Sources:
Horse drinking water needs | Horse Information Center
Horse fluid balance - Vetcare
water needs | Hevoseni.fi
Photo: Pixabay
In the summer heat, you should ensure your horse has access to water.
Here in the northern hemisphere, we have also had to get used to record-breaking summers in recent years, with temperatures reaching well over 30 degrees Celsius at best. This brings challenges to many everyday tasks, including keeping horses. In the heat, training horses is a struggle, and even being out in the pasture can be anything but relaxing.
As mentioned in the previous blog article , in hot weather the sun can heat a horse's surface temperature up to 60 degrees Celsius. In this case, the body's thermoregulation is hard, preventing the body temperature from rising higher than normal. In the same way that the human body is mostly water, a horse's weight is also 60-70 percent water. In the case of foals, the proportion is proportionally higher, and therefore foals are especially at risk of dehydration. Although an unweaned foal gets most of its water from milk, a one-month-old foal drinks about four liters of water in addition to milk during the day.
Water needs vary
An adult horse's daily water requirement is approximately five liters per hundred kilograms of body weight. A horse in intensive training or lactating needs significantly more, up to two or three times that amount. A horse of normal weight loses 10-15 liters of fluid per hour through sweating, and a lactating mare loses 2-4 percent of her body weight through milk every day.
According to research, a horse weighing approximately 500 kg at rest needs 25 litres of water per day at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. The average amount for a pregnant mare is 31 litres, a lactating mare 51 litres per day, and a horse in moderate work 41 litres. Naturally, the amount increases with the temperature. Stables often use automatic water dispensers, but the flow and drinking space are often too small for the horse's needs. Horses have been observed to prefer to drink from buckets or larger bowls.
Pasture grass contains 80 percent water, meaning that for example 40 kilos of grass contains 32 kilos of water. Despite this, pastures must still have sufficient clean water available. You can easily check your water needs using the Horse Information Centre calculator .
Fluid balance and dehydration
Fluid balance refers to when a horse's water intake is in line with fluid loss. A horse must receive sufficient fluid for its well-being, as too little water intake predisposes it to constipation, among other things. When the temperature rises, more fluid evaporates through the horse's skin. Since horses drink after eating, the horse must have access to water during feeding - even outdoors. If the interval between feeding and drinking is too long, digestion may be disrupted and the risk of bloat increases.
If it seems like your horse hasn't had enough to drink, it may be suffering from dehydration or even dehydration. Symptoms include poor appetite, decreased bowel movements, dry manure, and lethargy. You can assess the situation with a couple of tests: Lift the horse's skin with your fingers and watch for recovery. Normally, the skin will fall within a couple of seconds, but it will take longer if you are dehydrated. Another test is to press on the horse's mucous membrane, for example under the upper lip. A pale spot will appear on the mucous membrane, which should turn pink again within seconds. In uncertain situations, you should always consult a veterinarian.
Getting a horse to drink can be tricky, especially if they are a bit picky. Some horses can be picky about water in unfamiliar places, so “flavoring” the water can help. At least apple juice, molasses or molasses cut , which bind a lot of fluid, are worth trying. Others also like electrolytes (which are also useful when fed separately), salt or mineral water.
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Sources:
Horse drinking water needs | Horse Information Center
Horse fluid balance - Vetcare
water needs | Hevoseni.fi
Photo: Pixabay
Sources:
Horse drinking water needs | Horse Information Center
Horse fluid balance - Vetcare
water needs | Hevoseni.fi
Photo: Pixabay
