Winter Water Supply Ideas for Your Charlottesville Horse Farm

Winter water supply ideas for your Charlottesville horse farm.

Now is a great time to evaluate your Charlottesville horse farm’s watering system for your horses and check how it will work for you and your horses this coming winter, before the ground becomes too frozen to dig or make any changes.

Here are a few tips on how to set up your water supply for your horses this winter:

1. Insulate pipes and faucets with insulation materials or heat tape.

   Horses drink 8-12 gallons of water a day at a temperature of about 45 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If the water is too cold, horses will drink less. Horses cannot get enough hydration by eating snow. Decreased water intake could lead to colic so make sure your horses drink the right amount of water by avoiding frozen or cold water supply. Your local hardware store will have what you need to insulate your pipes and faucets. If you are using a hose, make sure to drain it every night so it will not freeze.

2. Get a stock tank heater or heated stall bucket.

   If your Charlottesville horse farm’s water supply is near an electric outlet, you can consider getting a stock tank heater or heated stall bucket. Other options are heated much buckets which you can find at your local horse feed store. Don’t use an electric heater with a plastic tank. It can be a hazard to your horses who might attempt to go bobbing for tank heaters.

3. Get an insulated bucket with a lid.

   If you do not have access to electricity near your water supply, a non-electrical option would be to use an insulated bucket with a lid. However, you would have to fill it up daily with a hose. Horses can learn to push the lid to get a drink on their own.

4. Heated automatic watering system.

   You can also use heated automatic waterers for your Charlottesville equestrian property. This is a rather expensive option that required more labor to be properly installed, but has a huge pay-off in terms of chore efficiency and the assurance that your horses have a steady supply of fresh clean water available during winter. Automatic watering systems also conserve water since they only use the amount of water that a horse drinks. Since the water coming from an automatic watering system is not stagnant, you could also avoid mosquitoes from breeding  in your horses’ water supply.

Choose from any of these ways to ensure that your horses in your Charlottesville horse farm have an adequate supply of fresh water that is not frozen this winter. For more tips about caring for your horse farm, visit www.jumpintogreenerpastures.com

If you need help in buying or selling Charlottesville horse farms, call me, Pam Dent, at 434 960-0161. As a native of Charlottesville VA who is both an expert in horses and equestrian properties, I have the knowledge and experience that make me the best agent to market your Charlottesville horse farms for sale.