# Automatic Waterers



## JJackson (Aug 10, 2010)

Do any of you use automatic waterers? If so, are they worth the extra money?


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## Skutterbotch (Dec 1, 2009)

We've got 'em at the barn. LOVE them. I would say they are worth it. Although they can break if your horse likes to play in their water, and it's going to still need a quick scrub once a week to keep the grime away.


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## orangetictac (Nov 4, 2008)

For a super easy keeper I love them, but generally I prefer buckets.  I like to be able to see how much each individual horse is drinking daily.


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## Seifur (Apr 24, 2010)

We've had those things for 9 years at my stable and yes, I would say they are worth the extra money. My ponies have never broken them or anything.


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## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

I personally prefer buckets so that I can monitor my horse's water intake. I could see how they would be beneficial if you owned a large boarding board, or something similar.


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## BigGreyHorse (Sep 28, 2009)

We saw a significant water savings when we went from rubbermaid tubs to automatic waterers. In the summer, they definitely need scrubbing every 2 or 3 days. Our yellow Ritchie seems to be worse for algae than the darker grey Behlen. The other nice thing is everytime it refills the water is cool.


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

I agree with those the prefer buckets. Its more work... sure. BUT... I can tell how much my horse is drinking. It has saved me a lot of issues. So to me the extra work is worth it.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I have a waterer in the pasture and love it. Before that I had a trough and the water always seemed stagnent and it was a pain to fill and keep clean. They didn't drink as much of hot stagnant water. Yoiu can get a meter to see how much they are drinking. I use Nelson waterers and if installed properly they are pretty reliable. Had 1 overflow in 9 yrs. and never froze at 30 below
For stalls I don't mind buckets and use a heated busket in the winter so no ice to break.


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## Regan7312 (Jul 5, 2010)

we have one in the mares pasture at the barn i ride at and its great..the geldings though will tear it up lol


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_We never used them so that we could check to see how much water the horses were actually drinking. _


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

My horses won't drink out of them. Buckets only for my guys. Actually, we junked the buckets long ago and now used over sized trash cans. People look at me like I'm nuts. My water bins are huge compared to all my dinky, pint sized horses.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

yes they are !!! and i see my horses drink all the time so i dont worry about water intake...


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## AfterParty (Jun 4, 2010)

We have automatic waterers and they are awesome but just make sure each horse is actually using them. Some of them are a little scared !


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Saves a ton of labor. Horses always have fresh water.

For those of you worried about how much the horse drinks so you will only use buckets - how would you 'make' them drink more? If a horse is ill and won't drink - bucket or not - you can't make them. I would certainly hope you know a horse or watch the horses close enough to see if they are not themselves.


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## mvinotime (Mar 5, 2010)

Yes we use only automatic waterers and they are wonderful! Always fresh and cool water for them and none of our horses batted an eye when we switched to them. They take literally 15 seconds to clean out and I definetely think they are worth it.


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## MuleWrangler (Dec 15, 2009)

I have used tank auto waterers and the small auto waterers and love them both. I like the small ones because the water doesn't sit in them like a tank,and it's always fresh, but I like the tanks because I always worry that something will happen to the small one and they won't get any water. So I usually use one of each.


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## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

mls said:


> Saves a ton of labor. Horses always have fresh water.
> 
> For those of you worried about how much the horse drinks so you will only use buckets - how would you 'make' them drink more? If a horse is ill and won't drink - bucket or not - you can't make them. I would certainly hope you know a horse or watch the horses close enough to see if they are not themselves.


For the most part, it's not about making them drink - it's about monitoring their intake. That way you'll know if your horse suddenly stops drinking.

With my old horse, we had automatic waterers but we turned it off and gave him a bucket with water and a juice box's amount of apple juice because he would not drink at first. He was very sensitive and upon moving him we had to transition him slowly (using buckets and apple juice) into using the water from the new barn or else he'd refuse to drink it. A few months before this he had colic at a show which we later figured out was caused exactly by this. From them on, it was buckets and apple juice until he got used to the taste of the new barn's water. I am sure he would have eventually gotten used to the automatic waterers but we didn't end up keeping him there that long.


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

It isn't about making them drink. It's about knowing exactly how much they've had to drink in a 24 hour period of time. I can tell you exactly how much each one of my horses drinks on average in a day and if they are drinking a fair bit less you keep a closer eye on them. Just like if the one got the runs. I know my horse's personalities well and can tell when they aren't feeling well, but incase the vet is needed I'd like to be able to tell him what they've eaten, how much they've had to drink and what their stools look like.

Call me crazy. I probably am.


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

I think it might be worth it if you had a large barn with a lot of horses as far as saving money and labour, but I don't know that I would be completely comfortable with them. They are not used too much in my area, and the barns that do have them, the system doesn't work (too old? Not maintained?) and there are buckets in the stalls anyway. 
I personally would want the heads up of an untouched bucket of water that something may be wrong with my horse, not wait until symptoms get bad enough to manifest in other ways. No, you can't make him drink, but you would know to keep a closer eye on the horse, and be prepared to use other methods to encourage him to drink sooner (ie apple juice in the water, or electrolytes).


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

I have wateres and they are great however in winter check them everyday as the pipes can freeze and then burst and your horse will have no water at all.
also dont position them under trees as in autunm all the leaves will fall in and contaminate them.

also the area around a water through gets quite cut up and your horse can enfd up with mud fever if he is stsanding in the muck to long. O and dont put them in a corner either as ifa fight were to btreak out the pony at the bottom of the pecking order could end up trapped with nowhere to go


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