Providing Water for Your Horse

Water: Your horse needs plenty of clean, fresh water at all times. Approximately 50% of an adult horse's body is composed of water. A horse will drink 10 to 12 gallons of water each day. In winter months, stock tank heaters will help to stop ice buildup so that your horse will have access to water.

Make sure a hot horse, such as after exercising or doing heavy work, does not have free access to water right away. Only allow for just a few sips, and then walk him to cool him down. Once the horse's body has cooled down and breathing has returned to normal, let him have water freely. Some horses may refuse to drink later if not offered a small amount of water fairly soon after his workout.

Regularly scrub out buckets, containers, troughs and automatic drinkers. Clean and disinfect community water sources if a sick horse is detected in a group. Sick horses should have access to a separate water source until they are considered healthy again.

Tip: Keeping the mosquito population down

West Nile Virus is a concern. You can put feeder goldfish in pasture water tanks and they will feed off the mosquito larvae that mosquitoes deposit in the water. The goldfish will live throughout the winter as long as the water does not completely freeze.

Tip: To keep the water tank from completely freezing over

In areas susceptible to very hard freezes, a tennis ball or soccer ball floating in the water tank will keep it from completely freezing over.

For more on feeding and watering your horse, visit Front Range Frenzy...