What Do Horses Drink From?
Have you ever watched a horse drink?
Actually focused in on the way he moves his mouth?
Probably not, but it’s actually a beautiful thing!
While small animals (like dogs) drink water by lapping it up, the horse siphons water through pursed lips in a delicate manner.
When it comes to the possible methods of providing your horse with water, what options are available?
Horses drink from buckets or troughs when in their stall. In pasture, they often drink from large water tanks. Some drink from automatic waterers where a horse steps on a pedal and it fills up a bowl for them to drink out of. Wild horses drink from streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.
If you don’t use an automatic waterer, and your horse drinks from a bucket or trough, it’s important to keep in mind that water left in out for more than 3 days will quickly become stagnant.
This will stop your horse from drinking.
It’s recommended to fill the container with only 3 days of water and keep it clean.
Are Automatic Waterers Good Choices for Horses?
Automatic waterers can save a lot of time and effort when it comes to carrying and cleaning water buckets for your horse.
Many models are made with insulation, keeping the water at a temperature the horse will like.
You will not have to deal with electric heaters in the winter months.
The water in an automatic waterer will stay clean, as foreign particles won’t enter easily like they would with a bucket.
Before opting for one of these waterers, however, be prepared for potential challenges.
It’s important to inspect its functionality on a daily basis.
Automatic waterers can get clogged easily and may freeze in cold conditions if your model isn’t insulated.
The filter may fail.
Or the horse might destroy it if he’s in a mood.
Why Would a Horse Refuse to Drink Water?
Some horses are frightened of automatic waterers; if you use one of these, switching to a bucket or trough may solve the problem.
Horses have a keen sense of smell, and if the water bucket has a mildew scent or taste, the horse may stop drinking from it.
Water with high fluoride content will also deter a horse from drinking.
Keeping buckets and troughs clean regularly with a saltwater solution will keep the horse happy.
Other reasons for a horse refusing to drink water is that the water is cold, frozen, or too hot.
In winter weather, many owners opt to use an electric heater in order the keep the water at a better temperature.
How Can I get my Horse to Drink More Water?
First, ensure the horse has easy access to his water.
If your horse is out in the pasture, a great location for the water source is near the gate where he will see it when going in and out.
Sometimes, to get your horse to drink more water, it is as simple as leading your horse to the water source.
You can encourage your horse to drink more water by adding more salt to their diet.
Feeding your horse wet food is another way to increase his hydration; alfalfa pellets or beet pellets expand in water and horses love them.
You could provide a salt and mineral block to your horse.
Another option is flavoring the water with something sweet such as a small amount of juice powder, beet juice, apple juice, or a candy.
You can even add apples in his water bucket!
When he tries to eat the apples he will also get some water into him.
Try putting electrolytes in the horse’s food.
In some situations you may have to feed water to your horse with a syringe.
How Long Can a Horse Go Without Water?
Although a horse can go a month without food, three to four days without water will cause a horse’s organs to shut down and create damage that can’t be repaired.
A horse can die by day 5 with no water.
What Are the Signs of Dehydration in a Horse?
Reg flags for dehydration include include lethargy, depressed mood, dry skin and eyes, muscle spasms, thick saliva, constipation, and decreased feed intake.
His gums may also look dry.
Watch for dark urine, rapid heart rate (more than 60 bpm), and rapid and shallow breathing.
Perform a “pinch test”: pinch his skin on his back and release it.
It should return to normal immediately.
If the horse is dehydrated, the spot you pinched will stay up in a ridge.
The most scientific way to determine if the horse is dehydrated is to have his blood and urine checked at the vet.
Dehydration can be caused by exercise on hot days, athletic events, or diarrhea.
Fevers sometime cause a horse to dehydrate.
If he is sweating out more water than he’s taking in, he will get dehydrated.
Burns and allergic reactions can cause dehydration in horses.
How Much Water Should a Horse Drink?
First, consider the body weight of the horse; a large horse will require more water than a smaller one.
On a non-working day, horses in mild weather will typically drink 5-15 gallons (20-55 litres) of water daily.
There will be variations in the amount of water a horse will drink from day to day.
A horse in pasture will require less water in a day because of the moisture content in the grass.
A sweating working horse will require more water than an idle one.
This is especially true if he is sweating, in which case you may want to consider adding electrolytes to his food to replace the minerals he will lose when he sweats.
What do Horses Like to Drink?
Of course water is their main beverage, and horses like drinking it best at a warm temperature.
Besides water, horses like to drink beer!
In fact, many horses actually love the taste of beer, as the primary ingredients- hops and barley- are both similar to oats, a typical food source for horses.
Horses have better metabolisms than humans and can process alcohol better than us.
Horses like apple juice, which can be used to encourage hydration.
Molasses and corn syrup added to water are also safe treats a horse loves.
A healthy horse is a happy horse, and one of the most important considerations when it comes to horse health is his drinking water.
Ensuring he can access to clean water through a method that fits with his environment is essential to his well-being.