Water is the most essential nutrient source for all living beings. Horses prefer to have fresh, clean water available at all times. There is a variety of ways owners can offer water to their horses: buckets, troughs, automatic waterers and even natural ponds/creeks in the pasture. If you're offering your horse water via buckets, it's important to know that how you offer water to your horse can make all the difference, whether he drinks or doesn't drink.
Size of water buckets Is there such a thing as offering too much water to your horse? Well, it depends… Different variables such as the weather, location of the bucket and your horse's size can contribute to your horse’s water intake. You want to offer fresh water to your horse daily. If he's leaving an almost-full bucket each morning, it could mean he’s not drinking enough. You'll want to dump that water and refill. Smaller horses like ponies and Miniature Horses might not need a five-gallon bucket for overnight water. In this case, a two-gallon bucket will suffice. The best tip is to keep an eye on how much your horse is drinking and judge for yourself if you’re offering too much or too little.
Maybe color does matter for buckets While it can be fun to use bright colors for water buckets, consider this study from the Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences in Turkey, which says that horses prefer consuming water from lighter-toned buckets that are turquoise or light blue. So, if you see your horse isn't consuming very much water, look at the color of your bucket, and if he might prefer something lighter color.
Drinking temperature of water You wouldn't want to drink ice-cold water on a frigid day, would you? Neither would your horse. The temperature of your horse's water makes a difference in how much that horse will drink. The truth is that most horses prefer water that is between 45°F and 65°F because it’s a more natural temperature. To achieve this temperature range year-round, utilize light-colored buckets/tanks, keep buckets in the shade during the summer, and consider using heated water buckets during the winter.
Where to hang the bucket Water buckets should be hung just above your horse's chest height. This allows for a more natural head position, which should encourage more drinking. This height is also safe because there is less chance of your horse accidentally getting his foot caught in the bucket and hurting himself. If you use a hanger that is screwed into a wall, ensure that you are using sturdy beams or walls that can stand up to the weight of a full water bucket.
How to hang a bucket There is a wide variety of ways to hang a water bucket. How you choose to hang the bucket will greatly depend on the location. Using a bucket strap allows you to move the bucket from location to location and is mostly used when traveling. Metal and plastic bucket hangers are screwed into stall walls and typically are designed to prevent a horse from removing the bucket. Wall-mounted bucket hangers are screwed into walls and essentially have a ring to hug a flat-back bucket.
Keeping buckets clean You wouldn't want to drink from a dirty glass leftover from yesterday, would you? Neither would your horse. While cleaning your stalls, clean out your water bucket—dump the old water and any debris collected there. Take some extra time each week to scrub the bucket using a bucket brush. Experts also recommend regular disinfecting buckets to kill any bacteria and germs, especially if traveling or bringing in new horses (just be sure to rinse thoroughly to remove any trace of bleach).
Keeping buckets safe Buckets with handles that hook around can cause injury to your horse or can pull out his tail if it gets caught. Use some cohesive bandage or electrical tape to wrap around the hooks to prevent either of these things from happening. Also, if you use a flat-back bucket, your bucket will stay in place better against the wall, unlike a round bucket that can splash water in the stall when bumped. For multiple safety reasons, do not have your horse wear his halter in his stall. This will prevent the halter from getting caught on the bucket. Any bucket snaps or hooks should face in towards the wall and not outward, where it can potentially cause a laceration.
A well-hydrated horse is a healthy horse, so taking the time to care for their water buckets allows you to provide the best opportunities for your horse to drink.
