Clever ways to keep your horse from destroying his water buckets?

[paintjumper]

If they hang on the wall, he grabs them and empties them onto his stall floor. I have also found bits & pieces of other type buckets ripped off, spilling water everywhere. He has toys but he passes them by to play in the water. I’m afraid to put up an auto waterer as he could drown before I find him by morning!!!

He is not so bad with his feed buckets, just his water buckets. I saw one person that fixed those plastic milk crates on the stall wall and then placed the water bucket in there, but he would just rip the crate off the wall over a period of time. Any ideas that have worked? Its just too hot in the South for him to go without water for any length of time, I’m very frustrated with him!!!

When turned out, after he is bored with grazing, he plays in the big water trough

[Simkie]

Are your stalls set up in a way that would make it possible to hang a bucket outside the stall for him?

Or how about giving him a muck tub for water instead of a bucket?

[PintoPony]

I saw a set up once where a “box” was built across the corner of the stall and the water bucket set down in it. The top of the bucket was flush with the top of the box so horse couldn’t grab it and the bottom was slatted so water didn’t lay anywhere.
There was enough space around the bucket so a person could reach in and grab it under the rim to lift it out but horse couldn’t get his mouth in to grab it.

[CFFarm]

How long is he kept in the stall? Toys may help keep him busy once you get the bucket problem worked out. Pinto Pony’s idea sounds promising.

[msj]

Have you considered what is actually a bucket holder attached to the wall and bucket set down in it?

County Manufacturing has what they call a Thermo Bucket. I don’t see anyway your horse could damage it with the exception of the Styrofoam float at the top and you don’t need to use that until below freezing temps (like 17 F and below).

http://www.countrymfg.com/thermo_bucket.htm

I put these in my barn 26 yrs. ago and they are still in good shape. Mind you though that the top rim of the bucket may get chewed up. That’s the only way I can see him damaging it.

Good luck.

PS. If he defecates in his water though it’s a royal PITA to pick up and clean. Believe me, I’ve had plenty of experience! :sigh:

[bdj]

OP, would you be able to give him a water tub on the floor, rather than a hanging bucket?
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/fortiflex-large-capacity-plastic-bucket-175-gal-capacity-blue?cm_vc=-10005
You can always cut off the handles if need be.

ETA: Oops, sorry, I just read that he plays in the water trough outside, too - so maybe not! (or maybe give it a go, in the hopes that even after splashing around, he’d still have some water left over to drink?)

[Ticker]

I have a horse like that! We tried all of the things mentioned and more.
What finally worked for us is this.

We purchased 2 rubber buckets. we removed the handles from both buckets. Next, in bucket one, we drilled a hole in the back (top and bottom). Next we put wooden spacers behind bucket One and bolted it to the stall wall …at floor level. Bucket one is the ‘bucket holder’

Bucket two is then placed into bucket one and filled with water. Bucket two is removable for cleaning.

This horse is extremely bucket unfriendly to the point we found a plastic bucket stuck on his leg. He had ripped it off the wall, flipped it over, then stood on it like a circus elephant on a stand, until it collapsed with his leg still attached. He did that multiple times but was never hurt.

This is a horse that would put his leg into the bucket and on occasion, get caught and struggle to free himself. (prior to bucket on the floor) We kept his buckets at floor level for a few years until he matured a bunch.

Now he has two rubber buckets mounted higher than we would normally put them. We do not trust him with plastic buckets…ever.

[yaya]

Here is a metal bucket holder for flat-back buckets:
http://www.nationalbridle.com/inc/sdetail/20_qt__flat_back_bucket_holder/706/731
If you use sturdy screws, the horse shouldn’t be able to pull it off the wall (takes 4 screws)

I use the version for the 5-gallon buckets, and in 24 years, I’ve only had to replace a couple. I did have an anhydrotic mare who would pull the buckets out when she got hot, so every summer I would chain the bucket to the holder by the bucket handle. (I would loop the chain around the bottom bar, then hook both ends into one end of a double-ended snap. The other end of the snap hooked onto the bucket handle. Only had to unhook the part on the handle to take the bucket out to clean it.) The rest of the year, she left them alone.

[LookmaNohands]

Horses are so SILLY!!!:lol:

[paintjumper]

Thanks guys

We have actually done some of these, the bucket in the corner behind the wooden boards, no handles, right now he is a big rubber trashcan on the floor, tied to the corner of the stall (his stall is 14x24). He has just this week ripped the rubber about 8-10 inches down on one side where the handle was, but at least it lasted about 1 month.
He is out for a few hours early in the mornings, it is super hot right now in S. Ga, so he comes in when the sun really starts beaming. He is not really bored in his stall I don’t think, because he actually gets mad if you leave him out too long, but he just likes to play in his water.
At least he does not sit on his buckets or poop in the water!! Thanks for the suggestions, we will keep trying until we find one that works or he gets too old for this foolishness…hopefully