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Discussion on Christmas Stockings For Your Horse
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Member:
pbauer
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 24, 2008 - 6:35 pm:
Hi!
Been looking for ways to help the blood flow to our horse's, joints, tendons, bone, etc., all the way down to their tiptoe  We have added warmers over each stall from Farmtek:
https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10052&storeId=10001&langId=-1&division=FarmTek&productId=287975
Stalls have the Comfort Stall Floor System: it's a revolutionary therapeutic anti-fatigue flooring system for your horse's stall. It greatly improves your horses' comfort and reduces your barn maintenance costs. It is not a rubber mat.
https://www.comfortstall.com/ We bought the hospital grade top. Absolutely love it...and so do the horses. We add shavings for extra warmth and comfort, but not much.
Supplements from Platinum Performance:
https://platinumperformance.com/animal/equine/products/productcategories/
and thinking of adding some Cavalor :
https://www.cavalor.com/index.php
All of our Veterinarians (3) think it is very important to have our horses on supplements.
Now for more on the subject of this post...Whinny Warmers:
https://www.whinnywarmers.com/
Haven't received them yet...I'll let you know how they work out. They're on sale until Christmas!!
Tonya
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Member:
pbauer
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 24, 2008 - 6:58 pm:
The Quartz Infrared Spot Heater: https://www.farmtek.com
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 25, 2008 - 3:25 pm:
Tonya, just curious, how long do you leave the heaters on, and what to they add to your electric bill?
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 25, 2008 - 4:23 pm:
I have 2 of the infrared area heaters from Lowes ($50 each)Got one for my tack room and one for my foaling stall. But I havent used them yet. My hubby said that because they are Infrared, and I keep my back stall doors open, they will only heat what the light beams touches. So I would need to keep mine on the whole time I needed heat.My horses would be able to stand under it if they were cold. If you barn is closed ( not much air circulation) the infrared would heat whatever it touches and then that would add 'convetion heat'.
We have also have friends that used them like that-- with the stall doors open and swear by that method. Keeps fresh air in and if the horses get too warm they can move over a few feet and its a total different air temp.
We hung our from the rafters on chains. Relatively safe.
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 9:57 am:
$50 at Lowes sounds great Leslie! Still wondering about cost to run though. Does it give an energy rating like on kitchen appliances?
My barn electric bill used to run from $15 in summer to $80 in winter. Only things running were one water trough de-icer, and a small heater in a very insulated room with the pump, etc.
For some reason this year it is running around $250! The little pump room even got a fresh insulation with the barn renovations. All I can figure is the electric rate went up, but that much?
Now that I have a "hot-house flower" boarder (whole 'nother story there!), the stalled horse's buckets freeze because I leave my horses' stalls open to come and go as they need shelter. If I keep the stalls all closed, boarder's buckets don't freeze, but my horses have to either stay in all night, or stay out. I thought maybe one or two of those heaters would keep everyone happy. But wondering what it will do to the electric bills.
Horses sure are a lot more expensive to keep than they used to be! Thanks for the info.
Erika
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Member:
hpyhaulr
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 10:54 am:
I feel like a spoiled brat even responding to this. My little accommodation is simply born out of inconvenience, not the necessity I hear in your situation. I built an insulated box around my buckets. It was easy really. Less than 2 sheets of the thickest plywood was enough for all 7 stalls, it has been cut to be the front and sides for all these bucket boxes. a board nailed to the bottom about 4" lower than the buckets sat when hung from the hooks,another board on the top with the holes cut out so I could seat the buckets in. House insulation set in around and under the bucket space. The only exposure the buckets have is from the top and this is enough to keep it from freezing to the point where they can't keep it drinkable. It is basically an insulated box around the buckets. I have 2 buckets per stall, right next to each other so it was easy and inexpensive. Normally our winter runs for about 6 weeks and most winters, I don't have to break ice more than once or twice a year in the pasture troughs,and maybe a bit more in the stalls but this has been a VERY unusual winter for us. We have had a number of nights when it has gone down into the teens and stayed there. Having a sheDrOw, there is no insulation in my barn. The water bucket boxes are now the exception to that rule. basically 4 sided boxes nailed to the stall wall and the top side has bucket cut outs so I can take them out and wash them as always. The lip of the bucket is above the top board,and they still hang on the hooks so the weight is not on the box itself. (obviously I did not make the cut out, just the design, or they would still be nonfunctional. If our barn electric jumped from $15 to $250, I would be jumping off an overpass.... if we had one around here. lol
I don't know whether they will be the good news or the bad news come summer. we will find out when we get there.
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Member:
hpyhaulr
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 11:09 am:
PS:
Tonya, your barn sounds like horse heaven. How do you like the flooring system and please let us know how you like the Whinny Warmers when you get them. They sound like a really good idea, except for the part where they lose their shape and start slipping... my 'what if' gene kicked in when I read that part. I am very curious, however. I LOVED the "Made in America" plug!
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 11:28 am:
Tonya, I don't mean to be hijacking this thread, but I've tried to reply to your last email and my mail was sent back as undeliverable.
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 12:35 pm:
Erika
Can you heat the hot house flowers' water bucket, with a heater that will shut off at certain temp?
My heaters are 1706 BTU's. Will keep a horse warm standing under it but probably wouldnt keep a water bucket (in open barn) unfozen unless it was placed directly under it. I looked at the ones Tonya posted and the BTUs of those are 5000+...probably will keep her whole barn warm.
Hmmmm, That is weird about your electric bill. seems like something is not right in that picture. maybe your meter is on the fritz
L
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 12:43 pm:
Oooops forgot to add the manufactures website...www.marleymep.com ..1800/654-3545
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 3:15 pm:
Tonya, my reply to your last email bounced too.
