Can you lead a horse to water and make it drink?

[Sven]

My horse has had a bad bout of colic and the vet says I need to make him drink more. I am thinking along the lines of apple bobbing - any better suggestions?

 

[amandap]

Lol! Do you add salt to his feed? If not that will help.

 

[the watcher]

If your horse is dehydrated you will need to syringe water in regularly. If more water would just be advisable try offering a small quantity with apple juice in it or very very sloppy feeds

 

[EstherYoung]

Try mollasses water, sugar beet water, or http://www.horsequencher.co.uk/

 

[Enfys]

My Vet recommended that I make up a syringe of very salty water and give it to the horse. It will encourage the horse to drink.

In addition, give the horse a choice of water, flavoured with whatever. My pony showed a distinct preference for flavoured water.

 

[SpottedCat]

Horsequencher is really good, tried it on my horse and it really stimulated him to drink.

 

[NicoleS_007]

Try adding mollasses to a bucket of water, all the horses i no which have tryed it love it. You could also add salt and water your hard feed

 

[TheFox]

I add a cupfull of apple juice to my mares water.. makes her drink everytime

 

[Sven]

Thanks everyone, off to the shop for apple juice and molasses. Not sure I can get the horsequencher here in CI, but will look into it.

I've given him a couple of small very wet feeds and he has drunk a little bit of water so fingers crossed.

x

 

[amandap]

May I suggest you be careful with mollasses if there is history of laminitis or if it could be a risk with her physical stress atm. Put a desertspoon of table salt into her sloppy feed.

 

[Maisy]

Slightly OT but are there not the same risks of too much salt for horses as for humans??

(Genuine question....)

 

[EstherYoung]

Feeding salt if the horse is already dehydrated is not a good thing and can make matters worse.

 

[amandap]

It seems Sven is going with mollasses/fruit juice way anyway but perhaps ask the vet about salt to be safe.

 

[Sven]

OK, we have had some success with the apple juice. Decided not go down the molasses route as he is a bit of a porker at the best of times, and sugar normally blows him up.

Went for electrolytes rather than pure salt - and very sloppy feeds.

Keep those fingers crossed, after being up from 2.30 am till 7.30 am with him I really could so with some sleep tonight.

 

[paulineh]

Be careful about giving too much electrolytes if the horse is not drinking on a regular bases.


Giving horses electrolytes before the horse drinks enough can make them dehydrated.

If you email Lucinda from Horsequench and explain your situation she may well send you some. It really is very good stuff.Tell her the horse will drink the apple juice.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

As others have said, I'd be very cautious about giving salt to a horse that is reluctant to drink. You could make a bad situation worse and if he's recovering from colic surgery I wouldn't want severe dehydration to interfere with his recovery.