Conference noted::equitation

    I had an automatic, heated trough.  Personally, I did not like it.
    For one, you can't monitor the horse's water intake.  Also, it was
    a pain in the *** to clean.  I had to dissemble it and drain it from 
    underneath.  I used to clean it once a week, which must not have 
    been enough because the water was black (from decayed hay).  Maybe
    there are better models.  Anyway, I junked it.  I now have a regular
    trough with a portable heater.  I rarely fill it all the way - just
    enough to last a couple of days.  Then I dump out the dregs and
    refill.  The water stays real clean that way.
    
    The only drawback to this, is that in the winter I have to make
    sure I drain all of the water out of the hose after I fill the
    tank - a minor irritant.

    I used to board at a barn that used automatic waterers (individual
    ones for each paddock, not one big trough).  It takes the horses
    a few days to figure out how to use it, and once they do, they
    like to play with it.  They will sometimes keep playing with
    it enough for the water to spill out over the edge and create
    a nice mud puddle under the waterer.  The cup type waterers get
    real dirty from horses putting their noses in there so much.
    Personally I prefer the large watering troughs or individual buckets.

    I used a Ritchie automatic waterer (float type) in my turn-out area for
    15 years.  I really liked it. 
    
    During hot weather, the horses have fresh, cool water after a few
    swallows.  (Have you ever really looked at and/or felt a large water
    trough when its 100 degrees outside?) 
    
    During COLD weather, I turned the thermostat up to 50 degrees and the
    horses had tepid water to drink--which encourages them to drink even
    when the temperature is a -25 degrees.  I had no impaction problems
    after I upped the temperature.  (Would you like to drink only ice
    water when its really cold out?)
    
    The drain was handy for cleaning the water basin--I could easily
    clean it during cold or hot weather.  I cleaned it once a week during
    the winter and every day or every other day in the summer.  (Sometimes
    water on some farms contains a type of brown algae which can be
    fatal if ingested in sufficient quantities.)
    
    I was able to monitor water usage by supplying water buckets in
    stalls at night.  I would not use waterer's unless I could have
    a way of monitoring how much the horses are drinking.  (I have heard
    horror stories of horses for some reason or other locked in stalls
    and not able to get to their water.)
    
    

    When I lived in Mass. the place I boarded my horse had some of the
    stalls equipped with automatic (not heated) waterers.  My horse
    occupied one of those stalls and learned in a matter of minutes
    how to operate it.  Some of the other stalls that did not have
    automatic waterers in them were usually used to board lay-ups from
    the track - trotters, pacers, turf runners.  Those horses were only
    used to drinking from water buckets from being at tracks so rather
    than waste the owner's time in trying to teach them to use them,
    she merely kept them in "bucket" stalls.
    
    The owner had installed a heated automatic waterer for her own
    Thoroughbred mare to use.  She said she liked it and, of course,
    she cleaned any debris like grain or hay that might get into any
    of the waterers or buckets each day.  
    
    Where I board now, they have all buckets but in the summertime usually
    two waterbuckets per stall is used if the horse is known to be a
    big water consumer.  My horse consumes more due to the heat in the
    summer as most horses do so I think she needs the two buckets. 
    The buckets are usually checked a few times a day in between feedings
    to make sure they have plenty.
    
    I still wish my mare had an automatic waterer in her stall but at
    least she has the two buckets.  Oh, by the way, she is not one of
    those horses that plays with her water.  I saw a Standardbred gelding
    at that place in Mass. I boarded at who used to play with the water
    in his bucket all the time and have more of it on the floor of his
    stall than he'd drink.
    
    

    
      Does anyone use a heated outdoor water tank?  (not automatic)
    I want to get one of those Rubbermaid 150 gal tanks and a heating unit
    for outside, as my shoulders can't take the constant lifting and
    carrying of the water needed to refill the outdoor water supply.
    
    How do you get it set up safely for the electricity?

