With winter on its way...

[ShelleyS]

Any ideas on how to keep water from freezing when there is no electrical outlet near the barn for an electric de-icer to float in the water. I'd think they'd make solar power or battery powered one's but I've not found any doing searches on the Net. Any of you that don't have electric near... what do you do/use?

Thanks! Shelley

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

There is a solar powered unit the place is based out of UT i think let me see if I can find the link

ahh here ya go I know some from the fourm have used them with great success I plan on getting at least one when I can swing it..

solar water units

 

[tuffsmom]

It doesn't freeze very hard here very often, so we just throw tennis balls in the water when it does freeze. It gives the horses a nice toy, and keeps the water from freezing over.

 

[littlehorse2]

It doesn't freeze very hard here very often, so we just throw tennis balls in the water when it does freeze. It gives the horses a nice toy, and keeps the water from freezing over.

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I've never heard of using tennis balls. Aren't you afraid of the horse choking on them?

Chisty

 

[tuffsmom]

Well, I have thought about it, but they just nose them around. We did have one old gelding that liked to chew and lick the fuzz off of them, so we threw an old kickball in there, which he loved. As long as there's something moving around in that water, it's not going to freeze over. (that's what we've found anyway)

Also, I think it would be difficult for a horse to swallow one whole. Horses grind up their food, and I don't think they'd want to chomp on a tennis ball.

 

[Jill]

Keep in mind that just because it's not cold enough to freeze the water, the water may still be too cold for some horses to drink, and if they do not drink enough, they can colic.

 

[tuffsmom]

Mind you that these are "big horses", that are old and gentle, and are not standing around bored in a stall. As long as they have something to do, they're not going to try and eat balls.

 

[Minimor]

Well, it would take more than a ball to keep our water tubs open through our winters!

We water 2x a day in the winter--since our horses don't like to drink cold (or even cool) water in the winter, we take warm water from the house. They'll drink more that way, and winter colics have never been an issue for us.

 

[shminifancier]

Just one mention about those Solar water tanks that are on that add.. These are Really Solar Collectors..They do ot have Solar panels to convert Sunlight into electricity to Heat the water The way they Heat is Collect Sunlight through clear plastic Window and the Heavy Rubber tub inside "Collects" That Heat...So how about on the several cloudy days of not much at all in the way of Heat from the Sun I am just not sure how very much these will heat the water enough to keep it from freezing....

I know their is Propane Water Heaters for water stock tanks My friends have one of those in Iowa,,Works great they say....Just have a LP tank next to the Water tank and the Heater is then in the tank and heats the water Not hot just enough to keep it from freezing I guess...

 

[choklitbean]

Just as something that happened to us once...

We had an electric water heater for the goats. Everything was great and then one day we noticed the goats had started to sneak up on it, dip their lips for a quick sip but then leave without really drinking. We cleaned it (shoved our hands into the water and scrubbed it) and checked it all out and everything seemed right but still they wouldn't drink. I don't remember why but for some reason my brother touched the surface with only his fingertips and that's when he could he feel the tingle of the electric current. As soon as he reached in further he couldn't feel it anymore.

Just thought I'd share.

 

[m2d]

The way they Heat is Collect Sunlight through clear plastic Window and the Heavy Rubber tub inside "Collects" That Heat...So how about on the several cloudy days of not much at all in the way of Heat from the Sun I am just not sure how very much these will heat the water enough to keep it from freezing....

We have them and we are in western Wyoming, we have 40 below temps. and a lot of cloudy days.They work wonderful. The ones from Amesco.

Dorothy

 

[Frankie]

Some of us are in the same boat for a numbr of reasons. I have horses that will not drink water from a heated bucket. I think it's the smell.

Others will not drink it cold. So we do it the old fashion way. Track our rears out in the freezing cold carrying buckets of hot water.

Keep my food strainer hanging in the barn to get the chunks of ice out first.

I have used tennis balls to keep from freezing as well. But a little hint, buy the balls made especially for dogs. Real tennis balls have added chemicals for the color and seams, the tennis balls in the dog section do not.

 

[tuffsmom]

hmm...I did not know that about the dog balls. Thanks for the info!