I top off the water trough on Friday night.

Saturday morning, it's down to just an inch of ice on the bottom and the heater is above the water line. There is ice leading out from the base of the trough. I can't figure out how the water got out. No holes, cracks or sign that the trough had been tipped over and then replaced. I'd swear someone baled it out overnight as a prank. It was a cold -20c night.

I refill the trough, discover that the breaker had been tripped, reset it and leave a note for DH to check on it. When I get home from work, DH said he had to break ice and turn the breaker back on. I check it, and the breaker is out again, so since the heater is older, and I have a replacement, I got ahead and replace it. Breakers stops tripping and trough is holding it's water.

Sunday morning, trough is nearly empty again. This time, I find a hole in the drain plug with water streaming out. I try to remove the drain plug, but it just crumbles and now the trough has a 1" hole and the remains of the plug stuck in it. I switch to another water trough I have, a Rubbermaid one that has a slow leak from the drain plug. The cold weather actually works for me since the leak freezes and stops leaking!

I make an attempt to buy a heated water bucket or a new trough, but on a Sunday the only stores that are open don't have what I need. One place can get me a new trough on Friday night. Ugh, I can't wait that long. I buy some aquarium caulk as backup, but it needs 24-48 hours to cure, so it's not going to be very helpful.

This morning, I phone the place I bought the trough from, UFA (farm store), and ask if they have replacement drain plugs. They don't, but they might be able to find a plug to put in it, or I can buy a new trough for $150.

After work, I drain the Rubbermaid trough, remove the drain plug, wrap it in teflon tape, hoping that will stop the leak, and use a wrench to tighten it... and crack the drain plug, making it as useless as the other water trough! ARRRGHH! I just screwed myself!

At least with the warmer weather, I'm able to remove the remains of the plug from the UFA trough and measure it (1"). And then I lose it. I put it in my pocket, and it's gone. I searched EVERYWHERE, and I can't find the damned thing. I still can't find it.

As soon as the kids and DH get home, I load up the UFA water trough in the van, leaving the horses without water because my annoying 3 year old pony tipped the bucket I left out for them and drive the 25km to the nearest UFA store. A woman there actually finds me a 1" plumbing plug, and lets me take it out of the store, along with a wrench off a display and try it in the water trough.

It FITS! IT FITS IT FITS!!!

I made sure she knew I was VERY GRATEFUL! That 99c plug saved me the $150 for a new trough. I filled up the trough at home, and no leaks! Fingers crossed that I will still have a full water trough come morning!

Now, I'm going to see if I can buy a new drain plug for the Rubbermaid trough, and I'll have two good troughs again.

Unfortunately there is quite the skating rink where the water trough leaked. I put some sand and old hay over it to give the horses a bit more traction, but I'm really hoping it will melt or roughen a bit in the warmer weather tomorrow. It's funny to watch how carefully they walk over it. :-)