Why Now Is the Best Time to Install a Drinking Post Automatic Waterer

When winter arrives, the last thing you want to worry about is frozen water buckets, iced-over troughs, extension cords, or whether your horses have reliable access to water.

That’s why late summer and fall are an ideal time to start thinking about your winter watering system.

At System Equine, the Drinking Post Ultimate Automatic Waterer is one of our favourite solutions for paddocks, pastures, barns, and other outdoor watering areas. Designed to provide fresh water on demand without electricity or a heater, the Drinking Post can simplify daily chores while providing horses and livestock with dependable access to clean water year-round.

And if you have been considering installing one, there is a major advantage to getting the project completed before the ground freezes.

Table of Contents

• Why Install Before Winter?
• How Does the Drinking Post Work?
• No Standing Water Means Less Maintenance
• Proper Installation Is the Key
• Install Below the Frost Line
• Provide Adequate Drainage
• Where Can You Install a Drinking Post?
• No Electricity Required
• What About Teaching Your Horse to Use It?
• Purchase and Installation Through System Equine
• Get Ahead of Winter Watering

Why Install Before Winter?

A Drinking Post is not simply placed on top of the ground. Proper installation requires excavation below your area’s frost line, connection to a pressurized underground water supply, and the construction of a drainage or leach field below the waterer. That makes late summer and fall a particularly practical time to tackle the project.

While the soil is still workable, excavation and trenching can generally be completed more easily than after winter conditions arrive. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate drainage conditions and complete the installation well before freezing temperatures become part of your daily routine. Instead of waiting until frozen buckets become a problem, you can head into winter with your watering system
already in place.

For additional installation information, visit the Drinking Post installation instructions.

How Does the Drinking Post Work?

The Drinking Post operates differently from a traditional automatic water bowl or trough. There is no reservoir of standing water waiting for your horse. Instead, your horse presses the paddle with its nose and fresh water immediately begins filling the bowl. Once the horse releases the paddle, the remaining water drains away below the frost line.

That simple fill-and-drain design is what allows the Drinking Post to remain frost-free without relying on:

• Electricity
• Heating elements
• Insulation
• A heated water reservoir

The principle is similar to a frost-free yard hydrant: the water is kept below the frost line when the unit is not being used. Every time your horse activates the paddle, they receive a fresh supply directly from the water line.

Learn more about how the system works on the Drinking Post Info page.

No Standing Water Means Less Maintenance

Standing water can create plenty of extra work around a farm. Outdoor troughs and buckets collect dirt and debris, can develop algae during warm weather, and require regular dumping and scrubbing. During winter, keeping that same water from freezing creates another challenge.

The Drinking Post eliminates the standing reservoir altogether. Water only enters the bowl when an animal asks for it, and the remaining water drains after use. That means there is less water sitting outside collecting debris or developing algae between drinks. For busy horse owners and farm managers, that can mean less time spent dragging hoses, filling buckets, cleaning troughs, and managing winter watering equipment.

Proper Installation Is the Key

The Drinking Post has a relatively simple operating system, but proper installation is extremely important.

Two major considerations are frost depth and drainage.

1. Install Below the Frost Line

The bottom of the Drinking Post needs to sit below the local frost line so the water supply and drainage components remain protected during freezing weather. The correct Drinking Post length therefore depends on the frost depth in your area. System Equine offers different Drinking Post sizes to suit different installation requirements. In colder regions, a longer unit may be required to ensure the lower portion of the waterer is properly positioned below the frost line.

You can view the Drinking Post Ultimate Automatic Waterer at System Equine for additional product information.

2. Provide Adequate Drainage

The water that remains in the bowl after each drink needs somewhere to go. The Drinking Post is installed over a washed-rock leach field that allows the remaining water to drain away below ground. Sites with clay, hardpan, rock, poor drainage, or a high water table may require additional planning to ensure the system drains properly.

Good drainage isn’t just an installation detail—it is fundamental to how the frost-free system operates.

Where Can You Install a Drinking Post?

One of the advantages of the Drinking Post is its flexibility. As long as an appropriate pressurized water line can be supplied to the location, Drinking Posts can be incorporated into areas such as:

• Paddocks
• Pastures
• Fence lines
• Barns
• Stalls
• Runs
• Sheds
• High-use livestock areas

This makes it possible to think strategically about where your horses spend their time and place water where it makes the most sense for your property.

No Electricity Required

For many farms, this is one of the biggest advantages.

The Drinking Post does not require electricity to remain frost-free. There is no heating element constantly drawing power and no need to run an electrical service simply to keep the waterer operating during cold weather. That can make it particularly useful for paddocks and pasture locations where running electrical service would otherwise add complexity to the project. You still need an appropriate underground pressurized water supply, but once properly installed, the
frost-free operation comes from the waterer’s below-frost-line fill-and-drain design.

What About Teaching Your Horse to Use It?

Because the Drinking Post uses a paddle instead of maintaining a bowl full of water, horses need to learn that pressing the paddle provides their drink. The Ultimate model includes a training attachment designed to help introduce horses to the system. Once they understand that pushing the paddle produces water, the attachment can be removed. The same basic system can also be used for other livestock, with different paddle options available for various animals.

For more information about choosing the right model, visit the Drinking Post Buyer’s Guide.

Purchase and Installation Through System Equine

Choosing the waterer is only part of the project. The location of your water supply, frost depth, soil conditions, drainage, trenching requirements, and intended watering location all play a role in planning a successful installation. System Equine can supply the Drinking Post and provide professional installation services, helping take the project from product selection through installation and final setup. Our team can help determine the appropriate Drinking Post for your property, review the proposed installation area, and help make sure the system is set up with year-round operation in mind.

You can also explore our Automatic Horse Waterers Guide to compare watering options for your farm.

Get Ahead of Winter Watering

It may still feel too early to think about frozen buckets and troughs—but that is exactly the point. Installing your Drinking Post while the ground is still workable allows you to complete the excavation, water-line connection, drainage work, and setup before winter conditions make underground work more difficult. Then, when temperatures drop, your system is already there.

• Fresh water on demand
• No standing trough to thaw
• No heater required
• No extension cords running through the paddock

Just a simple watering solution designed to work throughout the year.

Ready to Install a Drinking Post?

If you’re considering adding a Drinking Post to your barn, paddock, or pasture, now is a great time to get the project underway before the ground freezes. Contact the System Equine team to discuss purchasing and professional installation of a Drinking Post Automatic Waterer for your property. You can also view the Drinking Post Ultimate Automatic Waterer online.

System Equine — Your Equine Solutions Partner 

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Author: renate