I need a strong /sturdy tub for my pasture that will hold up to my naughty horse who paws and kicks the water out o a daily basis…I’ve lost count of all the typical Rubbermaid 100 gallon tanks that he has cracked …we put it up on blocks and even have another tub for him to “pla” in and well…he destroys both
I remember as a kid most farms used an old cast iron bath tub. Some would caulk the drain closed, some would cut a tennis ball in half and put it round side down in the drain (or full tennis ball). My father’s labs would pull the full tennis ball out of the tub so we had to cut one in half. I could see a playful horse pulling the drain stop.
Could you put most of the tub outside the fenceline and allow only enough to stick in for them to stick their heads in? I have seen this where a tub is shared between fields. It works best with rail fencing unless you cut a space out of the wire fencing.
We feed the hay in homemade square corrals that are about 3 feet high. The corners are 4x4 and the 2 rails on the sides are deck boards. For one horse that was pawing at the water trough we put a spare corral around the water trough. It kept him back from the water trough a bit and was too high for him to paw at it. You need to make sure the water level stays high enough that they can reach it but if you put it on blocks that may help.
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I put my water tubs outside the fence and will never go back. Horses have no trouble reaching through to drink but shenanigans are limited. Highly recommend!
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The molded rubber ones are fairly indestructible. I have two that I bought at TSC years ago. But looking, doesn’t seem they carry them. I could have sworn they were Fortiflex, but I could be wrong. They were 30 gallons, flexible rubber construction (just like the black flexible rubber feed pans), but thicker. They are fairly heavy. Had them for at least 10 years - probably longer. They were the perfect size for our round pen when we used it for horse/pony on limited turn-out.
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Interesting, do you have a photo of your set up?
I was going to suggest building a wood enclosure for the water trough, similar to a round bale feeder, so it can be reached to drink but not with legs.
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I’ve posted it before and will dig it up when I’m not on mobile. It’s really just a three board fence with the middle board removed, though.
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Ah cool, I suspected something like that. Thanks!
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That sounds like a good idea but we have the non club fence which is pretty high …over 4’ I believe …I’m also concerned that this horse would then start pawing at the non climb wire to try and get at the tub …I envision him getting his foot through the wire 
he’s a real pita
Our setup is just a big 125 gallon Rubbermaid tub inside the field by the gate …it used to work by putting the tub up high enough on cement blocks …not anymore:(
I’d really remove it from the field. Can you end the no climb before the gate and make one small section board fencing? It would be some work, but really very likely curative for this issue. My water tank pawer 100% doesn’t do it anymore with the tank outside the fence.
If he’s that dedicated, he make just wind up hurting himself on a more durable tank.
My “trough” is going on 15yo - quotes because it’s a 50gal barrel, food-grade plastic, that I cut down about 6".
It lives outside year-round, with a sinking de-icer in Winter.
Maybe the height - ~3’ - has prevented it being tipped & that plus the relatively small diameter opening, stops any horse considering pawing.
I do have to run the cord for the de-icer through PVC, then into a cinderblock & wedge it in with rocks.
This prevents someone (looking at YOU, pony!) from pulling the de-icer out.
If the barrel doesn’t stop your PITA, at least they’re cheap - around $20 at my local feedstore.
Another opt so definitely think about that aspect. If you already have a generator, or are on city water, it’s a non issue.
I did try what 4leaf shows above and it didn’t work–she was quickly in the tank.
Here’s a pic of my setup now. We’ve redone the fence here since, but it’s still pretty much the same. In the field, it’s more like 8’ between posts, so I cut a fenceboard to connect the upper and lower boards vertically, and then installed a middle board from that to the post in the section of fence that wasn’t backed by the tank. I think it’s unlikely a horse would try to crawl through that extra gap, but … well, they’re big dumb animals and I wouldn’t be shocked if one tried :rolleyes:
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I find that the Rubbermaid tanks have an inherent structural flaw in the way that the bottom is constructed. All of the big ones that I have have cracked. It really doesn’t matter if it’s in with the horses or not because they’re not the ones doing the damage. Having it sit on ground that is not absolutely level is what does the damage I believe. To this day, I have never had a horse damage a tank. My current favorites
are the tough stuff ones sold at TSC. They are made from recycled rubber, are somewhat flexible, and do not have the structural issues inherent to Rubbermaid troughs.
Our boarding farm uses both white glazed tubs and a Rubbermaid tank in the summer, and the horses greatly prefer drinking out of the bathtubs. The tubs keep the water cooler longer and are easier to clean. They are kept on wooden blocks to discourage the horses from splashing and playing in them.
