WATER
The horse's need for water
Water should without exception be considered as a feed and the water given to horses must always meet the requirements for it to be accepted as drinking water for humans. Among other things, the water takes care of a number of important transport functions in the body. It nourishes the cells, removes waste products and transports life-giving oxygen into various parts of the body tissue. It is important that all horses always have access to clean water, in the pasture as well as in the stable, no matter what season!
How much does a horse drink?
Of course, it varies depending on how hard your horse is training as well as your horse’s weight. In general, you can use the following guideline:
Maintenance - 5 liters per 100 kg horse
Easy to medium hard work - 7 liters per 100 kg horse
Hard work - 10-15 liters per 100 kg horse
Lactating mares - 8-10 liters per 100 kg horse
Of course, all horses are different individuals like us humans, some may be better at drinking than others. If your horse drinks a little below what it should during the day but still behaves as usual, you do not need to worry.
How to control the flow in a water bowl
If you use a water bowl, it is important to control the flow. A good flow gives at least 8 liters of water / minute and you can easily test it by doing the following:
- Fill the water bowl full.
- Put a bucket under the water bowl and then push water forward for 1 minute.
- Measure how much water has entered the bucket after the end of time, this should then be at least 8 liters.
My horse doesn't drink enough, what can I do?
In the spring, when the days get warmer, it is easy for our horses not to drink the amount they need. Here are some tips you can try if you think your horse drinks less than usual:
- Use a lighter bucket, some horses drink better then.
- Flavor the water - test for example with apple, carrots, salt, electrolytes or KRAFFT Sensitive Mash. If you taste the water, always offer a bucket of clean water as well.
- Let the horse drink in peace. Horses generally drink less when they are stressed.
- Make sure the water is clean - a rule of thumb is that the water should be so hygienic that you want to drink it yourself.
- Look up the horse's salt intake. Does it get enough salt? More salt usually increases the horse's water consumption.
- Soak the complementary feed.
- Complement your water bowl with a water bucket.