{"id":11845,"date":"2023-07-04T04:54:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T04:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/?page_id=11845"},"modified":"2023-09-11T08:45:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T08:45:49","slug":"watering-horses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/lifestyle\/animals\/horses\/watering-horses\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Rules of Watering Horses | Water a Horse Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

RULES OF WATERING A HORSE<\/strong>: On average, horses drink up to 25 gallons per day. So, healthy equines need fresh safe drinking water daily and in large quantities.<\/p>\n

10 Safe Rules of Watering a Horse<\/h2>\n

You may be teaching (or learning) proper horse care and stable management. If so, following these ten top tips and points of safe rules of watering horses and ponies is certain to make your equine healthier and happier.<\/p>\n

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1. Water Quality<\/h2>\n

The first and most basic rule of watering horses is to provide them with constant access to clean, fresh water at all times – including pastures and stall. Typically, this means every day of every month whether they are in their regular stable or away from home.<\/p>\n

Drinking fluids helps equines stay hydrated and healthy because water assists digestion of their food.<\/p>\n

Standing water soon becomes unpalatable so you should change it at least two times each day. Remember that leaf litter makes potted water very dirty and undrinkable extremely quickly.<\/p>\n

In the hot months standing water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests which may cause diseases.<\/p>\n

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2. Natural Water Sources<\/h2>\n

If your horse or pony drinks from a running stream you should check their footing. Horses can get stuck in the mud if it is extremely deep so a better solution is supplying them with buckets or troughs.<\/p>\n

Remember the stream needs to be flowing. Stagnant water is dangerous for your horse’s health. Section them away from streams which are not running.<\/p>\n

Despite not having to clean out a local stream as often as your buckets, you may need to remove human garbage and dead organic matter on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Removing large branches and tree limbs will also lower the risk of your horse or pony getting stuck.<\/p>\n

Standing in a babbling brook can be good for your horse’s feet. But, you should only allow it in small doses because soaking for too long actually softens their feet.<\/p>\n

You should be familiar with flooding and extreme storm procedures<\/a>. Make sure your riding rings, pastures, and stalls are well drained.<\/p>\n

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3. Water Quantity<\/h2>\n

As a rule, the daily amount of water that a horse or pony will drink depends on its breed, size, age, and other special requirements. But, generally somewhere between 10 and 25 gallons is not uncommon.<\/p>\n

This could mean watering your horse before feeding at least 6 times a day in the summer and 3 times a day through the winter months.<\/p>\n

Drinking too little water puts your horse at serious risk of colic and laminitis.<\/p>\n

Water quantity rises during hot weather and drops during cold weather, especially if it is not kept warm enough (thawed). You can encourage animals to drink more fluids in winter months by feeding horses<\/a> with salty food. <\/p>\n

Note<\/strong>: Soaked beet pulp contains high levels of salt which helps to trigger their thirst mechanism.<\/p>\n

Horse Feed Affects Water Consumption<\/h4>\n

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