# freezing water



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Does sound like it would work for sure.


----------



## Breella (May 26, 2012)

You could also insulate it with some straw or hay and skip the bricks. This is what we use to make feral cat hides in winter with the cat rescue.


----------



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

be alot easier just to carry a bucket of water out


----------



## Spotted (Sep 19, 2012)

You would use alot of power heating the bricks. You would be better off to carry warm water. there are bucket insulaters now. Some sort of insulated fabric that the bucket fits right into and even has a cover for the horse to stick his nose in. I want one, just haven't bought one yet


----------



## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Breella said:


> You could also insulate it with some straw or hay and skip the bricks. *This is what we use to make feral cat hides* in winter with the cat rescue.


:lol: - there's more than one way to read that statement (don't get too upset, I am a cat lover who does rescue/foster)


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> be alot easier just to carry a bucket of water out


Lol, how long do you think a bucket of water will remain liquid in -20C weather?


----------



## Jim Andy (Jan 21, 2013)

well now it just don't get that cold here very much.As a matter of fact I'm ready for spring right now.


----------



## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

You can get solar powered stock water tanks here...

Www.ranchtanks.com

Or make a homemade version of it too. These past two weeks have been brutal up here, with temps that are way below zero, and wind chills that are ridiculous. we have a plug in coil heater in a hundred gallon stock tank for Ahab, which works well, but is costly.


----------



## DimSum (Mar 28, 2012)

themacpack said:


> :lol: - there's more than one way to read that statement (don't get too upset, I am a cat lover who does rescue/foster)


Oh I am so glad I wasn't the only one that read it that way! :lol:


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

waresbear said:


> Lol, how long do you think a bucket of water will remain liquid in -20C weather?


I give up, how long?


----------



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

probably as long as a bucket of cold water with a warm brick dropped in it.
Horses will also learn water time, just like feed time and come drink when you bring out the bucket.
Also any boyscout has enough sense not to heat wet or damp rocks and bricks. That have been immersed in water.


----------



## sillyhorses (Sep 2, 2011)

Spotted said:


> You would be better off to carry warm water.


So... I know this seems contrary to common sense, but water actually freezes faster if it is warm and put into a freezing environment. We have tried this actually... ran hot tap water (which, here is still cool enough to consider "shower water", haha)... it froze faster than the buckets with the "normal" water out of our hydrants :/






lol

In my experience (even having electricity in our barn), it is more cost effective, more environmentally friendly and less wasteful to carry water buckets out and fill tanks as needed. We check a few times a day... put a 6 gallon bucket per horse in each tank - when it freezes, we dump, refill. Because we only give 6 gallons/horse, we usually don't end up dumping too much, and no one is left thirsty  But... then again, ALL of our time is spent at the farm, so checking water tanks every two hours isn't a big deal to us...


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Less than an hour gunslinger! Joe, if I read the post correctly, a box was built & insulated and had an opening to put the heated bricks under the bucket, not in the water or touching the bucket because if you were using plastic & set the bucket directly on top, it would melt. Reminds me of a funny story from years ago, bear with me, I am becoming an old lady with many stories....I was carrying a bucket of water to the kids' pony, was around -30C. It was mild the day before so the ground was a sheet of ice. I slipped, spilled the bucket and my sweatpants froze me to the ground!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> be alot easier just to carry a bucket of water out


try carring 10 to 14 buckets out a day for a month... in 3 foot snow... below 0.. its not easier..


----------



## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

Our barn also uses soccer balls in the water buckets outside, so the horses can push it around to break the ice. They also break the ice every now and then and strain the ice out with a tennis racket.

Inside the barn, they have purchased insulated water bucket holders for a five gallon bucket holder. You can also use heated water buckets or the heating elements for the big outdoor troughs. Also, for a water supplier another barn uses a big water drum and made a box that goes over it, then they stuff it with hay/straw/rags and it keeps the water unfrozen.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Of course, if you have power, I won't bother playing around with bricks & whatnot. Flash forward to present times, I have a unfreezable water hydrant & power for a stock tank deicer, I did my dues packing buckets of water.


----------