    Have an outlet set up close enough to the tank so that you can plug the
    heater cord directly into the outlet - the manufacturers recommend
    against using an extension cord.  Since most heaters are 1500 watts (some
    are 1000 watts), you'll need a 15 amp breaker or fuse for the heater
    line.  That's really all there is to it.  By the way, the floating-type
    heaters are not for use in the Rubbermaid tubs - you need the
    submersible ones.  Also, the heaters come with a guard around the lower
    part of the cord, usually plastic.  Honest, they aren't chew-proof!  My
    gelding chewed through it; fortunately, we caught it before he chewed
    through the wire itself.  I got flexible metal conduit and put the cord
    inside it for further protection.  You probably won't need to do this,
    but keep it in mind if you have a "mouthy" gelding.

    I am pretty paranoid about electricity around horses. Horses can and do
    chew anything and everything that they can get their teeth on. So, I
    would put the heater's cord in metal conduit even if I didn't have a
    known chewer. One of them will probably chew on it eventually! Or maybe
    next year you'll buy your "dream horse" whose only bad habit is chewing...
    
    Because this is going to be used 24 hours-a-day for extended periods
    without human supervision, I'd be extra careful about preventing
    shocks in rainy weather. A properly installed outdoor outlet will be
    pretty safe WHEN THE COVER IS CLOSED(i.e. when it is not in use)! When
    they are in use, the cover on an outdoor outlet is open and, therefore,
    it will be exposed to the wet weather. ALL the outdoor outlet covers
    that I've ever seen say something like "Suitable for wet locations when 
    the cover is closed."
    
    By properly installed, I mean that 1) the underground wires are the 
    direct burial type and/or are installed in conduit, 2) the wiring box
    that contains the outlet and the cover for the box/outlet are waterproof 
    and approved for outdoor use in wet locations 3) the underground wires are 
    brought up from the ground into the box inside conduit with a
    waterproof connector(or else the box won't be waterproof!).
    
    To reduce the chance of the box shorting out in rainy weather, I'd make
    sure it faced AWAY from the direction the wind usually blows and place
    it in a little open fronted box about 6"-8" deep to keep the plug-outlet
    connection as dry as possible when it rains.
    
    BTW, you should also unplug and check your tank heater regularly. Inspect 
    it for cracks in the heating element, etc. A faulty heater would give the 
    horses quite a jolt when they went for a drink! Cracks can develop in 
    heating elements beacuse the repeated heating/cooling causes metal fatigue 
    or some such thing.
    
    
    Good luck with your project
    John

    We have used one in the past in a one of the large metal water
    troughs...used it through the winter for about four years.  Haven't
    used it in the rubbermaid.  The outlet was close, about 2 feet away. 
    If I remember correctly we didn't have any chewing problems and one of
    the boys was a mischief maker.
    
    Be sure you get the right heater for the amount of water that you have
    in it. 
    
    Good luck
    
    Kathie
    

    Lynne,
    
    IF you decide against an electric setup, or until you get one, here's
    something that might work.  I have one of those Rubbermaid tubs you
    mention.  WHat I do is to fill it with the garden hose, then disconnect
    the hose and either drain it or bring it inside.  So far this season,
    I've been able to just break the ice on the tub, and the thaws have
    been frequent enough so that I can refill it every few days.  I filled
    it again yesterday, after breaking several inches of ice out of it. 
    Even if there aren't enough convenient thaws, you can keep filling it
    to replace what your horses drink.  Each morning, I bring a small
    sledgehammer out with me to break the ice.  When you break it, remove
    the floating pieces, since they will freeze together fairly quickly.
    YOu can refill the tub with a hose even if it's below freezing; you
    just have to bring in the hose or drain it.   I used this method for
    years when I lived down your way.  It's a little harder up here in
    northern Mass, since it's definitely colder at night here in general,
    but it still works wellenough to get by.  I've only had one night when
    I had to put water in the stalls -- a few nights ago when it was near
    zero.  Even that froze, of course, but I start out with warm water on
    those nights and this gives the horses a chance to drink most of it
    before it freezes.
    
    Gee, I hate winter!
    
    -ellie