Automatic Horse Waterer Suggestions

[EddieWalker]

We've been looking at ways to water the horses and was wondering if we could get some advice from those with experience with them. There is a pond available for them, so the only time they would actually need the waterer would be when the pond is frozen over. That only happens a few times a year and it never lasts all day.

We just want to have fresh clean water available to them at the barn. I have city water run to the barn, so the plumbing will be simple.

We've gone from thinking a big metal tank, to maybe something a lot smaller that fills up more often as they drink the water.

Where did you get yours and what do you like about it?

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[rustyshakelford]

We used metal tanks and had a thing from the hardware store that had a float in it. When the water level dropped it would fill it back up. Worked fine. Try to keep it away from them if possible, they might like playing with it.

Brett

 

[lostcreekranch]

Eddie;

We installed units similar to below picture in the stalls of our 4 stall horse barn. There is a float valve behind the rear panel to keep them full and they work very well.



For the water tanks in pastures, we have water valves in each tank to keep them filled similar to below.



Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[zzvyb6]

My horse water supplies are just 150 gallon Rubbermaid troughs. Easy to clean and maintain and fill from nearby hydrants. Easily shared by several horses if properly positioned and placed near a hydrant. N

In my view, the daily checking of water level and quality (birds may visit it facing backwards) is part of the checking on welfare of the horses for skin, eye, coat , tail, fly and hoof conditions. If the water is too close to the hay feeders, there will be hay chew in there that leads to algae in the water. The Rubbermaids are easily cleaned of lime/calcium and other goop weekly with toilet bowl cleaner and a good rinse.

People with the automatic waterers tend to presume everything is automatic, smooth and effortless. They forget that a daily walk around to check the horses, feeders, fences and gates is recommended practice for good horsemanship. Keeps the Vet away, too.

It took a lot of experience episodes to arrive at my daily inspection routine. Made me a better horseman and my horses better around people. They are creatures of habit, too !

 

[kidr]

Good advice but if the pond is frozen , he'll also need a heater to keep the waterers free of ice. I just use 20 gal heated buckets and fill manually. I like to monitor my horses water consumption and other stuff as mentioned by zzyb6.

 

[vulcancowboy]

Not sure what your budget is, but for years Nelson waterers have been considered the Cadillac. We have one in a pasture, it is heated and they are very easy to clean. Mostly stainless steel. We also have a larger unit that we got from TSC. It is installed on a fence line, so it serves two pastures. Nice unit with heat, harder to clean than the Nelson and mostly a plastic/composite material. Happy with both of them.

 

[sseelhoff]

Eddie;

We installed units similar to below picture in the stalls of our 4 stall horse barn. There is a float valve behind the rear panel just keep them full and they work very well.

View attachment 404066

For the water tanks in pastures, we have water valves in each tank to keep them filled similar to below.

View attachment 404067

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

We used the top one of these in a barn years ago. Our experience was that if it's cold enough to freeze a pond, it's cold enough to freeze the waterer. We just use buckets now.

 

[mikim]

I want to get one of those top ones for dogs and maybe someday goats....but TSC only has plastic ones....need to keep looking for the galv. ones. I had one years ago for dogs and it worked great.

 

[oosik]

When I had a horse, I cut a center section out of a 55 gal plastic drum and laid it in a cradle made from pallets. The horse used it when the lake was frozen. Cheap, easy to clean and if it completely froze over it wouldn't crack or break. The horse liked to pull on the cord to the floating trough heater. I would go out daily with a 5 gal bucket of warm water.

 

[WM75Guy]

We like to monitor how much they drink. We have a 150 gallon Rubbermaid in each turnout and 5 gallon buckets on hangers in the stalls as ours get put up at night or during bad weather. They like to rinse their mouths out so cleaning the stall buckets is a daily job. They get bleached on the weekends. The large ones get scrubbed as they get low as algae will grow in them as well as the grain seems to ferment.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you. One of our concerns is what happens to water if it sits too long. Our thought was that if they had a small waterer, they would be drinking all of what's in there and fresh water would be replacing the old water. We didn't think about them adding food to it when they drink. With the pond in the pasture, I don't think it's possible to monitor their water usage. They are used to drinking from a pond right now, so it's likely that's what they will do no matter what we get.

Reading the reviews on Amazon, the Little Giant one looks like it might be a good one. Any thoughts?

Amazon.com : Little Giant Duramate Automatic Waterer, Green : Livestock Watering Equipment : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[kidr]

Thank you. One of our concerns is what happens to water if it sits too long. Our thought was that if they had a small waterer, they would be drinking all of what's in there and fresh water would be replacing the old water. We didn't think about them adding food to it when they drink. With the pond in the pasture, I don't think it's possible to monitor their water usage. They are used to drinking from a pond right now, so it's likely that's what they will do no matter what we get.

Reading the reviews on Amazon, the Little Giant one looks like it might be a good one. Any thoughts?

Amazon.com : Little Giant Duramate Automatic Waterer, Green : Livestock Watering Equipment : Patio, Lawn & Garden



Thank you,
Eddie

That one will freeze.....Heres a freeze proof with no electric, and horses can't play in it. Its for the pasture. I think that's what you originally wanted ,right? Bar-Bar-A

 

[RickB]

Buy a Nelson if possible. Not sure about Texas, but in NY a frostproof waterer without an energy source will become a bad joke most times. The less animals drinking, the sooner the fun starts.

 

[EddieWalker]

I found some reviews on that Little Giant waterer and it turns out there is no way to drain it, and to clean it you have to take it all apart.

Eddie

 

[DennisArrow]

For us, and we have 3 of them the Jug Water System is just what one needs for livestock waterers...........We did the heated buckets, breaking ice, and the little Giant stuff. All had their problems. For us, and I surely do not know everything; but they are freeze-proof without power here in Georgia, clean and fresh, and automatic. Easy to clean perhaps once a year or less, and trouble free......:

The JUG Waterer - Clean Fresh Water Always

They work for us............God bless.........Dennis

 

[mjw357]

We have had one of these with absolutely no problems for about 6 years.

Miraco E-Fount 3330-E - Miraco

 

[Trillium Farm]

Gone thru a lot of them and the only ones that work and don't break down are the Nelsons.
Your horses will prefer them to the pond as the water smells clean and fresh. they come heated or not get the heated ones

 

[whistlepig]

We have had a Nelson for many years now. It has a small removable bowl about the size of a dog food dish that takes about 5 minutes to clean every day.

 

[Threepoint]

Eddie, +1 on the Nelson waterers. I prefer the 24"-tall, free-standing pedestal model. You can locate it in the post-and-board fence line if you wish, to serve two paddocks at once. Very reliable, easy to check at a glance daily or every other day, and it takes 15 seconds to clean the stainless bowl. I've been to many, many horse farms and barns over the years, and the Nelsons are highly regarded.

BTW, I would think very long before planning on the horses drinking from your pond. High likelihood that you'll be looking at an awful muddy mess around the perimeter. Horse are real hard on wet ground, and they like mud. Show me a muddy horse and I'll show you a happy horse.

 

[tcreeley]

I like galvanized stock tanks. With two horses we fill it weekly with a hose- year round - 5x2x2 oval. Tank heater in the winter and in the summer it is always a good temp. You can also have a hose attached to a float to keep it filled. Except for cleaning (tip it on its side and rub it down with handfuls of dry weeds and rinse out) it is maintenance free. Our's has been in steady daily use for 28 years.
Stock Tank, Water Tank, Galvanized Stock Tank | Agri Supply, 29074, Stock Tanks