Outdoor watering

Automatic waterers are a wonderful thing when it’s -10°C outside and you don’t want to be messing around cleaning and filling a tank that has an element. When it comes to automatic waterers, our top picks are the Nelson waterer which is a float style and the Drinking Post waterer which is a frost-free push style.

The Nelson waterer is installed in either a concrete pipe or on a concrete pad and is available in heated and non-heated versions. Since it is a float style waterer, water is always available in the bowl and it replenishes as the horse drinks. The upside to this type of waterer is there is no learning curve for the horse to drink from it.

The Drinking Post waterer is a frost-free push style waterer that is activated by the horse pushing the paddle which brings the water up from under the frostline. The leftover water then drains out when the horse is finished drinking. There is no standing water in the bowl at any time when the horse isn’t actively drinking from it, which makes this a very attractive option for people since the water the horses are drinking is always fresh and clean. There is a little bit of a learning process for horses to figure out that they have to push the paddle down to get access to the water. A training paddle is used until the horses get the hang of how to activate it. Horses typically learn how to use it within a few days, however some may take much shorter or longer to learn depending on their unique traits and personality.

Both watering systems are great in their own ways so choosing one is generally quite a personal preference. If you are unsure which option would suit you best, feel free to contact our team for their recommendation!