Why does the drinking trough turn green?

Algae thrive best in stagnant water. Algae naturally occur in water, but especially when using rainwater/groundwater, the quantity is higher. Due to the relatively small surface area of a drinking trough, the water heats up quickly and receives a large amount of sunlight, allowing the algae to grow well.

But how do you prevent algae?

There are a few things you can do to prevent your horse's water trough from getting covered in algae residue in a day or prevent algae from appearing in your water storage.

• Place the water trough and storage in the shade. The higher the water temperature, the easier algae growth occurs. Therefore, choose a shaded spot for the drinking trough.

• Avoid direct sunlight. Algae grow under the influence of sunlight. So aside from the fact that the sun warms the water pleasantly for the algae, the sun also contributes to extra algae growth.

• Keep the water moving. Horses prefer to drink still water, but stagnant water increases algae growth. There are floating pond balls that allow air to pass through. This will keep the water moving and add extra oxygen to it. Algae do not like either of these things!

• Cover your water storage. Are you collecting rainwater? Cover the storage with tarpaulin. This lowers the temperature and prevents sunlight from affecting the tank. As a result, your water remains free of algae for a longer period.

• Use a larger water trough. The more water, the longer it takes for the water to heat up to the ideal temperature for algae.

Of course, it is important that your horse always has access to fresh water. Therefore, change the water daily and clean the water trough thoroughly. Do you have any tips? Share them with us!