Winter Stable Shortcuts

The water had frozen in the 100-gallon outdoor stock tank nightly for weeks, despite a heater. I was complaining about cracking and removing the ice to Annette at Azure Farm and she said, "Just do the water bottle trick." What water bottle trick?! This was the catalyst for my finding winter short cuts in the stable.

Water Bottle Floats
Fill a plastic water bottle with 1/4 cup salt. Fill the rest of the way with water. Reapply the cap, seal and shake. Place the water bottle (I do 2-3 for a 100-gallon stock tank) in the water trough. They will float and bob slightly, offering just enough movement to slow freezing.

Dry Shampoo
My horses get itchy as winter progresses but I won't bathe them until we're above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I started using Dry Shampoo for horses by @equiderma. It's natural and smells so good. Just work down to the skin with a curry comb!

Insulate Water Buckets with a Second Bucket
Water buckets can freeze in stalls easy, but heaters are a big no-no indoors. Instead, place a smaller bucket within a larger bucket and fill the gaps between with hay or straw (think a 2-gallon inside a 5-gallon). Works like a charm.

The Stable Crockpot
Sometimes water is required in the stable during the winter for grooming--especially when it comes to helping horses with mud fever. A crockpot kept on warm can be filled with water to have on-hand as needed. Just be sure to test the temperature on your own skin before applying to your horse.

Slicken a Manure Fork
Frozen manure sucks to clean up when the tongs won't go through. I usually switch to a pitchfork because those plastic forks don't work so well. Unless you slicken it with horse detangler! A quick spray on the fork will help it slide through and clean up the yuck.

Cloth Hoses
I am fortunate to have water spigots that extend well below the frost line. Getting water from the spigot down the hill up to the stable, is a different challenge. I got sick of freezing hoses so I purchased cloth hoses. After use, simply unplug the hoses and allow them to drain. After a few minutes, I roll them up and toss into a 5-gallon bucket and bring them indoors. The next time I need to fill a trough, the hoses are thawed.

I hope these tips are helpful!