Encouraging horse to drink away from home

[Asha]

Aria drinks well at home, but I struggle to get her to drink when shes away at shows.

As its going to be a warm one, what do you use to encourage your horse to drink while away from home/after event ?

Thanks

 

[SEL]

It wasn't an event, but when my horse was ill in these temperatures last year the vet recommended adding apple juice to the water.

 

[Reacher]

As he wouldn’t drink at comp the next time I made a soup with speedy beet and some cubes. Added spoon of salt

 

[be positive]

I travel with well soaked hay and take some well soaked grassnuts to offer between phases as well as water, as long as they are taking in something wet at regular intervals I find they are usually fine.

 

[OldNag]

It wasn't an event, but when my horse was ill in these temperatures last year the vet recommended adding apple juice to the water.

That is my tactic... does not always work if pony is being especially stubborn but we try!

 

[teddypops]

I slice apples and let them float in the water bucket. My mare wouldn’t drink after an xc competition on a really hot day and the people in the next trailer suggested it and gave me some apple and it worked brilliantly!

 

[Asha]

brilliant, thanks everyone. So just need to buy apples / apple juice. !

On the advice of our farrier, rider etc we've decided to withdraw from the event tomorrow. But will use these tips next time we are out. Thanks !

 

[Wella]

There was certain parts of the country my horse wouldn’t drink so even though we were stabling we’d take our own. Though you probably already take your own. I used to add a bit of molasses to encourage him to drink and sometimes added very sloppy sugar beat.

 

[hihosilver]

My friend uses something called thirst quencher you add to water it looks horrid but horses love it!!! hard to get hold of though I think! she events so this helps in the hot weather!

 

[ester]

I used to take a small amount of fastfibre with me as it doesn't take long to make a soup with.

 

[Bellalily]

Handful of porridge oats in a bucket of warmish water, or speedibeet water. Works well with both of mine away from home. Vet suggested the oats when it was very cold and one of mine refused to drink.

 

[Annagain]

I have this problem with my boy. I soak all his hay and make his feeds extra sloppy to get water into him that way as almost nothing will make him drink away from home. We've just about managed to get him to drink on day 2 of camp having gone to the same venue for 7 years on the trot by taking water from home. I just leave it in his stable and he'll drink it if he really wants it. The only other thing that sort of works is letting him drink diretly from the hose. He does this at home most days so he's used to me putting in on a trickle and popping it in the side of his mouth. I do the same away from home - he spits some out but I think some must go down. Appreciate this isn't easy at a show, but if you're somewhere with a water supply you might manage it?

 

[JGC]

I was reading this today, which has good suggestions:

http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/notes-summer-hydration

 

[Red-1]

I make sure mine will drink from a bucket at home- as in when we return in the box or come back from a decent ride I will offer water from the bucket in the stable with me beside then holding the rope to start with. Next time (once they will happily drink with me there) in the stable but with me holding the bucket, then out of the stable on the yard drinking with me holding them, then with me holding the bucket, then in the box in the yard with me holding, by then they are likely to take it from the bucket wherever the box is. I also make sure they will drink water from the horsebox water tank, as it will smell/taste different to them, even though I empty it every week and fresh refill.

Just make sure they are likely to be ready for a drink, and work them up to it slowly. If you think about it, they are making themselves quite vulnerable to stick their heads in a bucket, so it needs introducing just like anything else. Of course, some horses are naturally bold and will just dive in, but if yours is shy and you have gone through helping them drink at home with the horsebox water, then they may need working up to it.



ETA - I have not found it makes any difference to my horse, but when I am dehydrated I do drink more when there are electrolytes in the water. The water with electrolytes doesn't seem to sit heavy in the tummy. I therefore drink more.

 

[ester]

It is interesting because Frank has always been a big drinker at home, and will drink out of anything including the hose. (he is a big sweater too).
At shows he will happily shove his head in the bucket and shove his head back and forwards to make as much splash as he can over your show gear... but getting him to actually imbibe has always been trickier especially when very hot.

 

[Steerpike]

Full fat sugarbeet water is good as well, my horses like it

 

[Slightlyconfused]

For long trips or shows we soak haynets and they get their liquid from that

 

[Haphazardhacker]

Horse Quencher, it’s a miracle worker. Makes them drink without fail.