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Trough

2K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  tim62988 
#1 ·
I was at the hardware store searching the isles trying to figure out a trough, just for now. I was planning to insulate something better when the ground is thawed. A very nice lady helped me with the de-icer, she said I use this one. so I asked what kind of trough do u have ? She uses an old freezer. Brilliant lol insulated large, has a drain. Is this common ? any one here use a freezer ? or an old fridge would also work ? How do you get the freon gas out ?
 
#2 ·
Can't say I've ever heard of that though the concept is interesting.

I would like a nice trough with a de-icer for winter. What we do now is simply pull out the troughs and use the regular buckets x however many we feel like. When it gets really cold we cut back to simply one per stall (in the stall as opposed to the usual outside) and we break and refill (hot water) as necessary. Also got one of these: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/smartpak-insulated-water-bucket-cover-11423. My mother was mad "stop wasting money" then used it and said "ok get 3 more" lol!

The barn I board at has heated buckets and when they stop working they cut off the cord and use as an insulated regular bucket (and those hold more too).

One of the places I worked with separate turnout instead of scrubbing/filling tubs a few times a week simply did water daily- fill with hot water 1/2 (or even 1/4) full then dump when the horses come in. Extra time to fill but simple.
 
#3 ·
A freezer I suppose would work, however it would take forever to fill up and it's rather on the tall side especially if you had a pony. Best is a large rubber trough, it has a spot for the de-icer and a drain as well. Don't get the metal trough, darn thing can freeze and split.
 
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#4 ·
A freezer I suppose would work, however it would take forever to fill up and it's rather on the tall side especially if you had a pony. Best is a large rubber trough, it has a spot for the de-icer and a drain as well. Don't get the metal trough, darn thing can freeze and split.
This! 100 gallon Rubbermaid tank along with a heater that fits into the drain plug makes winter water woes mostly go away (you still need to make sure your hydrant is the frost free type and drain the water hose so it doesn't freeze up). You can catch the tanks on sale at Tractor Supply for right around 60 bucks and the heaters are about $35. Not a big cost in the scheme of things and much, much cheaper than treatment for impaction colic from not drinking enough water.​
 
#6 ·
Big downside of a freezer or such is draining the thing to scrub it out occasionally....
Be very heavy and awkward to flip....
If you installed a drain plug that though would "fix" the issue of freon gas as it won't hold any anymore...

I see old bathtubs used often for horses for water ....
Build a frame and insulate under and around it....
If electricity is available close by I would just use a tank de-icer myself...

I second a rubber tank though over metal....
My horse occasionally likes a "foot bath" and he so far has not dented, torn the trough nor himself playing "spa date"...:icon_rolleyes:

:runninghorse2:....
 
#7 ·
Depends on how many horses you have, but even though the freezer is a good idea, I don't think a fridge would work as well. Also, if you don't have a lot of horses, you will have to dump out the water and scrub it and that's a hassle. Maybe a small freezer? Or a very large insulated cooler?

I only have two horses, so I went with a smallish Rubbermaid trough that is only big enough to hold water for 24 hours or so. That way, I can easily dump out the water, rinse and add new water daily. When the water started to freeze, it was easy to turn it upside down and pop the ice out of it. I meant to insulate it, but my horses use their stalls as run-ins (I have dutch doors that stay open all day) and when it got cold enough for the water outside to freeze, they started just coming in to drink from their heated buckets. Much easier to just keep those full so I stopped using the water trough outside. If I didn't have that setup, I would, however, insulate it and use a de-icer.
 
#8 ·
I got both my 100 gal rubbermade troughs for about 55 a piece.... I got lucky. A friend works at TSC and during that big employee sale they had, he got them for me. I'm really happy with them. We use a caged API heater in each one, and so far, so good. :) They're light enough that when they get low you can tip them over for a nice scrub (cheap toilet brush from the dollar store does the trick!)

We set up some fittings for them, so the drain plugs can be converted to accept a hose to use to easily fill by cutting on the water. For winter, we have one inside the barn, since we don't have indoor plumbing at the place we are currently renting, so my father built a sturdy frame, and we have one elevated with a caged API heater, with a lid, to fill our indoor buckets with. So far this system has worked flawlessly. :)
 
#9 · (Edited)
I live in Northern BC Canada, her reason for using the freezer is because its insulated holds heat better, your not always using power to keep it from freezing. I was planning on burying it into the ground about half way. she also said she uses apple cider vinegar to keep the water neutral ? any one herd of this ? as far as cleaning (buckets or a syphon hose work fine) I'm not worried about the cleaning.
 
#10 ·
TSC has "40" gallon troughs. Metal. But they are NOT all exactly the same, so they nestle inside the other. It would be very easy to find one larger and then one smaller that fits inside with a couple inches of space around the sides. Cut and fit 2in foam board on the bottom. Then stuff the sides with foam, board, spray or shredded, w/e, and seal the top so water doesn't get in between. Spray foam would be best at the top to seal and insulate.



I have a 100g metal trough, it's tall, the minis can reach down even when it's only half full. I scoop out water once it gets to half empty or so, flip it to dump it out when I've taken out enough water to push it over. They have the sealed hole for a heater or drain to go into, but I have no way of cutting it out, so I don't bother.


Or you can buy the soft rubber bins, 1ft tall by about 2ft wide, round. Easy to flip and break the ice out. If your winter isn't bad, you can leave them out where they get full sun and it will thaw quickly.

I carry 6gal of HOT water to top off frozen troughs, running back and forth many times until each is full and thawed out.

I've seen the freezer or fridge used for feed storage, but not water. But seen bathtubs as troughs. Don't see why it won't work, but the joints of it will fail over time from repeated shoving and tilting it to drain it.

You can google DIY solar trough heater and get tons of ideas.
 
#11 ·
My main field has an automatic waterer, with lines deep in the ground, and a heat tape. It stays open even in temps of minus 40 C
For the corral, which I use in late fall, I have a steel water tank, designed for just one or two horses. When I had broodmares in the field that had no water line, I used a large steel trough version. I heated both of those, as needed, with a floating water heater

These floating heaters work well. I always kept a spare, so I could de minerlize one, while the other was working

https://www.ufa.com/products/Livestock+Livestock-Equipment+Waterers-and-Feeders/floating-heater-1
these are the troughs-come in various sizes

https://www.ufa.com/products/Livest...terers-and-Feeders/oval-stock-watering-tank-1
 
#12 ·
we just use a muck bucket with a submersible heater for 2 horses, easy to clean out that way. the only time I think it froze was -36 but horses were in the barn that night

i remember growing up one of the barns my sisters boarded at used an old porcelain bathtub, i've seen them around a few different places come to think of it
 
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