Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I love the email name, "Icy Pony"  sounds like that it is appropriate for where you live.  As for the water troughs.....you and this story is why I won't use a tank heater.  Of course living in the South, I only have to break ice maybe 12 times all winter.  But I am scared of the heaters.  I know that people in cold climates have to have something to help them.  Looks like the other people have offered some good ideas of putting feed in the trough.   I don't know of anything you could try.  Sorry about ordeal, but at least the horses are physically OK, but may be scared a bit mentally.

 

Jody in 50 degree weather and sunny!!!

IcyPony@xxxxxxx wrote:

About 6 weeks ago my tank heater shorted out and shocked my 7 horses. The tank heater had only been plugged in for about 2-3 hours that day. I have always kept my tank heater plugged into a GFI outlet and the water tank is attached to a grounding rod. It turned out my GFI outlet was not working so it didn't trip. The grounding rod probably kept my horses from being electrocuted. It was 4 days before I realized my horses were not drinking. Since then I have tried everything I can think of to get them to drink out of the water tank again. I normally have a large metal tank that serves 2 pastures.  I removed the metal tank, put in 2 Rubbermaid tanks, I have moved the horses to different pens with different tanks, I have tried floating carrots and apples in the water, I even put peppermint extract in the water because I heard horses like peppermint, but I can only get 3 horses to drink out of the water tanks. The other 4 will only drink out of buckets. I have tried to take the buckets away and the horses start eating snow which will not provide them enough water. I can't keep hauling buckets of water all winter. The buckets freeze quickly and the horses don't have free access to water. I'm afraid they will colic. Does anyone have any ideas?

Mary

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