Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?

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Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water? Moderators: luluwhit, gotothewhip, cindyt, crossspur, ForumAdmin Jump to page :	Last activity 2014-02-08 9:51 AM 62 replies, 9707 views View previous thread :: View next thread
General Discussion -> Barrel Talk


zansbeunogal_2268 Reg. Dec 2009	Posted 2014-02-07 1:15 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Extreme Veteran Posts: 387	Really good heated watering bowls! Turn off the heat to them in the summer and they get nice cool water. 24/7! sometimes they will freeze up but im bf is an expert at fixing watering bowls!
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CYA Ranch Reg. Feb 2008	Posted 2014-02-07 1:16 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
More bootie than waist! Posts: 18425 Location: Riding Crackhead.	WYOracer - 2014-02-07 12:50 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-07 11:24 AM I also know lots of big ranches that don't have open water - the horses eat snow. It takes soooo much snow to equal what they would need in water. I understand that. I don't do it but I know many that do and don't have any problem. If I did that I'd have a dead horse. I was just saying....
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almika360 Reg. Jan 2014	Posted 2014-02-07 1:18 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Member Posts: 14	I live in Saskatchewan Canada and to be honest once it snows we stop watering and they do perfectly fine with it they eat the snow and no one loses weight or gets unhealthy. We get temperatures here of -40 celcius ( although this winter we've had it dip to -50) our horses have access to round bales all winter day and night and 3 sided shelters to stay out of the bitterly cold wind we get. My horses are all happy and healthy and they do fine on snow that's how most big farms operate up here in Canada during the winter
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SaraJean Reg. Dec 2006	Posted 2014-02-07 1:21 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Northern Chocolate Queen Posts: 16576 Location: ND	Mine have access to water all the time. When it's cold enough that I bring them in the barn at night they have water until their buckets freeze and then they're without until morning.
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ndiehl Reg. Feb 2011	Posted 2014-02-07 1:26 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Can You Hear Me Now? Location: When you hit the middle of nowhere .. Keep driving	24/7 their heated water trough is about 50 feet from their round bale. I have a heater that shuts off when the water hits a temperature and turns on just to keep everything melted. They do pick at snow too but I fill my trough up more often in the winter.
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Gunner11 Reg. Mar 2011	Posted 2014-02-07 1:28 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Cute Little Imp Posts: 2747 Location: N Texas	I don't have to deal with frozen water troughs often, so I don't have tank heaters. The past few days have been very cold, so I'll go out in the morning and break the ice off the top of their water buckets and scoop out the ice. I'll do it again at night when I feed and fill the buckets back up. This is the most often I can do that because I work during the day. So I know for sure they have access at least twice a day, but I really don't know how long it takes for ice to cover the top and keep them from drinking. I will haul warm water to them if needed, but our cold snaps are usually only a couple of days.
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cheryl makofka Reg. Jan 2011	Posted 2014-02-07 1:30 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
The Advice Guru Posts: 6419	I live in Alberta and mine have a stock tank with a heater. Mine have water whenever they want it.
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mruggles Reg. Oct 2008	Posted 2014-02-07 1:31 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Good Grief! Posts: 6343 Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta	i know plenty of ppl that have herds out pawing and no access to water just snow..they do just fine......... ours have water 24/7, we have a waterbowl and before that we had tanks with heaters(i sure dont miss rolling out the garden hose in -40).......... m
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WYOracer Reg. Feb 2012	Posted 2014-02-07 1:41 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Elite Veteran Posts: 972 Location: Texas!	CYA Ranch - 2014-02-07 12:16 PM WYOracer - 2014-02-07 12:50 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-07 11:24 AM I also know lots of big ranches that don't have open water - the horses eat snow. It takes soooo much snow to equal what they would need in water. I understand that. I don't do it but I know many that do and don't have any problem. If I did that I'd have a dead horse. I was just saying.... I wasn't accusing you I was just saying if that's all they have wowzer!
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r_beau Reg. Apr 2010	Posted 2014-02-07 1:47 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Born not Made Posts: 2937 Location: North Dakota	Mine have 24/7 access to fresh water from a heated water fountain. I want them to drink all the water they want.
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MRM27 Reg. Feb 2013	Posted 2014-02-07 1:55 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
	They have fresh clean water all the time. I pour on the salt to make sure they keep drinking. With as much hay as they eat when it's cold I want to make sure they keep drinking.
