Drinking from puddles out riding?

[Sussexbythesea]

In the last few days or so my 25yr old has started drinking out of muddy puddles out on our hacks. Yesterday he really had a long drink. He also was eager to drink out of his field buckets when we turned out after our ride. He’s got a large deep automatic waterer which he’s had for the last 10 years. I put a separate bucket in last night which he didn’t touch. I also offered him another bucket that I use to put water in feeds this morning which had stood overnight before we rode and he didn’t want that either but did drink from a puddle. He has wet food and wet hay.

He otherwise appears healthy and bright has recently tested negative for cushings.

Any experience or theories appreciated.

 

[BBP]

Mine just prefers the taste of rainwater to chlorinated water. I try to be careful as I never know what pollutants might be in the puddles. Why yours has just started doing it I don’t know though.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Is he seeking salt maybe?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Mine just prefers the taste of rainwater to chlorinated water. I try to be careful as I never know what pollutants might be in the puddles. Why yours has just started doing it I don’t know though.

Yes they do always seem to prefer field water so that’s normal but the puddle drinking is new. I joked I need to add a worm, a bird poo and a tuft of grass to make it taste better

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Is he seeking salt maybe?

He gets salt as normal in his feed plus he has a salt lick but I did wonder about other minerals as I ran out of balancer a few weeks ago and haven’t got around to getting some more. I also wonder as I’ve upped his feed adding a full Stubbs scoop of conditioning nuts plus Equijewel to his Saracen Releve and micronised linseed whether I’ve upset the balance or just need to increase his overall water intake to account for the nuts absorbing water. I made his feeds much wetter tonight.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Mine will go round the field slurping up the water out of every single footprint (luckily for her, most of the footprints are 2ft deep just now ?) before resorting to her actual water trough. I've always just assumed "fresh" rainwater must be nicer than chlorinated, but now you've made me think.....

 

[Meredith]

Not sure if this is relevant but one summer when the streams dried up I filled a number dustbins and trugs with water. One bin was by the fence under trees. Somehow it was forgotten when I removed the others. It filled with leaves and became black and revolting. One of my horses always drank from that bin when turned out. She gave me a proper ‘look’ the day the bin was empty. I refilled it but it obviously wasn’t brewed to the same quality as she didn’t drink there again.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Mine has always done it and never seemed to affect him one way or another. But, it might a bit odd if he's only just started - not something to worry about per se, but worth keeping an eye on perhaps?

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Cats and dogs will do this as well straight after rain. My horses do exactly as yours has done as well. Rainwater has nitrogen which is why your garden goes off in the summer straight after rain in a way it doesn’t with water from the hose.

I put it down to better taste and maybe if it’s in a muddy puddle it picks up some of the ground minerals?

FWIW - my grandmother insisted a young ladies hair should only be washed in rainwater. It certainly does make a difference.

 

[Lois Lame]

I think he knows what he likes best. I don't think there is any harm in water from a puddle. Minerals would be present from the clay and clay particles are not harmful.

Unclorinated water tastes a lot better too.

When getting water from the tap at my agistment, I always remove the hose first. I don't like hose-flavour and figure that pony won't either.

 

[Lois Lame]

Not sure if this is relevant but one summer when the streams dried up I filled a number dustbins and trugs with water. One bin was by the fence under trees. Somehow it was forgotten when I removed the others. It filled with leaves and became black and revolting. One of my horses always drank from that bin when turned out. She gave me a proper ‘look’ the day the bin was empty. I refilled it but it obviously wasn’t brewed to the same quality as she didn’t drink there again.

That's really intriguing. I didn't think any horse would like that.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I’m concerned because he’s never done it in the 15yrs I’ve owned him. It’s the sudden change in behaviour that I worry could indicate an issue especially at his age. I can only keep an eye on it in case I see other signs something is up.

 

[scruffyponies]

FWIW - my grandmother insisted a young ladies hair should only be washed in rainwater. It certainly does make a difference.

That's funny; I know an old man who has always lived rough, and he swears by washing (what's left of) his hair in rainwater.

OP, I wouldn't worry about this unless you notice he is urinating more frequently than normal.

 

[Gloi]

In the last few days or so my 25yr old has started drinking out of muddy puddles out on our hacks. Yesterday he really had a long drink. He also was eager to drink out of his field buckets when we turned out after our ride. He’s got a large deep automatic waterer which he’s had for the last 10 years. I put a separate bucket in last night which he didn’t touch. I also offered him another bucket that I use to put water in feeds this morning which had stood overnight before we rode and he didn’t want that either but did drink from a puddle. He has wet food and wet hay.

He otherwise appears healthy and bright has recently tested negative for cushings.

Any experience or theories appreciated.

I would still be suspecting Cushing's despite the test. Speak to the vet, there is a different test that can be done.

 

[9tails]

Mine loves any water that isn't specifically for her. Hay soaking water and puddle or ditch water are favourites - especially after heavy rain. It was rather scary when she knelt to get some ditch water while I was still on her though, I try to discourage that now. She's fit and healthy so far, she's done it for the 12 years I've owned her.

 

[Chinchilla]

Diva thinks the greener and higher water's viscosity, the better!

