Horse Water Buckets 101

Here are 5 tips to help you provide your horse with fresh water in the easiest and safest way.
a bay racehorse drinks out of horse water buckets while being hosed down.
Adobe Stock Images

Water is the most essential nutrient source for all living beings. And, for horses, it’s important to have fresh, clean water available at all times to keep them healthy. How you offer water to your horse can make all the difference between whether he drinks or avoids it.

Horse Water Bucket Size and Color

Is there such a thing as offering your horse too much water? It depends on different variables, such as the weather, bucket location, and horse size. If your horse’s bucket is almost full each morning, it could mean he’s not drinking enough. And it means you’ll have to dump that water and refill. This happens frequently with smaller horses, such as ponies and Miniature Horses—they might not need a 5-gallon bucket for overnight water. In this case, a 2-gallon bucket will suffice. The best tip is to keep an eye on how much your horse is drinking and judge for yourself if you’re offering too much or too little.  

And while it can be fun to use bright colors for water buckets, consider this study from the Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences in Turkey, which says horses prefer consuming water from lighter-toned buckets that are turquoise or pale blue. 

Where to Hang the Bucket

Hang water buckets just above your horse’s chest height. This allows for a natural head position, which should encourage more drinking. Chest height is also safest because your horse has less chance of accidentally getting his foot caught in the bucket and hurting himself. If you use a hanger screwed into a wall, ensure you affix it to sturdy beams or walls that can withstand your horse’s weight. 

How to Hang a Horse Water Bucket

You can hang horses’ water buckets in a variety of ways. How you choose to hang the bucket will greatly depend on its location. Using a bucket strap allows you to move the bucket from place to place and is particularly useful when traveling. Metal and plastic bucket hangers screw into stall walls and are typically designed to prevent a horse from removing the bucket. Wall-mounted bucket hangers screw into walls and essentially have a ring from which to hang a flat-back bucket.  

Keeping Buckets Clean

You wouldn’t want to drink from a dirty glass leftover from days ago, would you? Neither would your horse. While cleaning your stalls, clean out your horse’s water bucket—dump out the old water and any debris that has collected. Take extra time each week to scrub the bucket using a bucket brush. Experts also recommend disinfecting buckets regularly to kill bacteria and germs, especially if traveling or bringing in new horses (just be sure to rinse thoroughly to remove any trace of bleach). 

Keeping Buckets Safe

Buckets with handles that hook around can injure your horse if he gets caught on one. They can also pull out tail hairs. Wrapping Vetrap or electrical tape around the hooks will prevent these issues from occurring. Using a flat-back bucket will help keep your bucket in place against the wall and prevent it from moving around too much, thus splashing water in the stall. Remove your horse’s halter when stalled so it doesn’t get caught on the bucket. Also make sure snaps and hooks face in toward the wall and not out where they can lacerate a horse’s skin. 

A well-hydrated horse is a healthy horse. Taking thoughtful care of his water bucket will allow you to provide the best opportunities for your horse to drink.  

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Megan Arszman, a lifelong horsewoman, loves sharing her passion for horses with others, especially her daughter. Together, they enjoy riding their Quarter Horses around their Central Indiana farm and spend weekends showing Miniature Horses and dogs.

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