December 12, 2023

Ritchie Celebrates 100 Years of Providing Fresh Water to Horses

One hundred years ago, horses in the United States were primarily valued as beasts of burden for the raw power they brought to farms and transportation companies. The population of horses and mules in 1921 was over 25 million, just … Read More

November 9, 2023

Throwing Cold Water on a Common Myth

One of the more stubbornly enduring equine myths is the thought that giving cold (40 to 50 degrees F) or too much water to your sweaty horse after a heavy workout will cause colic. “I don’t think anybody truly understands … Read More

October 17, 2023

Comfy Cows Drink More, Produce More

Consumers continue to love dairy products, with 91% and 92% of folks nationwide consuming milk and cheese, according to a 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded report compiled by Atlantic Corporation. Consumers are also increasingly interested in how their food is … Read More

September 5, 2023

Give Mosquitoes the Boot This Summer

That familiar high-pitched buzz is an unwelcome reminder that warm weather brings pesky mosquitoes. More than just annoying, some mosquitoes are the primary transmitters of West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE), and Western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE). Mosquito breeding requires … Read More

August 30, 2023

Automatic Waterers Increase Your Horse Time and Decrease Your Chore Time

One of the joys of horse ownership is just spending time with your equine friend. Horse lovers everywhere know how much of a stress reliever horses can be – even something as simple as grooming your horse has been shown … Read More

August 7, 2023

Planning Tips & Common Mistakes When Considering an Automatic Waterer

Summertime and early fall are great times to plan for and install automatic waterers in the paddock, stall or pasture. Automatic waterers keep the water fresh, clean, and at a temperature that is appealing to your horse throughout all seasons. … Read More

July 12, 2023

Do the Mash This Winter to Increase Water Consumption

Did you know that horses have the smallest stomach in relation to the body size of all domestic animals? Their stomachs can only hold two to three gallons of food and water at a time. Throughout their day, the average … Read More

Ritchie Fount
June 26, 2023

Go with the flow: The importance of water consumption in dairy cattle

Name the single nutrient that can impact milk production the most drastically. Hopefully, you answered “water” but if you didn’t you are not alone. For most producers drinking water is not a top of mind concern. But consider this, water … Read More

June 12, 2023

For 100 Years Ritchie Industries Has Brought Fresh Water to the Ranch & Farm

Stagnant water, algae blooms in the summer, and stock tanks full of ice in the winter were all problems Thomas Ritchie, an Oskaloosa, Iowa native, was busy trying to solve. In 1921, Ritchie patented the first automatic waterer valve that … Read More

May 22, 2023

From Drought to Derechos – 2020 Challenges All Facets of Beef Production

Iowa beef producers have been in a heavyweight fight with Mother Nature for the past couple of years. 2019 was the blow of devastating floods and 2020 is the one-two punch of drought and derecho damage. No matter how vicious … Read More