With winter approaching quickly, it’s time to start considering how you plan to keep your animals’ water supply from freezing this winter. Dehydration can be a serious problem in the winter. Hay has less water than grass, which significantly decreases your animals’ total water consumption. Here are a few ways you can keep a clear water source this winter.
Insulated Buckets
Insulated buckets are a good option, though they can be a bit pricey. They can cost anywhere from $75 and higher for just one 5-gallon bucket. They also don’t need electricity, so you’ll be saving on the electric bill.
Electric Bucket Warmer
Again, this can be a bit of a pricier option, with each individual warmer costing more than $80. Then you also have to pay the electricity for each one. They will also stop working in the event of a power outage.
Horse Toys
If you only have a thin layer of ice to worry about, you can place a half-inflated horse ball in a trough. As the ball moves around, it will dislodge ice, and your horse will quickly learn that moving the ball will grant it access to water.
A Cooler
An insulated cooler can be used as a trough if you remove the lid. You will have to prime it with hot water to warm the insulation, and then it should keep the water warm enough to avoid freezing.
Automatic Watering Units
These units generally require large numbers of animals using them to prevent freezing. Some units are available with built in heating components or other ways to keep the water from freezing.
The Bar-Bar-A is an automatic watering unit that doesn’t require any animals drinking from it to keep it from freezing. The mechanical, non-electrical automatic waterer drains the water back into the ground when the animal is done drinking, leaving an empty bowl. The water remains warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and doesn’t leave standing water around to cultivate bacteria.
Contact The Horse Drinker to ensure that your horse will have access to clean, warm water all winter, without you having to worry about it freezing and leaving your horse dehydrated.
Patrick feely says
What is the best way to train mini horses and goats to use the waterer. They will come up to it but not press the paddle. Would putting a tiny bit of peanut butter on the paddle work?
David Anderson says
Make sure you remove all water sources or some animals will not be enticed by the drinker. If they are not drinking you can put some oats in the bottom of the bowl and bring them over and let them know there are oats there. They will smell the oats and try to reach the bottom of the bowl for them and inadvertently push the paddle down and start the water coming up. This is very effective for the few animals that may have trouble. Thanks.
Marilyn Schurg says
December 29, 2018
Water is being splashed over the back/top of my unit by the horses drinking, causing the unit to freeze and the water continues to run. The temperature here is about 2 degrees at times.
I have tried using Vaseline. What can I do to correct this?.
Thank you
Marilyn
David Anderson says
Thank you for your note. We have a guard that can be placed on the unit to solve this situation. Please call our tech number at 801-502-8922 for help on this. Thanks.
Louise Klopp says
Just curious if the solution offered worked. I have similar problems.
David Anderson says
Thanks for your note. I believe you will find this will work well for you. Thanks. Bar-Bar-A
Sara says
They don’t answer and it’s a generic message, not a company voicemail. Customer service has been a bit tough with this company. We can’t seem to get a response. We did once but it took days, and they passed us off to a guy in their warehouse, he wasn’t much help. We no longer recommend these waterers.
David Anderson says
We would be happy to help you with your situation. There could be a number of things that could be the problem. We do not have a warehouse person that handles trouble shooting. The warehouse people do not have any expertise to help anyone so I am not sure where that one is coming from . We have dedicated person that handles trouble shooting. His personal cell phone is 801-502-8922. Thanks for your feed back.