How To Get My Horse To Drink Water

Maintaining Hydration

The old adage is accurate: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” That’s especially true for severely dehydrated horses in need of urgent veterinary intervention. But there are ways to keep your horse well-hydrated from the start and avoid these potentially dangerous scenarios.

First, provide fresh, clean water in clean troughs or buckets at all times. Check frequently for dirt, debris, manure, dead animals, or other contaminants. Scrubbing dirty troughs and buckets and refilling them is part of the nitty-gritty of horse keeping–don’t overlook this important first step.

SWEAT LOSSES

Heat and fluid loss in horses varies with temperature, humidity and the length and duration of exercise. Research has shown that these losses can range from 4.8-20.4 litres (2-6.1% of BW) in horses working at higher speeds for shorter intervals and up to 33.8 Kg (7.5% of BW) was lost in horses performing long distance and low intensity work.

These losses must be replaced and plain water alone is not enough. Make sure your horse's diet is meeting his sodium requirements; correct sodium balance in the horse is necessary for proper thirst response and body water equilibrium. There are multiple ways to provide salt to your horse. Salt blocks or salt licks are an affordable and convenient approach. However, research has shown that individual intake of salt from these blocks is highly variable, and horses might not consume enough salt from these sources to meet their daily sodium requirements, especially if they are exercising and sweating regularly.

Offering plain table salt along with the daily concentrate meal is another way to supplement sodium in a ration. This is also relatively convenient and inexpensive, but it’s important to consider these points when choosing this option; top-dressing large quantities of salt can lead to inconsistent intake (some horses can sort salt from the feed with their lips, leaving the supplement uneaten) or palatability problems (top-dressed salt can reduce feed consumption because some horses might not like the taste). Introduce salt to the feed on a gradual basis and split between the daily feeds to reduce feed refusal. Depending upon the level of exercise between 30-60 grams of salt maybe required.

Providing that your horses diet consists of adequate amounts of forage, salt and free access to a salt block, then electrolyte supplements should be used strategically, for example prior to bouts of heavy exercise, travelling and post exercise. Electrolyte supplements such as KER Restore®SR contains sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium, which are delivered slowly over a period of time to help reduce the ‘flushing out’ of electrolytes that are usually dose fed. When purchasing an electrolyte supplement always check the ingredient listing. You need Sodium and Chloride to be the first listed ingredients and not sugar, such as dextrose. Not that I am suggesting that you try your supplement before you buy but it MUST taste of salt and not be sweet!

The drinking behaviour of horses also varies with management strategies, availability, and the taste of the water. Horses can be particularly fussy of drinking water sourced from other facilities other than home and dealing with a horse that refuses to drink when away at a competition or travelling can quickly become serious. If you are going to be unable to take water from home with you it is always a good idea to have some ways to entice your horse to drink. Some horses may be tempted by water flavoured with apple cider vinegar, apple juice or blackcurrant to mask the taste, but again this will take time to precondition them for 1-2 weeks prior.

REACH FOR RE-COVERY

Alternatively, the Saracen Horse Feeds RE-COVERY Mash has been formulated to tick both boxes with regards to a way of increasing water intake as well as stimulating the thirst response. Formulated on a blend of ’Super-Fibres’, known for their superior digestibility and provision of non-heating calories, the banana flavoured RE-COVERY Mash can be fed as and when needed, alongside any diet because no vitamins or minerals have been added. Drenched in water, ideally with water sitting on top of the feed, the horse is encouraged to drink the fluid before eating the mash which includes a source of electrolytes to help stimulate the thirst response after exertion, training and travelling as well as during the change of season. Saracen RE-COVERY Mash will take 5-10 minutes to soak in warm water or 10 minutes in cold water and should be fed immediately, ideally before travelling home after competing.

In conclusion, it’s easy to keep your horse hydrated if you follow some simple steps: provide plenty of clean fresh water, ensure horses' diets meet their sodium requirements, and use Saracen RE-COVERY Mash strategically to support your horse’s hydration when necessary.