Hi, We have 3 horses in their 20s and 30s. We just installed 3 Bar Bar A outside waterers. We finally have gotten the horses to go up to the waterers and some will take a sugar cube off the paddle. Unfortunately, none of the horses will push the paddle down and wait for the water to fill the bowl. In addition, with these waterers the water drains right away. Has anyone had this problem - where the horses didn’t want to push the paddle? What training methods did you use to get them to do it? Definitely looking for ideas. Thanks in advance!
What comes to mind first for me is you want to shape behavior. Have you ever played around with clicker training aka positive reinforcement?
1 Like
Interesting enough, I’ve never tried it. These horses were relatively well trained (either through us or a trainer) and we just haven’t run across this. I’ll give it some though! Thanks!
If you think it would help for the bowl to not drain immediately, this is from their website: “For animals needing extra help the unit has a training mode that can be implemented for training purposes (in the warmer months). In training mode the water can be temporarily stopped from draining so there is always water in the bowl.”
Every new arrival I’ve had has figured it out by watching the others. Some of them are a bit reluctant to push the paddle at first but everyone I’ve had has come around so don’t give up! When I first got it I did do some paddle pushing and treat giving like you describe. Also hang your buckets near it so they get used to going there for water.
Other than show them how to do it, make sure they are properly grounded and they are not feeling stray voltage.
If your horses like molasses, you can put some on the paddle. When they lick the paddle, water will come. You will have to do this a few times before they figure it out.
I think those waterers are supposed to be electric free, thermal heat from a deep hole and no standing water in the bowl how they keep from freezing?
Water is so important for horses, we still prefer waterers where there is a bit of a supply there if something goes wrong, in case someone some day misses checking and a horse goes without water for a time.
Millions do fine with all kinds of such waterers, but if that one in a million that has a problem is the one your horse uses …
1 Like
BO installed heated Nelsons quite a few years ago. They had an “orientation” that involved the waterer and the usual tank. That’s as much as I remember about it. My horse was the last one to make the changeover. BO was ready to remove the tank. I watched him and figured out that he didn’t like the noise and moving water. I threw some apple slices in the bowl and he couldn’t resist them. After that he was fine. New horses don’t have a problem. They learn from the rest of them. We had one instance with stray current and they were back to the 100 gallon tank for a bit. They go to the waterer first before drinking from the tank. If the float that fills the bowl needs adjusting they stand there waiting. They bang the bowl around with their muzzles. Somebody kicks the unit to get our attention.
Thirst is a natural behavior that we have no control over so you can’t train. The apples were a reward, but tossing them in the bowl got his nose in there and he figured out it wasn’t so bad after all. It took some extra time on my part, but he almost always gets a drink when I put him back out.
Yep mine much prefer the auto waterers too (I have a Nelson in turnout and a Bar Bar A between two stall runs). Yesterday it suddenly got cold and very windy so I hung buckets of warm water in their stalls just in case they’d prefer that to going outside to the waterer, and the buckets were completely untouched at the end of the day. They really prefer the fresh water.
