Clean Water for Horses

2011/07/03

My sister-in-law once sarcastically commented about an old broom I had in the horse trailer: “That’s a fine piece of farm equipment!” It was so worn out and bristles so short, it looked more like a two-day beard growth. However, I have recently discovered that worn out brooms (and new ones) are important pieces of farm equipment!

Dealing with algae growth in water troughs is a continuous task in hot weather. Water has to be changed daily or every other day, yet still the green stuff grows! One can use bleach to kill algae in water troughs, but this may require overnight soaking and a thorough rinsing.

Scrubbing water troughs can be hard, back-breaking work. But I have discovered an easy way to remove the algae growth – using that broom I mentioned! As you are draining the water from the trough, simply scrub the trough with the broom. One with short bristles works best, and it doesn’t have to be a corn broom. The cheap, plastic ones work well and you’ll be surprised at how quickly and easily they remove the algae.

Horses need on average 8-15 gallons of water a day in a warm environment, and horses doing moderate work in a warm environment need 12-15 gallons/day. Many times in summer horses will not drink enough water if it is allowed to get hot. Some horses are very picky about their water and do not find hot water palatable. Emptying the trough every couple of days, scrubbing it and refilling it will control algae growth and insure the horse gets sufficient water that is fresh and cool.

Editor’s note: If you’ve already figured this out, consider this a “way to realize” moment.

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