Water Bucket Heaters for Winter?

[Chromelotus]

Can anyone point me in the direction of safe water heaters specifically made for horse buckets in winter to prevent icing or extreme chilling? I've googled it and found many in the USA, typically, but NOT ONE in the UK! :cool:

How do you prevent icing in water buckets? Are there any tricks? Thinking ahead for winter.....

[becs]

Interested to se what replies you get!

When we installed troughs in our fields, we wrapped the final part of the supply pipe with insulation lagging. But the troughs still freeze on the surface occasionally.

Though the ponies seem to be pretty good at bashing holes with noses & hooves - when I go to chuck the ice out, there's often a hole or two!

[poohsmate]

i live up in the cotswolds and the horses buckets are frozen quite often in the stables but not hard enough to prevent the horses from breaking the ice to drink..
The troughs in fields are a different matter have to go around them in mornings during frosty weather breaking the ice with bricks i have placed at every trough:D i usually take out the larger pieces at the same time.:D

[Jessey]

I think in places like Canada which get extreamly cold they use bucket heaters, but I have never seen them here.
The old trick was to float a ball in the water, that stops it from freezing right over so makes it easier to brake and remove, I have hardly ever seen buckets freeze in the stable. Our troughs freeze almost daily in winter but the horses will smash thin ice and I check every morning and brake and remove and ice.

[Mehitabel]

what situation are you talking about? in the stable, if you have them in the bed, nearer the back of the stable than the front, and with the bedding piled up a bit round them, or even just on rubber mats, they freeze much less.

we break the ice in the field troughs whenever anyone goes through the field, but as said above, they've generally done it themselves and there are two or three nose-sized holes.

our pipes are insulated to the taps, but we wrap towels round the taps themselves.

[pinkangel]

putting a cheap football in the trough will stop it freezing, the sort that u have on the beach, light and full of air.

[Chromelotus]

I have heard about floating balls to disturb the surface and stop freezing! What size balls would you say? Tennis balls? I bet my ponies would start playing catch with them though!

Here is what the USA has to offer:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/20-quart-heated-flat-back-bucket/p/X1-2806/cn/1816/

Why do they have so many cool gadgets over there?

I'm wondering about pouring a kettle or two of boiling water into water buckets resulting in very slightly luke warm water that will take longer to freeze.

[Tots N Dots]

I found that the horses would break the ice on the outside trough before I got to do it? as for buckets in the stable I get 3 big tuff tubs and place each one inside the other it seems to act as insulation

[Chromelotus]

Thanks for the advise.

[artemis]

The buckets in my stables regularly freeze in winter. That is despite rubber matting. I usually put hot water in night & morning.

I often have to give up on the field troughs & just put a bucket out & check it regularly.