Waterbuckets freezing over

Nope sorry, filled horse's up this morning, checked it at lunchtime, frozen solid again!! in the space of 3 hours...

S'pose its got something to do with the fact it was -12 at the yard today :eek:

You could try wrapping it in something, but I suspect it will freeze anyway :(
 
I'm boiling kettle after kettle at the mo and making the water buckets nice and warm ( ish ) and the horses are liking it and drinking as soon as iv tipped the hot water in and I see it a way to keep them drinking. As for freezeing over I haven't had that prob so maying the hot water is helping that
 
Apart from just constantly breaking it, no I'm afraid =[

I upturn a broom to smash the ice, one quick smash. However, remember to give it a shake first - I didn't, and ended up with poo EVERYWHERE!
 
Try an apple or some pieces of cauliflower/ broccoli in it to keep the ice from freezing over completely. Or a rubber ball if you dare risk it, I personally wouldn't as it would drive mine mad 'til they got it.
FDC
 
I've been putting a plastic milk container filled with hot water in the bucket which has made a difference, I'm only getting a very thin layer of ice instead of frozen solid and my horse is definitely able to drink more.
 
Get wet shavings (as in wet with wee) and pack them around the bucket then put clean shavings over the wet ones so there is a layer of dirty and a layer of wet. So far mine haven't frozen whereas everyone else up there have been taking the hammer to their buckets :)
 
I put mine on the muckheap last night in an effort to stop it freezing but it was still one big ice cube this morning :( It did drop to -16C last night tho :eek: :eek: :eek:

I can sometimes keep the pony's water reasonably ice free by sweeping her muck into the corner and putting the buckets on top but it doesn't always work tho the layer of ice seems to be thinner. Can't do it with the horse coz she tips the bucket up. YO has a go at me saying its not nice for the pony to drink water on top of muck but at least shes got water and as she drinks it Im not too worried :)
 
Once you have broken the ice it helps if you use a plastic kitchen sieve to scope out the ice pieces. Although this won't stop it re-freezing, it will take longer to re-freeze over.
 
I stuff bedding around ours, only thin ice (easily breakable with a nose!) this morning despite it being super cold last night.
 
I have been more or less burying a trug of water in deep straw and this seems to help.

however, today I am armed with masses of bubblewrap that I've nicked from work and I am going to line a trug with this, then pop in another trug on top so the bubblewrap is acting as a liner, then put it all back into the straw which I will pack around to the top.

I've also bought a small chip frying basket to hook out the ice chips when they do form, it only cost £1!

I am officially declairing war on the cold!

Let's hope the temptation to pop the bubblewrap doesn't get the better of me between here and the yard:rolleyes:
 
Amos said:
Once you have broken the ice it helps if you use a plastic kitchen sieve to scope out the ice pieces. Although this won't stop it re-freezing, it will take longer to re-freeze over.
Click to expand...

Oh a sieve theres an idea - I go for a bang it with a massive block of york stone for 10 mins then dish out the bits with my already frozen hands method - works a treat. I've earned my chillblains :-)
 
Ladylina83 said:
Oh a sieve theres an idea - I go for a bang it with a massive block of york stone for 10 mins then dish out the bits with my already frozen hands method - works a treat. I've earned my chillblains :-)
Click to expand...

You don't use your hands - sieves have handles or do you mean thats what you normally do? i was told using your hands causes arthitus (sp?).

I had to snap out of a "moment" this am when I imagined the piles of broken ice having gin poured over them! sad but true.
 
Last edited:
Amos said:
You don't use your hands - sieves have handles or do you mean thats what you normally do? i was told using your hands causes arthitus (sp?).

I had to snap out of a "moment" this am when I imagined the piles of broken ice having gin poured over them! sad but true.
Click to expand...

Yes sorry i usually just use my hands - at the moment the ice is that thick I'm not sure I could get a sieve in through the muzzle sized hole although I will pick up a cheap one when I do the big shop tomorrow !
 
I haven't tried it personally, but I have heard that newspaper is a good insulator for around, and underneath water buckets.
 
Amos said:
You don't use your hands - sieves have handles or do you mean thats what you normally do? i was told using your hands causes arthitus (sp?).
.
Click to expand...

Nope, dosent cause arthritis :) Arthritis is usually age related :)
but it can cause frostnip leading to frostbite if done too often buy a good pair of waterproof gloves :)
 
Thanks guys there's lots of good ideas to try out on here. Someone at my yard suggested tennis balls so have put two in each water bucket. Couldn't find an empty plastic bottle yest morning to fill it with hot water but have one now so will try that. Will also pack wet and clean shavings around it!
 
only_me said:
Nope, dosent cause arthritis :) Arthritis is usually age related :)
but it can cause frostnip leading to frostbite if done too often buy a good pair of waterproof gloves :)
Click to expand...

