12/12/2025
My tried and true Winter water trough tip that actually works ❄️
This is our water trough after a couple of below-freezing nights and it’s still usable without battling solid ice every morning.
Here’s the trick:
👉 Don’t try to keep the entire surface ice-free.
Instead, break one hole and leave the rest alone.
Wyatt figured this out on his own, and I was able to teach the rest of the herd. All the horses drink from the same hole, which means it gets used repeatedly throughout the night- keeping it from freezing over.
You can see the layers of ice as the water level drops. That ice acts as a natural insulator, helping the water below stay drinkable longer.
I’ve been seeing a lot of suggestions to add things like beet juice, molasses, floating jugs, or other tricks- but honestly, this has been a much easier and cleaner solution for us.
I’ve used this method for a couple of years now and haven’t had to worry about massively frozen troughs in the morning or whether the horses had access to water overnight.
Simple, low effort, and horse-approved. 🐴💧❄️
