Understanding horse hydration is essential in order to help your horses maintain good health. Here are 6 common questions that people have about horse hydration to help you understand the various factors involved in this better.
What Are Horse Water Requirements?
While horses can survive for weeks without food, they can only last a few days without water. On average, horses can drink 5-15 gallons of water a day. The more active the horse is or the hotter and more humid the climate, the more water they may need. Their diet and conformation can also impact horse hydration needs.
Horses need fresh, clean, temperate water. While they may drink from natural water sources, these should not be their only source of water, as they can freeze over, become muddy and hard to access, and may spread disease.
How Long Is Too Long For A Horse To Go Without Water?
Horses shouldn’t go longer than a few hours without access to water. Like most other animals, horses need consistent, adequate water in order to stay healthy. Within a mere 48 hours without water, horses can begin to show signs of colic. Horses can only survive a few days without water.
What Are Signs That Your Horse Is Dehydrated?
It’s crucial to be able to recognize the signs of dehydration in horses in order to maintain their health. Some of these are as follows:
- Sunken eyes
- Tacky gums
- Dark urine
- Lethargy
- Increased heart rate
- Dry coat/flakey skin
- Decreased appetite
- Prolonged skin tenting (If the horse’s skin snaps right back when you pinch it, they’re hydrated. If it takes longer than a second, your horse may be dehydrated.)
- Reduced capillary refill time (If you press on your horse’s gums, the blood should return in a second or two. If it takes longer than three seconds, your horse may be dehydrated.)
Most of the time, you can help your horse by offering clean, fresh water. However, if your horse is very dehydrated, your vet may need to administer fluids. Whenever you have concerns about your horse’s health, consult with your vet, as they will be able to provide you with advice and information specific to your individual circumstances.
What Are The Best Ways To Keep Horses Hydrated?
You know the saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”? There’s a good reason for this. Horses can be picky about their water.
The best ways to facilitate proper horse hydration include:
- Providing easy access to clean, fresh, temperate water
- Schedule regular vet check-ups.
- Provide salt and electrolyte supplements to encourage horses to drink more.
- Adjust their diet accordingly. Incorporating feed with a higher moisture content can help with horse hydration.
- Provide water before and after exercise.
How Do Horses Drink Water?
Horses don’t lap water like cats do. Rather, they drink it more like humans. They put their muzzle into the water to be able to suck the water up into their mouths.
Can Horses Drink Too Much Water?
While rare, horses can indeed drink too much water. The difference between normal horse hydration and a horse that drinks too much is typically health conditions. Healthy horses typically don’t drink any more than they need. However, if a horse has a health issue, like Cushing’s disease, they can drink in excess.
Drinking too much water puts stress on the horse’s kidneys and can dilute the electrolytes in their body. This can impact their body’s ability to regulate temperature.
When it comes to horse hydration and whether your horse is drinking too much or not enough, you typically don’t have to worry about your horse drinking too much. If they do, you know that something is wrong. However, you do need to be mindful of your horse not drinking enough, as horses can be picky with their water and there are many other factors that can negatively affect horse hydration.
Make Keeping Your Horses Hydrated Easier
Bar Bar A provides non-electric, automatic horse waterers in order to make keeping your horses hydrated easier. Since they are non-electric, you don’t have to worry about your horses being shocked when they try to drink. They connect right to your water line, so that your horses have easy access to fresh, clean, temperate water all year round.
Contact us today to learn more about our automatic horse waterers and what we can do for you.