Do horses scent water?

Clodagh

Clodagh

Playing chess with pigeons
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I have finally got my new field fenced in and tomorrow they can go in it. It has a water jump in a stream in it so they can hopefully learn to drink from that, do I need to provide 'normal' water until they get the idea? They drink from it now if I ride them through it and let them stop, so they do know the area.
Thankyou for any help.
 
If they have easy access to it in the field then I'm sure they'll see as well as (maybe) smell it :-)

If you haven't already done so it might be worth checking that
- the water is safe for them to drink (sure you'll find people on here who know about how to get it tested)
- there is safe access in all weathers (I'm thinking about muddy/icy banks)

If both the above are sorted it sounds like a fab field!
 
Its got proper hardcore approaches and bottom so is safe, as for having it tested I probably ought to but it looks OK and the dogs have drunk gallons with no ill effects so probably won't bother.
No more breaking ice for meeee!!!
 
Clodagh said:
Its got proper hardcore approaches and bottom so is safe, as for having it tested I probably ought to but it looks OK and the dogs have drunk gallons with no ill effects so probably won't bother.
No more breaking ice for meeee!!!
Click to expand...

Don't bet on it, we have fast flowing streams through our fields and they were frozen this morning, I had to use a hammer to get through thick ice although they were still flowing fast underneath. I have never known ours freeze up in the 35 years I have known the land so it shows just how cold it has been!
 
We have streams in both our fields and new horses always find them very quickly so i wouldnt worry.
We are on the scottish borders so very very cold here and while i would check very unusual for flowing water to freeze and any water i am giving my horses i smell then drink if you feel ok shouldnt need tested;.:)
 
I'd lead one of the horses down to the stream just to be on the safe side. They can be remarkably dense sometimes! Pick the lead horse in the herd. Or if you shout in an excited way "PONIES PONIES PONIES" you should have them all tanking down to you with eyes bulging and ears pricked, wondering what on earth you've found that needs shouting about! I used to move the entire livery herd of about 15 horses from field to field like that some years ago. Worked especially well one hideously foggy day - couldn't see your hand in front of your face, never mind round 15 horses up to the gate into a different field. So I opened the gate wide, kept well out of harm's way and did the excited "PONIES PONIES PONIES" shout. Inside 30 seconds, 15 ghostly shapes came galloping over the field towards me and streamed through the gate. Job done. Did it once at my current yard too. YO said, that'll never work but it did! She STILL owes me the bet she made that I can't repeat on this Forum lol x
 
We have streams through all our fields as well as troughs. Even at -23 our streams have not frozen and they are only a few inches deep in places. Some of the horses prefer the troughs (when not frozen) but the vast majority go for the streams. Occasionally a new horse wont want to go down to them but will do eventually. I taste the water in the summer as there is quite alot of run off from farmers but there are fish in there which are good clean water indicators.
 
In reply to your original post, yes I think that horse can scent water. Horses have a really good sense of smell (hence the big nostrils!).

My horse always 'explore' new fields too anyway, they trot all around - to check that no one has left either a wolf or a tonne of carrots somewhere perhaps?....
 
Fantastic, I can't wait, just got one more teeny bit of fencing to finish, OH promises this morning and they can go down there. Its about an acre and a half, 20 foot high and very thick hedges all around it...the grass is so long it needs topping before the spring so ponies can do it. No more hay for them in the daytime, whether it would be kind to still give them a wodge at night?
BoxofFrogs, my young ponies spatial awareness is nil - if I call him I have to be standing the other side of a solid fence to do so!
 
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At my old yard the horses had a choice between a trough with mains water or a stream down a slippery, steep bank... which one did they choose? You got it, the stream! :D
 
H can't, or maybe he just thinks he's too good to be drinking from a stream? The main trough is solid ice, but the stream and lake are fine, but oh no Mr High and Mighty couldn't possibly do me a favor and drink from those could he?
 
I think they can if its on earth, but not if its in a bucket or trough?

I read a aussie cowboy book and it mentioned sending a rider ahead to the trough to spill some on the ground so the horses would know where to go. Book was a true story, but no idea if thats total rubbish :)
 
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