Insulated water buckets for stalls: what have people used successfully?

[SnicklefritzG]

What types of insulated water buckets have people tried and found work well? My barn uses electric heaters in the outdoor water troughs. Inside we use regular buckets.

I have a couple of water bucket cozies but they don’t always stay on. The velcro straps aren’t very substantial so they tend to loosen and then fall off. however, as long as the cozies stay on, they do a good job of preventing the water from freezing unless temps are ridiculously low (low double digits or single digit).

What other systems have people tried that seem to work well?

[awaywego]

Bubble wrap then wrapped with gorilla tape. Stays on and works!!

[mmeqcenter]

Agree with awaywego, also suggest styrofoam and duct tape (or gorilla tape).

[EmilyM]

i’ve used housing insulation from home depot with duct tape. it isn’t great if you have mouthy horses who will eat it, but it works well.

[SnicklefritzG]

@awaywego

Bubble wrap then wrapped with gorilla tape. Stays on and works!!

much cheaper than the insulated things from Dover or SmartPak!!!

[goodhors]

We got insulated bucket holders last year, used off Craigs List. They are the same model sold by Cashmans, grey holders with floating lids. They worked VERY WELL last winter, with just hose water not heated in the barn. I think there was some ice crystal a few days, but never frozen over. Horses drank more with unfrozen water. We did not use the lids, to see how they worked and we’re quite happy with them uncovered. No beating ice out of buckets!!

Temps here were all over last winter, though not so many days or nights below zero as other years. Our friend uses these holders in her outside sheds, water stays pretty liquid, but she starts with hot water and uses the lids. She does check water 3 times a day, says everyone drinks more using the holders. She got us to buy ours, saying how nice they are. She has been using them about 4 years.

They are a bit pricy, but really do a good job without any extra fussing to keep covers or insulation in place on buckets.

[goodhors]

They are listed as thermal insulated bucket in the cold weather products at Cashmans. Price is $79.99 each. No electric needed, which was a big selling point for us. Just hate running electric things out in the barn.

[CLB15]

I have the cozies on the flexible rubber buckets instead of the regular plastic buckets, and found that kept them in place more securely. With the cozy buckets last winter, at worst I’d have a thin layer of ice in the mornings- in a shedrow barn open to paddocks 24/7 in New England. In the past I’ve also used & really liked the insulated bucket holders that goodhors mentioned.

[AQHA4me]

I use the same bucket holder goodhors is describing, but mine are High Country. They do well until single digit temps when they will generate a skim of ice. I only use the floats when it drops below 20. They were worth every penny.

[Frog_Pond]

@AQHA4me

I use the same bucket holder goodhors is describing, but mine are High Country. They do well until single digit temps when they will generate a skim of ice. I only use the floats when it drops below 20. They were worth every penny.

I second this brand & style. They have a drain in the bottom with a plastic plug that unscrews to easily drain out the little puddle of water that collects from my sloppy dropping of a bucket into it - so, easy to clean. They’re super safe – rounded parts, recessed screws. My mini’s have used them as butt-rubbing devices and footstools for 5 years and they look brand new.

I have two cozies that velcro onto to the bucket and have an optional lid and they work well, too, BUT, I don’t like how careful I have to be with them. When wet, they freeze and need to be thawed out. That’s a pain, in my situation. I much prefer the drop-in convenience of the High Country kind.

My horses would eat and/or shred and stomp any DIY with duct tape or insulation. YMMV. Mine are playful.

[Limitless]

Does anyone know if any of the insulated cozies will work on a Better Bucket? My senior is a slow eater, and his main big meal of the day happens overnight, which gets soaked. It takes him most of the night to eat it, and it will freeze up if doesn’t get to it fast enough. I use heated water buckets, but I give him two, since he’s a hay dunker, and I don’t have another plug close by to try to keep his late night dinner warm overnight. Plus, I don’t know how that would work. I tried the bubble wrap/duct tape route, but that didn’t seem to work. I’m wondering if a cozy will fit and work?

[awaywego]

@Frog Pond

My horses would eat and/or shred and stomp any DIY with duct tape or insulation. YMMV. Mine are playful.

I would have thought that about mine too: they are 2 young TBs, a welsh/TB pony. You will not find a smarter or frequently destructive bunch, but they do not mess with the bubble wrap. Did the same to the outside tubs last year and they similarly left those alone.

[mellsmom]

I have the High Country insulated bucket holders. Waste of money if you live in central Indiana. they freeze solid. I finally gave in and did heated buckets the last two years. I also have a large rubbermade tub in the barn where they can come and go all year. I have a plug screw in heater. that’s the only thing I have found that works at all. I would not trust it outside though. We are just barely into winter and already my outside water trough is frozen solid and unfortunately there appears to be possum in that trough. At least I assume so based on the grey/white hairs sticking out of one small section above the ice. sigh…

[Robin]

We have insulated water bucket holders that sound like the same thing as goodhors describes.
I got ours for $35 each from the local farm supply store when they wanted to clear out stock.
We have had ours for about a decade now. A few of them have breaks in the outside shell
where some boarder horse kicked and hit the holder. They still work just fine but don’t look
as nice as they did when new.

As we are near Minneapolis, we know temperatures down to 20F below and these will keep
water in the barn stalls liquid from bedtime stables until morning feeding if used with the floats.