devongirl62
Grand Prix Poster
Olympic Poster
Back to work after 6 months xx also allowed to start riding again slowly
Posts: 1,342
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Post by devongirl62 on Jan 4, 2009 19:21:29 GMT 1
I was going to suggest the football in the water.....
Also my friend used old quilts held to the water trough by rope... and the form that plumbers use on the heat pipes to keep the water pipes from freezing.....
Becare ful pouring very hot water and using a blow torch on the joints as they will crack and break...
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Post by specialsparkle3 on Jan 4, 2009 19:29:23 GMT 1
I half fill small plastic bottles with water and float them in my troughs. By putting water in them, they half sink and therefore make a permanent hole in the ice, which helps when you come to break the rest.
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Post by kt with Hanni on Jan 4, 2009 20:00:26 GMT 1
I sympathise. Mine was like that this morning :-( In the end I managed to get a hammer to the frozen water to get to some underneath but it was about 2" thick!
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Post by gordo on Jan 4, 2009 20:31:51 GMT 1
SS3 - tried the bottle method and its just freezing within the ice!! My parents have spring water and it has been freezing in the pipes down to the house so my dad had to leave the hosepipe running all night to keep it flowing - woke up to find a 6 foot icycle hanging out of the end and no water!!!
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daisysp8
Grand Prix Poster
People only see what they are prepared to see
Posts: 2,120
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Post by daisysp8 on Jan 4, 2009 23:40:24 GMT 1
I have a tennis ball (soon to be upgraded to a football) in my water bins .... Storm knows to move it, or push down on it (breaks the ice again) to get a drink
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Post by ponyseeker on Jan 5, 2009 13:12:11 GMT 1
Dreadful problem isn't it? Feel so sorry for all of you with horses in fields away from home - I feel so lucky to have my lot on the premises. Not that that stops the water from freezing though!! Just a thought but many years ago someone told me that when you break the ice ALWAYS take it out of the trough as if you don't it will freeze again if it was a day like yesterday - and it keeps the water colder - a bit like ice cubes in a drink. Also if the lumps of ice are left in they freeze together in layers to make it even thicker! I break as big an area as possible - with a spade if thick - and keep it as clear as possible throughout the day. Best of luck everyone and lets hope it gets warmer soon.
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Post by horsefeed on Jan 5, 2009 13:27:59 GMT 1
I brought 7 25L containers, borrowed a van and filled them up at the petrol station round about 2 miles away.
Planning to take container with me everyday for now.
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Post by Susan on Jan 5, 2009 13:44:41 GMT 1
Our tap to the stables has frozen so badly, even though I have an insulated bag I made to wrap around it. It worked last year but not this year. I also had a thick towel wrapped around it inside of the insulated bag. Large and kept in place with elastic straps. I have had 2 full kettles on it to thraw it and no luck. We have been filling large watewr containers from home ( which I normally use for taking in the trailer) and large ltr bottles of water as well to fill kettle with. But still had frozen taps. I now have brought up my hairdryer and extention lead to use tonight. That should work enough to fill containers and as many trugs as possible.
I havent used the ball in the tank but a friend has been breaking the ice each day for me and removing the large pieces out of the tan k in the field.
An idea in stables is to put your water bucket inside a larger one with either straw inside of it or pack out with old pillow fillings. That has always worked. I am considering doing that to a bucket inside the field shelter tonight as another back up. so at least some water.
It is a nightmare for tanks in fields. By the way hot water apparently freezes quicker then cold.. I think I saw it on telly on one fo those science programmes many years ago.
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Post by lawyerbunny on Jan 5, 2009 14:12:46 GMT 1
Excellent tips! Am also doing the lug-25l-water-containers-around-the-place-while-swearing-and-the-dog-laughs-at-me thing, will have shoulders like a shot-putter by Spring. Taking the ice out is a great tip, must say I hadn't thought of that. Looks like the weather is staying v cold for a while though oddly when it was snowing at 5.30 this morning it was also rather mild! Stay warm peeps. x
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Post by mandal on Jan 5, 2009 14:20:47 GMT 1
I brought 7 25L containers, borrowed a van and filled them up at the petrol station round about 2 miles away. Planning to take container with me everyday for now. I was just going to ask how the fire went!!
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Post by Fussymare on Jan 5, 2009 14:33:52 GMT 1
Dreadful problem isn't it? Feel so sorry for all of you with horses in fields away from home - I feel so lucky to have my lot on the premises. Not that that stops the water from freezing though!! Just a thought but many years ago someone told me that when you break the ice ALWAYS take it out of the trough as if you don't it will freeze again if it was a day like yesterday - and it keeps the water colder - a bit like ice cubes in a drink. Also if the lumps of ice are left in they freeze together in layers to make it even thicker! I break as big an area as possible - with a spade if thick - and keep it as clear as possible throughout the day. Best of luck everyone and lets hope it gets warmer soon. I break the water that has formed on the water troughs twice a day. I also have three large tub trugs as well as my metal trough. So far I managed to fill them on Saturday when the hosepip had thawed in the sunshine, but need to fill up again in a few days as they are eating hay now so drinking more water. Any tips for how to get the ice out of the water without freezing your hands ponyseeker?
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Post by VictoriaA on Jan 5, 2009 14:51:43 GMT 1
Sealskinz gloves, best things I ever bought! Bit bulky but keep your hands warm and dry, and the bulk helps stop you getting sore fingers off heavy haynets!
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Post by ponyseeker on Jan 5, 2009 17:18:05 GMT 1
I keep a pair of thick marigolds in my pocket then I quickly take off my thermal gloves, shove on the marigolds as quickly as poss, take a deep breath, grab out the ice , then get my others back on PDQ!! Done quickly it seems relatively painless!!
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Post by DonnieDarco on Jan 5, 2009 18:07:23 GMT 1
Try using a colander or sieve thing to remove the ice! Saves putting hands in freezing water!!!
Yes its damn cold - but am I sadist for prefering this to warm and wet and mud ??
Also - yep - hot water freezes quicker than cold water....
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Post by mandal on Jan 5, 2009 19:13:34 GMT 1
Yes its damn cold - but am I sadist for prefering this to warm and wet and mud ?? Me too!!!! Wet and windy being the worst!!! Actually I think we were due for some hard frosts and I'm sure it keeps diseases etc. down.
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