How to Clean Horse Water Buckets

A horse needs clean water to maintain optimum health. David Marshall, a Delaware Equine Extension Veterinarian, states "If it is not clean enough for you to drink out of, you really need to wonder if it's clean enough for your horse." Not only will horses often refuse to drink dirty water, sometimes dirty water contains bacteria that is harmful to equine health. Water buckets are exposed to the elements making contamination from insects and rodents possible, and they are prone to algae buildup. To keep drinking water safe, water buckets should be cleaned every one to two days.

Things You'll Need

  • Stiff bristle brush
  • Water hose
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Instructions

    • 1

      Tip the water bucket over and let almost all of the water pour out. Leave an inch or so of water to aid in cleaning. If possible, drag the water bucket out of the horse pen before dumping it, to prevent soaking the horse area.

    • 2

      Stand the water bucket up and scrub the inside with a clean stiff bristle brush. Use the remaining water in the bucket to wet the brush periodically. Put some muscle into your scrubbing action to remove all algae and bacteria that may have developed in the water bucket. The use of soap is unnecessary, unless there is a concern that the water is contaminated by disease. If disease is a concern, squirt a small amount of dish soap into the water bucket before scrubbing.

    • 3

      Tip the water bucket back onto its side and thoroughly rinse it out with water from a hose. Be extra cautious to rinse out any soap residue, if soap was used.

    • 4

      Look inside the bucket to see if it is clean. If any debris remains inside the bucket, repeat the cleaning process.

    • 5

      Feel inside the water bucket with your hands. If the water bucket feels slimy, there is algae residue in the bucket and it needs to be cleaned again.