Automatic Water Drinkers

[Maria]

Hi

I bought an extra large water drinker for Carrie's stable earlier this year. At first she used it no problems, but now she appears to be ignoring it. Any ideas to encourage her to use it again - don't fancy a winter of carting buckets to her stable.

Maria

[ros]

Hi Maria

I've never used an automatic drinker - are they easy to clean out? And is there any way the water might be stale? If it's all nice and clean it may just be that Carrie doesn't feel the need to drink very much at the moment - it would depend what grazing she has, what feed she gets and so on. I know our lot sometimes don't touch their water at all overnight if there's plenty of nice juicy grass about in spring, even if they're still on hay. Other times they'll drink gallons!

But how can you tell with an automatic drinker whether she's actually drinking or not? Is there a way, or is it just observation? Must be difficult.

[Miriam]

Ros


We have automatic drinkers in our stables and the only way you can tell if a horse is drinking is either by observation or being close to the stable and hearing it fill up. If your water is swtiched off then of course it will not refill and you will notice.

[PaulandRuth]

Ros & Miriam

I looked at fitting auto drinkers for my horses and in order to establish just how much water they drank would suggest finding a water meter that can be plumbed in to the system.
That way you can establish just how much they drink.
Haven't got round to fitting yet ,but is one of those projects will do at some time.

Good Luck

[Miriam]

Have not heard of a water meter where would I get one?

[Wally]

I simply use ballcock drinkers, if you're that eager to know how much water they drink, tie the ballcockup and you'll see!

The vast majority of ours live out and I havn't a clue as to their water intake.

[JumperGirl]

If you are afraid of her not drinking, at the barn I ride at they have a blue salt block in each paddock and stall, because it encourages them to drink water, and they also add a little loose salt to their feed for them to drink. This is what I was told lately.

[Dizzy]

The year before last (Breeze wintered out last year) I became suspicious that she wasn't using the auto-fill in her stable as every morning she took a huge drink from the field trough. I put a bucket in her stable each night and she drained it. Can only think the pipes the water travelled down flavoured the water as the scoopy/trough was cleaned every day.

I do prefer using a bucket - its easy to rinse and water supply is only a few yards away (except when its frozen). For when its freezing I have a couple of plastic containers which I fill at home each night and take up in the car.

Lesley

[Wally]

I don't like the shallow bowl type drinkers, they make a heck of a noise (some of them) and the horse cannot take a long draught from the bowl. I like a deep trough that is supplied by ballcock. This way you dont have to carry buckets but the horse has a good 16 litre trough to go at.

We have them built into our stable block and byre.

[Dizzy]

It is the shallow bowl type thats in Breeze's box,and yes it does make a noise as it fills - never dawned on me that that could be the reason she doesn't like it. Have to apologise now for calling her 'little miss fussy knickers'!

Lesley

[Miriam]

The shallow bowls are also the ones we use in our stables bar one which has the big trough. Do not know why. Thye do make a noise which is how I know when Rhi has a drink as she usually has one before I leave. They do not bother her or any of the other horses.

[Dizzy]

Out of 5 horses, there's Breeze and Tim (a TB) who don't like them, both are a bit fussy especailly over feed, up until this year Breeze wouldn't touch any type of ready mixed feed - would only eat sugar beet/oats mixed with Alpha A. I'm on my first bag of Dodson & Horrel cool mix which she now wolfs down, I've wasted 2 or 3 other bags of feed because she just wouldn't entertain them. She very rarely cleans up her hay when she's in over night - she lived out last winter rugged, was hayed each end of the day and that too was wolfed down.

Though she hates the cold and wet I think she hates being stabled even more. Don't know whether its taste or noise with the auto fill, but its another item added to her list of fads. Think I was right in the first place - she's just a fussy knickers!

Lesley

[Miriam]

Dizzy

You think Breeze is a fussy eater. When I first bought Rhi she would eat anything that was put in front of her. I recently bought a bag of 'Happy Hoof' and the first lot she ate happily. The second lot she refused until I put Pony Nuts in for her. I now have a bin full of 'Happy Hoof' which I especially bought to help control her weight for laminitis and now we have to feed something else. My friend gave her horse the 'Happy Hoof' and she refused it. Recently a horse which is on grass livery hurt itself in the field badly enough to have to be brought into a stable. She was put on bute and as her owners are away out farmer asked if he could borrow some feed. Tried on the 'Happy Hoof' she redused it and refused it also with the pony nuts. Borrowed a handful of course mix and she wolfed the feed down.

Having said that Rhi is coming in hungry now and is eating both 'Happy Hoof' and nuts with pleasure so I am going to try and wean her off the nuts and see if I can get her to eat just the 'Happy Hoof'. Another horse on our yard eats it and loves it.

[lamprellsarah]

Some horses are fussy about what they drink out of, my friends horse would not drink out of those small buckets and would often throw them about, and would be really thirsty when put in the field, i lent her my big bucket, and her pony loved it, she won't drink out of anything esle.
she also has a favourite bucket that he perfers to eat out of!!