# Waterer Woes



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I would say swap the rubber hose for metal pipes. 

I hate automatic waterera because one of the first signs of a horse being off colour is a change in the amount of water he drinks.


----------



## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

Maybe (?) you can put electricity on it for awhile (of course do disconnect it from the drinking bowl during that time) ??


----------



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Is there enough play in the hose to secure it to the wall of the stall? I'm picturing using some pipe strap every so often so that he can't get ahold of the hose. This link shows what pipe strap is and you can cut it to the length you need.

https://www.amazon.com/Mintcraft-TW...9EXM?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1


----------



## Feathers7 (Jun 11, 2019)

If not electricity, you mentioned maybe a wooden enclosure for the hose? You can paint that with a stop-chew substance, either commercial or natural. You can also give him some toys for his stall, like the hanging apple-flavored licks or a jolly ball.

https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/horses/stop-your-horse-from-chewing-wood/

As an aside, be aware that constant wood chewing can be an issue of boredum, but can also be a mineral imbalance problem - particularly phosphorus, calcium or magnesium. If you're talking about Dodge, you've explained that he struggles with thrush. Thrush is a symptom of mineral balance, among other factors. You might want to look into that. How much iron is in his diet? Too much iron or manganese can block the uptake of other trace minerals along the concentration gradient of the gut. It also happens when the horse needs more fiber in his diet (my horse once decided to rear up like a brontosaurus just to eat a tree limb...) Does your horse have a consistent supply of grass hay to munch on? Just food for thought.


----------



## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Maybe plumb it in 3/8 or 1/2 inch soft copper tubing? Easy, relatively inexpensive, and the supplies should be readily available at a Home Depot or Ace Hardware.


----------



## Filou (Jan 16, 2014)

@Foxhunter,
I'm not sure what you mean about the horse being off color because of the water he is drinking? Are you referencing his attitude or behavior? If so, this isn't a new behavior, he's been doing this for years. Or are you saying that it's not possible to monitor the quantity of water he is drinking? He is a bit of a ham, so if he's feeling good, or bad, it's very easy to tell with Mr. Drama. 
@JCnGrace
I think if we secure it down with a pipe strap he will still chew and try to pull on the rubber hose. I think it would need to be completely covered for him to not play with it. 
@Feathers7
I think we will go with the wood enclosure as it seems to be what the BM thought best. I can't give him certain toys because he will eat them. I have to ask people to stop giving him cones and jolly balls because he eats pieces off of them. Not just chewing, but he ingests it. I don't want to give him too much lick-it type stuff as it has a lot of sugar in it. He does have one toy, the Amazing Graze that he can't destroy and gives him entertainment for a short while. His diet is good. He gets fed a low starch grass hay 3x a day, but the quantity needs to be restricted or he will easily become over weight. We can't feed him with a hay net anymore because he will destroy it and they only allow one type at the barn. 
@george the mule
I think that's a great idea I will look into it!


----------



## therhondamarie (Sep 18, 2019)

It sounds like he is bored in the stall and has become destructive as a result. How long is he stalled?

And @Foxhunter I agree about the water, but fortunately at the barn I'm currently at the auto waterers log how many gallons go through so we can still monitor their water intake. It's amazing.


----------



## Queenofsomethinghopefully (Aug 31, 2018)

Is he bored? As well as protecting the waterer with some of the lovely suggestions above it might be a good idea to give him something he _can_ destroy and play with. My horse has destroyed a few whips, lead ropes, gates, buckets, and also a water heater due to her boredom. Regular exercise and turnout with other horses helped a lot, in addition to a couple toys inside her paddock to occupy her.


----------



## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

If water consumption needs to be monitored, you might try something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Save-a-Drop-...ocphy=9028762&hvtargid=pla-684815394232&psc=1
I have used something similar to check for leaks in an underground sprinkler system. It was considerably more expensive back then.


----------



## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

What about filling hay nets with feed straw? It is much lower in calories and might help reduce his boredom. 

Some horses (geldings usually) seem to be excessively mouthy, sort of like a person that constantly chews gum. 

IMO none of those "chew stop" products work. I have always rubbed stuff I didn't want chewed with Ivory soap. They get that in their mouth one time and NEVER forget the experience! Just the smell of it will keep them away


----------



## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Can you give him a hose to play with?
My younger gelding loved to mess with the garden hose, so I gave him one. Stopped him from messing with the other one.


----------

