Yearling = Water buckets = FUN!!

charliesarmy

charliesarmy

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He has developed a habit of picking up and chucking his water bucket everywhere :( he has a big trug which he can easily play with when full :( now not had a water player for a while but when I was a kid :rolleyes: my pony had to have hers in a tyre but that was cause she kicked it over! He picks his up flings it about and kicks the livin hell out of it :( any one have any ideas!! his winter bed is going down in the next few weeks and although he's on pellet I dont want him feeling the need to add his own water :rolleyes::D
 
If it were me, i would attach a tie ring in a corner low down on the wall, then tie a small piece of baler twine between that and the bucket handle. I imagine the bucket will give a little with it being rubber, and stop it from snapping the string. He would really have to pull to snap it.

The 'professional' solution i have seen to this is a similar set up but with a solid plastic bucket, with a handle and a clip. But i don't think i like having a fairly unsafe looking clip purposely near a horses mouth and face, especially when they like to stick their noses places they shouldn't. At least a piece of string will snap if needs be (or rubber bucket handle) under pressure, and has nothing sharp or likely to get caught.
 
When my yearlings were foals water buckets were a no, no, always kicked over, beds sopping, so got rubber tubs and wedged them into tyres - bingo, no more swimming pool. I have no doubt I will have to do the same when I bring them in for the winter, one of them especially loves to kick her buckets over. I wouldn't entertain handles on buckets or any baler twine hanging buckets with yearlings, that's just me though.
 
Get one of those strong D shaped buckets made by/for Stubbs about a tenner, not one with squidgy sides. Also get a plate hook which screws into the wall with a spring hook attatched to it. Make sure the hook clip is facing the wall so that the smooth rounded side is against the horse. Screw into the wall just out from the corner or not far from the door at chest height but not next to the manger otherwise he'll take great fun in dunking everything in it as well. Don't screw it any lower than that, you don't want him striking out at it and getting a foot stuck, likewise the bucket shouldn't be higher than his chest height for ease of drinking.
I had these for my youngsters, they were a Godsend and I still use them if the drinkers get frozen at any time because even though they're older now, they still like to play football with water buckets!
http://www.saddlery.biz/stable-equi...ets/spring-hook-on-wall-plate-galvanised.html

ETA: I've had these in the stables for 20 years now and have never had a problem with even foals getting caught up on them; mine are just off a corner so that the bucket is snug against both sides of the corner if that makes sense and the top of the buckets are at my waist height which makes topping them up easy too, any higher and it would get tipped over you!
 
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Yes try the flat backed buckets that you clip to the wall.

Aren't yearlings fun!- mine doesn't send his water flying, but his "party trick" is that he likes to dip his toes in his water bucket and then you hear all the water splish-sploshing about! ... argh!... but he's enjoying himself so who am I to stop his fun!
 
Install/move to a yard with automatic waterers?

... the buckets that you clip to the wall sounds less drastic!
 
Thank you for your sound advise guys :) Maesfen I have a couple of those buckets knocking about never knew the clip things exsisted!! defo gonna get some inplace! :)
 
Naturally said:
Install/move to a yard with automatic waterers?

... the buckets that you clip to the wall sounds less drastic!
Click to expand...

LOL yep probably a bit drastic! He has a auto water that had to be turned off as no matter how full it was he had to empty it :( anyhow as he gets older let him try and convince me he's doesnt like puddles,water jumps....:rolleyes::D
 
flying solo said:
I used to use a big 80L black bin (the one's used to store feed) 3/4 fill it and I doubt it should move :D
Click to expand...

Try telling that to Freddy. Tried that, he ended up worrying it like a bone and dragging it all across the box with water slopping everywhere. Once it was empty enough he picked it up and chucked it.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Found a clip for the wall bucket and no more trouble at all.
Tip: If you can, have it in the corner so that they can't get to the side of it and swing it on the hook; I've seen that happen if it's in the middle of the wall! I swear they do it just to wind us up.:D

Robinsons/Derby House have the clips if they're local to you and if it's into wood, then 1 1/2"/2" screws will be fine. Will need a drill and rawlplugs if into blocks.
 
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I have used the wall buckets in the past, but in current stable, as haybar was already in, no real suitable corner to put it. I resorted to 70 litre tub trug which most of the time stopped him.

Stinky is now six and I still have to have tub trugs, even in the field as anything solid is upended and used to stand on and drummed with the feet. Thank goodness he only now does it in the field and touch wood not done it in the stable since a two year old, and when away is good as I do use a regular bucket in the show stables.
 
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