, the more you do, the more people take advantage of you. There shouldn't really be any confrontation, just tell them that they need to remember to top up the trough, it's heavy work & alot for one person to do on their own.

 

[kizzywiz]

You definately need to remind them, can you set up a rota with set days so people won't forget, or, if you are allowed, fence off part of the field for yourself with your own trough, that's what I've done, problem solved!!

 

[merlinsquest]

Is it too far away to put a hosepipe along the fenceline and just top it up every few days???

You could all chip in and get a really long one

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

If there is a building in the field, could you (well, not just you obviously!) run a gutter and a down pipe straight into the trough! We have no water at our yard, but with a variety of holding tanks, troughs, gutters etc we've only run out twice in 18 months, and that's watering four horses and about 60 chickens. If your holding tank is big enough, it does work.

Or all chip in and buy a bowser which can be filled once a week and towed back to the field?

 

[Cop-Pop]

This happened to me at my old yard until I put my back out one day. Most people don't mean to be lazy they just forget so a polite reminder or if you are at the yard at the same time ask them to help you with the buckets.