September 12, 2013

Bucket Hanger Breaking Champion

When I got to the barn for my ride yesterday, I found Connor inside.

Why am I here?
Some investigating turned up that it was so hot and humid yesterday (96 degrees!) they had brought him and his buddy inside for the day to stand under fans with the rest of the herd, who is on night turnout right now.

Since he wasn't in his normal stall (stall assignments are somewhat fluid here), he didn't have his Connor-proof bucket strap, so I found his bucket laying empty on the floor with a broken wall latch.  He drinks like a fish, loves playing with empty water buckets, and pees a lot.  This is the 5th bucket holder/hanger he's broken since he's been here, and the only reason he hasn't broken more is that I bought him his own personal stock tank for the little paddock last summer, and because he hasn't yet figured out bucket straps.

Broken bucket hanger next to one of my Connor-proof bucket straps from SmartPak
Attempted photo of cute pony in stall failed when he turned around to say hi to me.

Anyone else have a champion bucket hanger breaker?  What do you do to thwart them?

6 comments:

  1. I've seen stud chains used... but Henry is pretty good about stuff, till he gets board and then he throws things around lol.

    That last picture cracks me up- I have far to many of those moments when taking pics!

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  2. Whew! I don't have that problem. Comrade used to swim in the troughs, but I don't think he ever played with buckets. Our Cobs lean toward escapism.
    Stall pictures are so tough since they are nosy ponies.

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  3. Have you tried the kind that has a ring around the top? (See link below?)

    http://www.horse.com/item/bucket-hanger/SLT771028/

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    Replies
    1. Yes - I came to suggest just this. They're pretty great. Tris is pretty easy on water buckets, but he tends to bang around grain buckets if he's got a hanging feeder.

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  4. More like bucket breaker! Mystic has rubber tubs in his stall for both his grain and his water. He just rubbed on and smashed hanging buckets and tipped over his plastic water buckets. Rubbers ones (on the ground) have done the trick!

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  5. I've never had a bucket hanger breaker but like Tarra I've had plenty of bucket smashers. The best solution I came up with was to sit the bucket inside two tires and then clip the handle onto a ring that was attached to the wall just above the tires. The horse couldn't get any leverage going to start hauling the bucket around because of the tires so he got bored and left it alone eventually.

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