WINTER WATERING: Is Your Horse Drinking Enough?
There’s nothing like a steaming cup of coffee or a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter’s day, right? Well, imagine if all you had to drink was frigid water, or worse, you had to eat snow to quench your thirst. Not a happy thought, yet that is exactly what many horses face on a daily basis in the Winter. While it is certainly true that horses are not humans and don’t need to be treated as such, it is well proven that horses supplied with warm water during cold weather drink more and have fewer health problems as a result. Maintaining ample water intake is actually a critical part of ensuring the health of your horse during the winter months. Studies have shown that horses prefer drinking water with a temperature of 7-18 C (45-65 F). Under average conditions, a horse will consume about 30 ml of water per pound per day, which works out to approximately 6-8 gallons for a 1,000 pound horse. They will drink considerably more in warm weather or if they are exercising and sweating. This mig...