Tips for Keeping Your Horse Hydrated Through the Winter

Horses are at risk for impaction colic if they eat substantial amounts of dry matter without drinking enough water.
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We all know how important water consumption is during the hot days of summer, but did you know that water requirements for your horses can also increase during winter months?

When horses consume the drier winter feeds, which are usually around 15% moisture vs. 60-80% moisture in pasture, water consumption is especially important. Impaction colic can occur when horses eat too much dry matter and don’t drink enough water.

Bob Stenbom, DVM, senior equine professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., recommends horse owners closely watch their horses’ water intake and supply throughout the winter.

“Water is necessary for digestion,” he said. “Horses will not utilize their feed properly if they don’t have an adequate water supply. I have seen horses with enough food that are malnourished because they don’t consume enough water to go along with it.”

He also offered several tips that can help you keep your horses hydrated through the winter months:

  • If you haven’t done it already, consider scheduling a fall wellness exam for your horse with your veterinarian. This is an ideal time to assess and resolve any dental, parasite, or other health issues as well as booster specific vaccines if needed.
  • Provide plenty of good quality forage for your horse. Digesting forage takes longer and can produce more body heat for horses than grain.
  • If a horse has a defective tooth or other serious dental problems, the resulting sensitivity can affect water and feed intake. “Severe dental problems may cause horses to avoid cold water and not chew their food properly, both of which can result in colic due to impaction,” Stenbom said.
  • Snow and ice are not adequate water sources. Horses need about 10-12 gallons of water per day. Check water tanks frequently to ensure they are not frozen.
  • Ensure your horses know how to drink out of their water trough or heated waterer. “I’ve seen horses that have been watered exclusively out of buckets for an extended period of time being initially apprehensive about drinking from a trough or other outside water source when turned out after a long period of stall housing,” Stenbom said. “It is important, especially if your horse is outside during the winter, to make sure it is drinking enough water.”
  • Maintain hoof care and grooming through the winter. Ideally, hooves should be picked clean daily and trimmed on a regular schedule. Regular grooming is a good way for owners to detect issues with their horse in the winter time.
  • Finally, find a happy medium with the horse’s environment by balancing adequate shelter with time to move around freely. “If horses are locked up inside all winter, the chances of respiratory diseases increase,” Stenbom said. “However, kicking them out on pasture and not paying attention to them isn’t right either. Don’t go too far one way or another on the pendulum.”

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