 

[SpotsandBays]

My big boy DRAGS me to the dirty old green trough when taking him back out to the field after a ride. ? I actually think that the others in a separate field are drinking from the puddles, as all are very well but I’m not having to top up the water buckets anywhere near as much.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I would still be suspecting Cushing's despite the test. Speak to the vet, there is a different test that can be done.

Possibly, he did have the TRH test done 18 months ago which was normal after a borderline ACTH test the previous Autumn and then he had the normal ACTH test a month ago which was well below the level of concern but it had crossed my mind.

 

[cauda equina]

It's a worry when they eat/drink things we think they shouldn't
Once on a hack my old boy wanted to chew on a roadkill mallard; goodness knows what that was about

 

[Michen]

Is it that he's liking the puddle water or is it that he's suddenly drinking more in general. I'd want to know the latter. Mine presented like this and blood tests showed slight liver problem, course of antibiotics later and he's now blood tested fine.

 

[LeneHorse]

Just to add with regards to cushing's, one of the signs that my horses cushing's had progressed and she needed her prascend dose increased was when she started drinking from puddles out hacking ( something she had never done previously). Sounds as if yours might be borderline and it might be worth doing the alternative test. Of course maybe puddles just taste nice ?

 

[Gloi]

Just to add with regards to cushing's, one of the signs that my horses cushing's had progressed and she needed her prascend dose increased was when she started drinking from puddles out hacking ( something she had never done previously). Sounds as if yours might be borderline and it might be worth doing the alternative test. Of course maybe puddles just taste nice ?

Mine looked for places to drink and started stopping to pee, neither of which he had done before.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Is it that he's liking the puddle water or is it that he's suddenly drinking more in general. I'd want to know the latter. Mine presented like this and blood tests showed slight liver problem, course of antibiotics later and he's now blood tested fine.

I don’t think he’s drinking more than usual but not drinking in his stable overnight. I usually ride out before turning out so if he doesn’t drink overnight it could be around 15-17hours without drinking if in by 5pm and out by 9-10 am where he’ll drink from his field bucket which is topped up regularly with tap water or from puddles as he’s now doing. As above he’s not drinking out of alternative buckets either. This only started in the last week. He’s no wetter than normal and no other symptoms so far.

 

[PurBee]

Mine will go round the field slurping up the water out of every single footprint (luckily for her, most of the footprints are 2ft deep just now ?) before resorting to her actual water trough. I've always just assumed "fresh" rainwater must be nicer than chlorinated, but now you've made me think.....

mine have the choice of fresh mountain spring water or puddles...can you guess which they prefer?

puddles....every. Single. Time!

theyve given minerals balanced....a selection of forages from different soil types, access to trees, bushes, barks etc etc...yet still puddles are their preference.

ive come to the conclusion that its for the bacterial selection to aid gut diversity and challenge the immune system.

 

[charterline]

My old dog would only ever drink water out of a dirty puddle or bucket outside, the greener and filthier the better.

 

[Lois Lame]

He’s got a large deep automatic waterer which he’s had for the last 10 years.

Dumb Question Time.
How can you tell he is not using the automatic waterer?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Dumb Question Time.
How can you tell he is not using the automatic waterer?

Initially because it’s too clean usually drops food in it but secondly he drinks like he’s very thirsty which he doesn’t normally do. I get that animals often prefer to drink rainwater or water that’s stood for a bit and yes he’s always liked a drink out of field buckets and troughs but the point is he has NEVER in the 15 years I’ve had him felt the need to stop and drink out of dirty puddles. He’s done this on four hacks in the last week. If it was normal for him I wouldn’t have asked the question. Hopefully it’s nothing but I’m interested if anyone has knowledge of what it might indicate.

 

[Micropony]

If it's not Cushings and it's not him seeking to correct a change in mineral balance resulting from the feed change, is it possible that something has changed with the water supply?

If you eliminate causes for concern and you're mainly bothered about him not drinking enough in his stable, you could try adding some green clay to his buckets perhaps? It looks grubby and muddy, but the horses love it. We use it in summer when it's so hot they're sweating standing around and we want to encourage them to drink plenty and stay hydrated. It's a global herbs product.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

If it's not Cushings and it's not him seeking to correct a change in mineral balance resulting from the feed change, is it possible that something has changed with the water supply?

If you eliminate causes for concern and you're mainly bothered about him not drinking enough in his stable, you could try adding some green clay to his buckets perhaps? It looks grubby and muddy, but the horses love it. We use it in summer when it's so hot they're sweating standing around and we want to encourage them to drink plenty and stay hydrated. It's a global herbs product.

Thank you that’s useful to know I did think of gathering some mud from the field and adding it ?. Riding tomorrow so we’ll see if he does it again. We have a water treatment plant close by so it’s possible they’ve done something. I read somewhere that the chlorine they add can be more detectable nearer the works. However we’ve been there 10 years and no other horse seems affected. I’ll try different things until I can resolve it and if not I’ll maybe get the TRH test done to be sure it’s not the onset of Cushings.

 

[Lois Lame]

Maybe the water does taste a little different lately, due to extra chlorine added accidentally (just a guess).