Water Shocking Horses?

I carry buckets...from the house. HOPEFULLY, THIS YEAR, DH and I build a heated building over the well, which is 20 feet from the barn. I try to make the best of it, and tell myself that it's my winter workout routine.

Oh, wow, Corporal, that is quite a work out! And rubber buckets can't crack, right? Because I had a plastic one crack in the bottom last year when the water froze.

FOR THE RECORD, I left rubber feeding buckets outside for YEARS before they developed cracks. I was REALLY abusive to them. =b It isn't impossible for these to crack, but it probably won't happen over one winter season. When they do get a crack, you can reuse them for feeding hay/grain in a stall, or for other animals.
I carry the water in those big, hardware store, plastic buckets bc they are lightweight. I hang them upside on the 3 wooden posts that keep you from backing into my barn, so they drain and don't crack from any ice. When we had a bad cold snap last week, I drew extra water the night before, stored them in my grain room, which is the warming room in my barn, and I only had a skim of ice, whereas the chicken's little rubber water bowl (outside) had 3 inches of ice. (I rotate THEIR 2, small rubber water bowls, too.)

I have the same heater. I don't like it very much, but I use it sometimes. I have a 30 (maybe 35 gallon?) rubbermaid trough that I use in the winter. Luckily our temps don't get into freezing too often. I turn it on in the morning when I get out of bed, and by the time I leave for work (about an hour later) I unplug it. It thaws it out nicely.

The one I prefer is this:
http://www.callisters.com/assets/ima...s/15dp_api.jpg

Again, I only have to plug in at night, and it's been a week since freezing temps, but I like that one, because the horses cannot move it, and it's fixed, so the risk of it melting my trough (100 gallon) is next to impossible.

You can test for stray voltage a few ways, your hand being easiest. Or you can use a D.V.O.M (digital volt ohm meter) one lead in the water and the other on the ground. They are super sensitive so be sure you know how to read it. In a side note, we once had a metal stock tank that got kicked into the electric fence and was shocking the horses. Just a thought.
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I have never used that model, but I have always used a stock tank de-icer as it can to -40C at times. Never had one give a shock yet & I have been using de-icers for decades. I find they burn out before they short out, especially when some horses (who shall remain nameless), wing them out of the trough & play with them. The best one I have tried, sorry don't know the brand I bought it at the local hardware store, is small submersible one that looks like a lifesaver, I have that one for about 5 years now and it's been played with a few times & still works great.

Why don't you get a bigger tank, and dig out a footing for it about a foot or so down into the ground? Inside this 'footprint' use a post hole digger and sink 2 or 3 very deep holes, maybe 2 or 3 feet straight down into the ground.
This will help prevent freezing using geothermal heat from the Earth itself. Just a little work and no electricity!

Farm Innovators Multi-Use Utility Deicer, 250 Watt - 2170738 | Tractor Supply Company

We have something that looks similar but has a cover over it, and have never had problems.

I would be guessing stray voltage, but I hate braking ice because I don't know how long the horse has been out of water if you're breaking ice every day.

As far as the "don't attatch to an extension cord" make sure it's a 12/3 or a 10/3 cord and you will be fine, most people just buy cheap extension cords and drawing the amount of juice that a heater will will actually overload the cheap extension cord and create a fire hazard

I use the 16 gal. Heated water bucket (Tractor Supply) and I wouldn't sell it for a Million $!!! - I haul 5 gal. Buckets of water using a Jet Sled from the spigot behind the house to fill. I have it sitting on a wood pallet right up to the fence by the pasture gate, and a 100' heavy duty cord running down to the polebarn and plugged in. By Nov. Around here, there is no chipping ice anymore, as one can watch the ice form right after chipping! This is my 2nd harsh winter of use with it, and it's 'tried and true' - I can highly recommend! :)

Agree with above poster on not buying a cheap extension cord - worth every penny!

I never have had a problem with horses getting shocked from the de-icer. The one that I have says that you must use it with a rubber container and not metal.

One advantage to heating the water is that they drink more and are therefore less apt to colic. It has been so warm this winter that I haven't needed it.

If your heater is shocking the horses, it is defective. I would take it back and get a replacement.