Automatic Watering System

[MikePA]

Filling the buckets in the stalls is the part of feeding that takes the longest time since we use a single hose to fill them one at a time.

I was thinking about running PVC piping into each bucket at one end and a hose connection at the other. This would allow me to open the hydrant and fill them at the same time.

Are there commercial systems available?

Any ideas?

[LazyJ_Arabians]

Great time saver, I used a bunch of old garden hose that was too rotten to hold pressure anymore. I've got two Y-valves coming off the hydrant, the first splits between the on-reel hose and the water bucket system, the second Y splits to two 4-gang valves giving me fine tuned adjustment for up to eight buckets. I've yet to tune it well enought to fill all eight at the same time but can fill four and then the other four all within an inch of the rim.

I recently got fancy and added a timer. A couple of my ponies can empty a water bucket overnight so as long as its gonna stay above freezing I can leave the hydrant on low and have the timer kick on for 10 minutes around 4am and trickle out some fresh water.

All of the hoses run straight up to the rafters from the hydrant/valves and then slope down to each bucket. The tricky part was getting all the valves and connecting hoses layed out where they would completely self-drain back through the hydrant.

[JazzDad]

There's no rush to get the buckets filled, right? What about the smaller tubing used in drip irrigation? They have all sorts of fittings. It's almost like being a kid again, with Tinker-Toys.

[mfaley]

How do you know when the buckets are full enough? I have often thought of the same sort of solution but depending on a lot of things our horses drink different amounts of water so the buckets need different amounts of water to fill them.

[LazyJ_Arabians]

I slosh around and dump all leftover water every evening before refilling, usually just dumping it in the wheelbarrow while I'm mucking, haven't figured out how to automate that part yet. Yes, the little 1/4" plastic tube would work, I just happened to have plentry of old garden hose. Not sure you could find the 1/4" valves you need to balance the flow. This is all made from common Gilmour water hose accessories you can buy at the BigMart.
--
Oops, upon reread, the drip irrigation stuff would be pretty nifty.

[mfaley]

Good for you for giving them clean water every day. I do it about every 4 days in the winter and about every 2 in the summer.

It would be easier if they were all empty.

[JazzDad]

"I just happened to have plenty of old garden hose"
And I agree with you, LazyJ- I like the idea of re-use and recycling.

On the 1/4" tubing, we had some success with the small valves used in aquarium air lines. I figured that if they can regulate airflow, why not water?

[LazyJ_Arabians]

Couple of my horses think their water bucket is a toilet and its kinda hard to tell if they #1 in it so we dump them all daily to be safe. We've got a 2yo that will eat his grain and then immediately turn around and #2 in his feed trough, drives me nuts.

[MikePA]

Thanks for all the ideas. I was thinking I'd have to;

1. Add shut off valves on each 'bucket line' to deal with the fact that the horses drink different amounts.
2. Slope the lines so they drain properly.

Fortunately, we do not have a problem with any of our horses making a 'deposit' in their buckets. The biggest problem we have is one of the horses deliberately drops his hay in the bucket.