Horse drinking buckets come in a few different materials so you will want to think about what sort of material you will want to make sure you get the bucket that is right for your needs. Many buckets are made of a strong plastic material. Plastic is a great choice because it does not corrode or develop rust which can help keep the water cleaner. It also allows the buckets to be lightweight so that it is easy to carry water to your horse as needed. Of course, plastic can break and since it is lightweight, it is easy for the horse to knock it over and spill the water out of the bucket.

Metal is the other common material that is used to make horse water buckets and is a widely popular choice. One of the main advantages that metal has over rubber is that it is more durable and is less likely to break than plastic. You can also get metal buckets in different thicknesses which means that they are not necessarily heavier than plastic buckets are either. However, metal can be prone to developing corrosion, including rust, which can contaminate your horse's water and make the water unsafe to drink. If you are looking at purchasing a metal horse water bucket, then you should consider looking stainless or galvanized steel to help it last longer. The final choice is rubber, although rubber tends to be used in more pan style buckets rather than buckets that you carry. Rubber doesn't rust or corrode and it is durable as well. Another advantage of rubber is that it is less likely to slide around as the horse drinks from it. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will find a handled bucket make of rubber so your options are limited.

Horse buckets are sold in unheated and heated versions which will provide you with some more choices. A heated bucket is useful in climates where you will experience below freezing temperatures and your horse's water can freeze during the cold season. Its main advantage is that it has a heating element built into the bucket that will warm the water and prevent it from freezing over when it is cold outside. This will help to make sure that your horse can still access its water even when the outside temperature is below freezing in the winter season.

Of course, most of the time you will not need a heated horse bucket because it won't be below freezing. A heated horse bucket costs more than a regular horse bucket because you are adding a heating element and a cord into the bucket. It is also possible for the heating element in a heated bucket to fail which will make the heated horse bucket into a regular horse bucket. You will also need to make sure there are no fire hazards near a heated horse bucket in case something goes wrong with the heating element or the cord.

For these reasons, you should only spend the extra money on a heated horse bucket when you actually need to have a heated bucket. If you live in climates where the temperature can get below freezing and there is a chance that your horse's water can turn into ice, then you will need to have a heated horse water bucket. Otherwise, you should save yourself some money and stick with a regular horse water bucket that is not heated since there is no real reason to have a heated horse bucket.

Size and weight matter because it will determine how much water you can put into the horse bucket and how likely it is that the bucket will tip over when the horse is drinking out of it. A larger horse bucket can naturally hold more water than a smaller one, but this will mean that you will have to work harder to carry the bucket if you need to move a full bucket from one location to another when it's full of water. On the other hand, a smaller bucket is easier to carry but will need to be refilled more often because of its size.

There is also the matter of how often you should change the water in the bucket. Since a large bucket holds more water, you may be tempted to not change the water as frequently as you should. Horses are not clean animals and they will get dirt, spit, and straw into their drinking water which will introduce germs into the water and make them sick. A smaller bucket will force you to change the water on a more regular basis since you will need to keep refilling it more often anyway. On the other hand, a larger bucket will mean that you will need to check the water for cleanliness anyway.

If you want to use a single bucket to water multiple horses, then it is recommended that you purchase a larger horse watering bucket. In situations where you are only watering one horse at a time, then you will probably be better off using a smaller water bucket since it is easier to carry than a large bucket. If your horse is messy and likes to kick over their water bucket, then you can also use a larger and heavier bucket.

All animals are careless with their water at certain times and are likely to accidentally or deliberately spill their water bucket. This is a good reason why you will want to look at the bucket to see what sort of things it has to avoid spilling water. The more likely your water bucket is resistant to falling over and spilling, the longer your horse will have access to water. You can look at the size, shape, and features of the bucket to get an idea as to how likely it is to avoid getting tipped over and spilled by the horse or other livestock.

Some buckets are a pan style where they are wider than what they are taller. These are great to use when you are concerned about the water spilling because such buckets have a lower center of gravity and are therefore less likely to get tipped or knocked over accidentally by the horse. Many rubber pan style buckets feature this design and work great for horse stalls or similar applications. You can also look for buckets that have a flat back on them. A flat back will allow you to put a bucket firmly against a wall or a pole in the barn. Many people have some sort of a tie down they use on the bucket to secure it firmly to the wall so that the horse doesn't knock it over when it is in place. You will also see raised buckets that have hooks or mount off of the ground. Not only does this design help to keep the bucket in place but it will also help the water to stay clean while it is in the bucket since it is raised from the ground.

The overall quality should also matter to you when you are picking out a water bucket for your horses. There are going to be more than a few times where you end up dropping your bucket or knocking it over by accident. Even if you can carry your bucket perfectly, chances are that your horse will at sometime knock the bucket over, step on it, or even kick it. Your bucket needs to be strong enough to not develop dents, cracks, or leaks in it when it happens. If you plan on carrying a bucket by its handles, then you will also need to make sure that the handles are strong and durable so that the bucket is supported while it is under a heavy load.

When you are picking out a bucket, you will need to make sure that the walls of the bucket are strong and thick. This will be different depending on the material that is used to make the bucket so a plastic bucket will normally need thicker walls than a steel bucket. You will need to make sure that the bucket is sealed completely and doesn't leak water as a leaking bucket will make a mess and doesn't really serve its intended function. When a bucket is made of steel, you have to make sure that it isn't getting rusty or corroded as this will contaminate your horse's drinking water and can make your horse sick. Plastic buckets should be made of food grade quality plastic so that toxins do not leak into the water from the plastic. You should never leave your buckets out in the weather whenever it is possible to do so, but you will also want to look for buckets that resist the weather so that they last longer.