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rollingrfarm Reg. Apr 2005	Posted 2014-02-07 2:27 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
The Bird Lady Posts: 6440 Location: The end of the Earth, SE AR	Thanks, that's all very interesting. I figured that eating snow would make them cold and cause them to burn more calories. Thanks for the reminder to go get more salt... Everyone keep warm!
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docschic Reg. Dec 2003	Posted 2014-02-07 2:32 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Sideways Riding Expert Posts: 11371 Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods	Mine have a heated waterer but I did end up one winter with issues and they weathered just fine on the snow. It's not ideal but it can be done. They didn't lose any weight or anything but I was nervous as all get out. The issues have since been fixed and now they have water 24/7.
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dream_chaser Reg. Jun 2006	Posted 2014-02-07 2:33 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Chasin my Dream Posts: 13651 Location: Alberta	24/7 fresh water from waterers, water lines run 8 plus feet under ground and connect in the waterer which has a heater in it keep lines from freezing above ground.....if they are out grazing in the snow they normally don't come up to drink very often, in my observations. I guess I never second guessed how lucky my horses are to have that...
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JcNhEmI Reg. Apr 2009	Posted 2014-02-07 3:07 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Living within my means Posts: 5128 Location: Randolph, Utah	CYA Ranch - 2014-02-07 12:16 PM WYOracer - 2014-02-07 12:50 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-07 11:24 AM I also know lots of big ranches that don't have open water - the horses eat snow. It takes soooo much snow to equal what they would need in water. I understand that. I don't do it but I know many that do and don't have any problem. If I did that I'd have a dead horse. I was just saying.... I have always been told horses can eat the snow as long as they are pawing and aren't being fed hay, but they need water if they are eating hay. I've never tried it though. My horses do a lot of pawing until the snow gets hard but we always give them access to open water.
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Idaho Reg. Apr 2004	Posted 2014-02-07 3:13 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Ms. Potato Head Posts: 9162 Location: BFE, Idaho	One pen has a heater that I run a few hours a day, the other nothing, I break ice twice a day for a small water hole, then once every week break all the old ice out with a running hose and shovel and start over for the next week.
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MO gal Reg. Apr 2008	Posted 2014-02-07 3:55 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
	CYA Ranch - 2014-02-07 12:24 PM I also know lots of big ranches that don't have open water - the horses eat snow. You can actually freeze to death from melting snow with your body temp. Not sure if the extra body mass of horses make a difference, but it takes too many calories to melt the snow. Do it long enough and you've dropped your body temp too much. My FIL, surgeon, told me that when he felt I wasn't giving the horses good enough access to water and letting them eat snow. Just my informational nugget of information for the month. LOL
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redmansmyman11 Reg. Jan 2012	Posted 2014-02-07 4:08 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Expert Posts: 1482 Location: on my horse	My boy has a 25 gallon tank and I haul out a bucket of the hottest water I can get from my faucet first thing in the morning, before class, around 2, again at 5-6, and finally another set of hot water buckets around 10:30 to 11:00 when I go to bed. I scoop out 1-2 buckets of the ice and frozen water and replace with the hot. Figure he's the only one I have with me now and he's 50 feet from my back door it won't kill me to make sure he has water 85% of the day/night.
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lucky2 Reg. Oct 2008	Posted 2014-02-07 4:09 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Extreme Veteran Posts: 350	My horses have their water buckets down in an insulator type thing and when it was 20 to 30 below outside i was hauling warm water to them....they LOVE it and it keeps them drinking SO much better. Mine dont like to drink the extremely cold water and when it gets that cold they will darn near stop drinking .... yes its a pain to haul hot water but its alot easier than dealing with a colic. SO i do it...lol I cant imagine depending on snow for hydration just sounds really risky to me but whatever works.
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Skeetersmom Reg. Jun 2012	Posted 2014-02-07 4:20 PM Subject: RE: Question for folks in the Frozen North, how often do you horses have access to water?
Veteran Posts: 151	I have the 16 gallon water buckets too. I can see the steam rising from them when it's frigid. I cannot believe how much MORE water my horses are drinking then when it's 100 degrees out. It baffles me! I am filling buckets much more often than in the summer...strange! I swear one of my horses is part camel. He drinks so much, and has a frozen pee lake in the middle of his pen -lol!
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