Writing as a chronic arthritis sufferer I will underline that the cold, work, riding, colour of the sky, rain etc., will not CAUSE arthritis but it may accentuate anyone disposed towards it. It is a congenital disease - not necessarily associated with age as many children develop it - no one quite knows what causes it but it is a change in the auto-immune system which starts to attack one's own body instead of defending it - hence the painful swellings.

Your auto-immune system has been evolving for about two million years while we've been definable as human though all animals have something similar - if anyone thinks you can change that system by dipping you hands in freezing water - they should try using their heads!

Back on thread - insulation is the key, I always deep littered on woodchips for my big mare in winter - at least a foot thick and this rarely froze. Luckily she was a tidy sort and would poo and pee in virtually the same place so well I often joke that she was house-trained! This made it easier for me to place one bucket in the floor; however; as she always had two - the one in the ring always froze if she didn't drink it first.
 
I have a vested interest in this post as I sell a product that gets horses drinking immediately which takes away the worry of water buckets and troughs freezing over, especially when you are not there, as, when you put my product into your horse's water bucket, you will see your horse drink the whole bucket down right in front of you. I am giving my horse 2 buckets a day in this cold snap. She loves it, plus I know she has had a decent amount of fluid go down the hatch, and therefore if her buckets freeze over (which they are doing day and night currently, I worry less, especially about impaction colic. It is a god-send and a lot cheaper than a vet bill!
 
Lucinda said:
I have a vested interest in this post as I sell a product that gets horses drinking immediately which takes away the worry of water buckets and troughs freezing over, especially when you are not there, as, when you put my product into your horse's water bucket, you will see your horse drink the whole bucket down right in front of you. I am giving my horse 2 buckets a day in this cold snap. She loves it, plus I know she has had a decent amount of fluid go down the hatch, and therefore if her buckets freeze over (which they are doing day and night currently, I worry less, especially about impaction colic. It is a god-send and a lot cheaper than a vet bill!
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:

Advertising, however subtle a form, is not permitted on this forum.

Dingle12, I don't know anything about Lucinda's product, but would ask you to think carefully and preferably consult your vet before using anything which encourages horses to down buckets of water at a time, particularly if on a regular basis or when the water is cold. I would rather battle the ice and have my horse take small amounts of cold water in than a great big amount at once, which can cause colic and digestive problems, since the bacteria they need to ferment their food is just as sensitive to drowning in too much water, as they are to dying of thirst, so to speak.
 
Last edited:
I know that putting you hands in cold water doesn't cause arthitus - its just something that we end up saying if we see someone doing it. Hope I haven't caused offence by saying it - particularly to Istclassalan who has to suffer with such a horrendous condition. :o
 
Naturally said:
:rolleyes:

Advertising, however subtle a form, is not permitted on this forum.

Dingle12, I don't know anything about Lucinda's product, but would ask you to think carefully and preferably consult your vet before using anything which encourages horses to down buckets of water at a time, particularly if on a regular basis or when the water is cold. I would rather battle the ice and have my horse take small amounts of cold water in than a great big amount at once, which can cause colic and digestive problems, since the bacteria they need to ferment their food is just as sensitive to drowning in too much water, as they are to dying of thirst, so to speak.
Click to expand...

Im not one for letting horses drink loads of water either and yes i am struggling with ice just like everyone else ;)
 
i put apple juice in the water and pop shavings around the bucket, we have had -15 at the yard and no frozen buckets.
 
Thank you so much your raising your concerns, I appreciate it.

I would just like to re-assure everyone that I have vets using my product in their practices and selling my product to their clients for issues such as dehydration and impaction colic. I have their testimonials and the veterinary list of users on my website. It is a godsend in this weather and I post regular feedback from clients on my Facebook page as well as their testimonials on my website. I also have equine hospitals using my product to prevent the bunging effect caused by surgery and for liver complications and grass sickness cases, for instance, basically in any situation whereby you need to get a horse to drink. I also have rehabilitation yards using my product daily to prevent impaction colic.

Moreover, you are in charge of the bucket of water. You are holding it in front of your horse, so you can decide how much you want to let them drink at any one given time. You can offer it to your horse in warm or cold water, whatever suits you best.

The equine stomach holds three to four gallons of water, which is as much as a very thirsty horse can drink at a single time. Whatsmore water from the stomach empties very quickly into the small intestine.

Thank you for making these excellent points and I hope the above puts people's minds at rest.
 
Last edited:
I got fed up yesterday after spending 1/2 an hour wrestling to break 2 solid dustbins of ice, so I tried a half bale feeder - one of the big round ones - tied the half to the fence and then lined with straw, I used the little straw bales so the slices were the perfect thickness, they went on the bottom and then put the 2 bins on top and stuffed straw all the way round each bin right to the top, then filled them up, and this morning there was only a very thin layer of ice compared to completely solid!!:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top