Leslie, you and Elizabeth are mixing me up with your new identities, ha ha!
I think I am going to have a talk with my boarder this weekend. I offered her the SAME treatment my horses get if she would split the cost of the guy who helps feed. She agreed, then told me about the blankets, limited grass, face mask (uveitis), and night stalling after she got all moved in .
The extra shavings at $6/bag (me paying 2/3 as per our original agreement) for full deep stalling is taking up any help in paying the boy. I have a sneaking suspicion that part of the electric bill is her heavy use of the hot water heater. She washes him and all her stuff often and fills her buckets with hot water in order to keep them liquid longer. The outside trough has a de-icer, but her horse has no access to it when he is stalled. I think it is costing me more to keep her here!
Oh well, sorry to hijack--but I will look into the heaters for the ones that come in and out. Some nights here have been bitter cold! Keep the great ideas coming. And again, my apologies for the hijack.
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 3:16 pm:
PS, I don't need to point out that I am a cranky woman in winter...need one of those heaters over my computer chair!
Do you think they come with palm trees attached?
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 3:25 pm:
Erika,
I remember our electric used to be around $40 in the summer, maybe hit $100.00 in the winter. We have consistantly USED LESS every year for the last 3 years, but the bill kept going UP! (I have 3 years worth of bills to look at)Rates keep going up.
They gave us new meters last year, now they just drive in, and point some device at the meter to read it, and they read it monthly instead of every other month. And the bills went down! So faulty meter? I dunno...
We figure the tank heater, and the one dog bowl that is heated (for the barn cats)adds a dollar a day to the bill. Oh there is heat trace turned on also for the water pipe in the tack room.
I'd call and complain and ask questions!
I turn the tank off in the morning, and back on at night on lovely days like today (freezing rain, 30 something) I can turn the breaker switch off for the heat trace.
We've replaced bulbs in the house and in the barn, with fluorescents as much as possible. And I am always on everyone's butt to turn things off when not using them!!! Computer goes into low power or off, tv's and all electronics are on power strips that get turned off at night...all those little things add up on the bill.
You might want to ask a qualified electrician for advice also, I think faulty wiring can be zapping extra juice.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 4:05 pm:
Well I can help you out with the electric a little, I get called on re-reads all the time because people call and complain there bill is too high. There are a few things I learned along the way.
1. if a meter is going bad it doesn't run faster..it slows down.
2. Space heaters are terrible energy suckers along with de-humidifiers...worse than air conditioning!
3. sometimes the well springs a leak and the pump will run way more than normal...you never realize it.
4. old appliances suck way more energy than the new efficient ones.
5. electric tank heaters don't suck as much energy as you might think...especially if you have the newer versions.
6. Angie is right if you have old wiring you could have leakage.
The electric company I read meters for will lend you a kw tester which will tell you exactly how much kw something is using. If they don't do that you can buy them fairly cheaply. OR you could have a bad meter reader...if you have one.
It doesn't hurt to call the elec. co. and voice your concerns, around here actually they are very helpful...except I get sent out on re-reads...99.99% of the complaints about high usage is not a bad reading
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 8:21 pm:
Why thank you Diane, that was most informative!
So, it's not the tank heater sucking up the $$$, but rather the dehumidifier, which we run a lot unless we are burning wood, but then the blower on the wood burner is blowing..can't win!
Boy, the well thing, that is something most people may not think of.
I am betting our meter got changed about the same time our kitchen remodel was done, and we got new kitchen appliances, and energy efficient washer & dryer too.
My husband is an electrician, (industrial) and he told me about the leakage, which sounds weird, but he understands it anyhow. Yet I can't get him trained to turn stuff off!
Erika,
Do you need sand with those palm trees???  Some kind of fruity drink with an umbrella in it? Boy I hear ya, I went to put hay way out, and thought the heck with it, knee deep snow, no go! Horses will eat by the barn for now.
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Member:
cheryl
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 - 10:51 am:
I have been using the 16 gallon heated tubs for my horses for 5 years now - they are only 250 watts as opposed to the 1200-1500 watts the stock tank heaters use - Since they hold 16 gallons - only one is required per stall - If you don't fill them all the way full they can be emptied without too much trouble - Even when we were in ND with temps in the -20 to -40 degree range all my horses had tepid water 24/7 - The tubs I have now have been used through 5 winters - no problems with them at all.
Cheryl
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 - 12:50 pm:
Thanks for the inside scoop Diane. All the electric is SUPPOSED to be new. My husband surprised me with a beautiful barn makeover this summer. ("Move that bus!!!" )
Now when you say "tank heater" are you referring to the trough de-icer? Or the hot water heater tank that makes hot water come out of the faucet?
I've had the trough de-icer for years, don't think that's the culprit.
I'm talking about only using the hot water tap all winter, for everything. Boarder likes to wash a lot of stuff all the time. Something tells me that might be making a difference.
I've had it for years, too, but I don't use it much when it gets too cold for baths.
Angie, yes, all those things included would be very nice, thank you. Now you've but a bug in my ear...going to a travel site now to look for cheap tickets headed south!
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 - 1:38 pm:
No the de-icers aren't too bad, I do know from Water heater re-reads that way more people complain about them in the winter, If you have a hot water heater, especially if it's in a cooler room it will run a lot more, so if you do have one and the barn is not at least room temp...68 degrees it runs a lot. I don't know if you have one, but one of those insulating jackets for hot water heaters could help you out it if that's the culprit.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 - 7:44 pm:
How about this for a handy barn helper. I bet once you got the hang of one it would save some time and bedding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBuDwOkRfQs
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