Tuesday, February 18, 2014

These Work




We’ve been having a lot of water problems lately due to the freezing temps and have had to resort to using water buckets in three of the stalls.  Dusty, Nate and Sami don’t mind at all as long as it doesn’t freeze by morning. We found these insulated water bucket covers and decided to give them a try. 


I’m happy to report that they work quite well.  We fill the buckets with hot water and by morning the water is not frozen into a solid block of ice.  So even though we only have a few more weeks of this miserable winter left (fingers crossed) if your water buckets are freezing solid you might want to give them a try.  I figure it's good to keep them on hand because you never know what’s going to happen with the weather or the pipes.


Short “Dusty” Story
A few weeks ago after all the horses were in and fed it was time for lights out and good night.  Dusty usually ignores everyone at night.  Her normal routine is basically: gobble down food as fast as possible, pin ears at anyone in the vicinity if necessary, take a drink of water and start chowing down on her hay net.  Well, this one night she hung her head out her door and was very vocal with lots of neighing and head tossing calling us to her stall.  “Yoo Hoo, um, excuse me, I have a complaint for management!”

When we got to her stall she stood over her waterer and banged it with her nose a few times. On further inspection it appeared her automatic waterer wasn’t working and she was alerting the minions of her displeasure with this objectionable situation.  She got a full bucket of water for that night and we’re working on getting it fixed.  Seems if you leave the door open on her end of the barn during the day the waterer freezes up. The plumber is going to take the bottom half apart and wrap the base with better insulation. 

Once she got her bucket and took a drink she turned around in her usual huff of annoyance gave us a “look” and started eating her hay.  Her attitude sort of reminded me of the famous line from an old movie of Bette Davis’s  “What a dump!”

Until next time

Quote for Today
The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.
    - Sharon Ralls Lemon

12 comments:

  1. I've never seen these insulated covers before, so glad they help. Frozen bucket watering is no fun. Dusty is too funny, she definitely had something say! Great choice for a quote.

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  2. Well, the hired help better get their act together!! Too funny...but I can totally picture her in a disgusted huff. Lovely quote today, but maybe it should include "attitude" in honor of Miss Dusty. :)

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  3. Obviously - if some people didn't keep having to bring attention to details - the place would surely go to the dogs...

    I ♡ Dusty!!

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  4. Thank goodness my plug-in tank has been working well this winter (knock on wood), it's certainly been put through its paces! Fortunately I don't need the little buckets but I'll keep these in mind just in case. Kinda remind me of the "wonderbag" slow cookers.

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  5. Dump! Dusty is living at the Plaza! It's a good thing she can communicate so well. Thanks for the tip on the insulated water bucket covers! How many days until March?

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  6. I am going to keep those covers in mind!

    Dusty is smart!

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  7. Glad to know the insulated covers work. I wondered if the horses would pull them off. I still think our App might :).
    I love the Dusty story! What a smart girl to let you know so clearly that things were amiss.

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  8. Years back I'd just tucked the horses in for the night (about ten of them I think) and was heading back down the drive to the house when I heard an indignant whinny. The kids' pony, Rosie, was glaring at me with intent. I'd forgotten to give her hay. No way was I allowed to leave before I'd completed my jobs!
    Those buckets look great. Thanking my lucky stars it's been a mild winter here, and hoping I'm not jinxing myself by actually writing it down somewhere.

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  9. Gotta love a horse like Dusty. She's one smart cookie who clearly knows how to communicate her feelings. Glad you were able to read her message. *S*

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  10. So glad the insulated covers work and what a story about Dusty!!! She is so smart, so adorable. Thank you for sharing this. It is fun to hear about their routines, their conversations, their preferences. I love knowing that they know they can "show" us when necessary.

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  11. We've had water problems too. I am always on the look out for a better water solution. Right now we are hauling water in a cargo sled out to heated water buckets. Ah Dusty is so smart! She must have some Haflinger in her background.

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  12. That Dusty is one smart cookie - lucky she let you know there was a problem! When will this end, as I watch the snow come down and the temps drop once again????? Glad that all your herd is managing to stay healthy through this endless winter.

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