Most horse people already know that easy access to clean, fresh water is the most important part of a horse’s daily care. But there’s less information out there on how to safely maintain the trough they drink it from. Maintaining troughs can be tricky because of things like swampy algae growth, breeding insects carrying dangerous diseases, freezing and harmful bacteria from other animals. These factors can result in unsanitary or unsafe water conditions that may prove so uninviting that horses will stop drinking entirely.
Here are a few hacks for maintaining sparkling, plentiful trough waters your horse will thank you for.
1. Schedule Deep-Cleans
Several factors will determine how often you need to deep-clean your trough, including whether it sits in direct sunlight that breeds algae and how many horses drink from it. But typically, troughs should be emptied and cleaned every one or two weeks.
For the best job, empty the trough until there’s only a bit of water at the bottom. Then, add a small amount of mild soap. Use soap that won’t be off-putting to a horse’s sensitive sense of smell because this can cause them to stop drinking.
Use the remaining water and a hard scrub-brush to loosen any algae growth and dirt build-up around the inside of the trough. Give the sides one final pass with a rag or a large sponge. Then dump the remaining water and rinse several times until all soap is removed.
2. Perform Regular Maintenance
Not only will regular maintenance keep the water cleaner between major scrubbings, but it will also reduce your scouring time. One of the best tools is a cheap butterfly or minnow net from your local dollar store. They’re excellent for collecting hay, dirt, insects and other debris floating on the surface and sunken to the bottom of the water.
Algae likes to grow in direct sunlight. To slow its growth, give an extra scrub with white vinegar after a deep-cleaning with soap. A dose of apple cider vinegar can also help prevent algae. (Nicole Kitchener photo)
3. Prevent Algae With White Vinegar
How hot your summers are will determine how quickly algae grows. Keeping your trough in direct sunlight can also cause increased algae growth. But if your trough is in the shade, underneath trees or in an area that’s prone to falling vegetation, more algae may develop due to the presence of decomposing plant matter. To slow algae growth on the sides and bottom of the trough, try giving an additional scrub with white vinegar after deep-cleaning with soap.
4. Foil Flies With Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can also be added to the water to help prevent algae, and it also deters flies! Add one tablespoon per gallon, or around three cups per 50-gallon trough. However, after doing so, monitor your horses to make sure they’re still drinking.
Typically, though, apple cider vinegar has the added bonus of increasing water consumption because horses like the taste.
5. Thwart Horseplay
Maybe you have a horse who loves to paw in your water trough and make dramatic splashes, even getting in and/or knocking the whole thing over – especially after you’ve just filled and cleaned it! To prevent the irresistible temptation to play in the water on hot summer days, try using a shallower trough, filling it only halfway or using smaller (hopefully less enticing) water containers.
You can also modify a portion of your fencing and slide the trough under, leaving most of it outside the fence with only enough water surface for horses to drink from. This method only works with certain types of fencing and excludes electric. Another option is to build a wooden stand or use pallets or concrete blocks to raise the trough off the ground and out of reach.
(Left) Scrub the trough with a stiffbristled brush like a toilet brush using mild soap; rinse several times. (Hint: a power washer also works well!). (Right) Use a butterfly or minnow net to remove hay or other debris each time you fill the trough to help keep the water fresher between deep cleans. (Charlie Fisit photos)
6. Prevent Early Freezes With A Float
The simplest way to extend your outdoor trough into the fall season is by using a float. Try tying a handled rubber horse/dog ball to the side of the trough with binder twine, allowing it to float on the surface.
The movement created by the ball will cause the water to move, and the surface area of the rubber will warm in the sun just enough to slightly raise the water temperature. It helps if you move the trough to a spot in the paddock that gets the longest sun exposure – the opposite of ideal circumstances for the summer.
7. Make a Wildlife Escape Ramp to Prevent Drowning
If you have problems with mice or squirrels falling into your trough and drowning, one humane solution is to create a wildlife escape ramp. Secure a piece of stiff plastic netting or screen over the edge of the trough in one corner, letting one end hang down into the water, and the other over the outside of the trough. Placing a stick or a two-by-four that’s submerged inside the trough works the same way.
8. Invest in a Solar Aerator
Aerators pump air into the bottom of the trough. This causes movement that exposes water to oxygen, thereby decreasing algae and bacteria and providing less opportunity for breeding insects. Relatively small and inexpensive versions are available online. As a bonus, aerators are useful in winter too, preventing ice from forming by keeping water moving.
9. Stop Flooding the Pasture!
We’ve all done it 1,000 times: put the hose in the trough, said we’d be back in a minute and an hour later remembered the water was on, leaving an over-full trough and a well-watered pasture.
To remedy this, time how long it takes to fill the trough and then set a timer on your phone or watch for at least one minute before spillover occurs. Incorporate filling the troughs into a regular routine with other small chores so you’re less likely to forget. Alternatively, install a float valve on the side of the tank that will automatically turn off the water when the trough is full.
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(This article originally appeared in the 2025 Canadian Horse Annual – buy your copy here.)
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