Getting a horse to drink when out at a competition?

Pidgeon

Pidgeon

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Ok we always take fresh water from the yard with us when we go out to compete or to school, but both Pidge and Sunny rarely drink even though offered water. Sometimes we can be out for the majority of the day and it can be hot and still they won't drink
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So am after some tips please on how to get them to have some fluid intake when out? They do get electrolytes in the tea if it's been hot and they've sweated.
 
I'm interested in this one because my horse Fallon won't either! She drinks very little anyway but just turns her nose up at water when we're out as if she's far too good to possibly need a drink!
 
tell me about it! When we get back and turn them out in the field the first thing they do is wander over and have a big long drink!
 
QR Molassis (sp?) in the water! I always carry some in a old orange juice bottle and if he doesn't drink the water plain, I'll add some and he nearly always drains the bucket! You don't need to give loads, just enough to make the water yummy adn sweet! You could try peppermint cordial or something similar.
 
Oh thanks for that tip about adding cordial. Learn a little every day! I have never managed to get mine to drink when out but as soon as they get home noses straight in and almost drink the bucket dry. Shall try it out when we go out this weekend.
 
Several things:

1. Wet sponge around mouth
2. Apples - to tempt into the bucket
3. Try offering water on a plastic plate or bowl (it's amazing how often drinking from the humans' stuff makes the water more tasty)
4. Large plastic syringe straight into mouth, but not too vigorously
5. If you have a hose on the lorry and your horse is okay with hoses, then see if they'll drink straight from the hose.
6. Bucket with a small amount of molassed feed, add ++ water to make sloppy and hope they slurp it all up.

Usually one of these works. If not, then I just take lots of juicy apples and hope they hydrate them a bit, plus damp hay if it's really hot and horse simply won't drink.
 
Good to read some tips on here, my mare is the same and only once have I managed to get her to take a drink whilst out and about! I offer her water really regulary and lift it right up to her nose, slosh it about it, but no interest what so ever, then first thing when turned out back home is over to the water trough!
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Will maybe try the cordial trick, wonder if she'd prefer apple or blackcurrant?!

I always make sure her haynet is soaked when travelling and feed her pears/apples which at least gets some moisture back into her.
 
did read a thing ages ago by an American talking about long trailer rides - 10-12hrs that is!!
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she took masses of watermelons which the horses loved. suppose they are nice & cheap over there - depends how desperate you are
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We have a routine at home - when they get back from work/come in from teh field they're offered a blue bucket of water to drink - we never wash off with this bucket always offer drinks. In the lorry tehre is an identical blue bucket that is only used for drinking. They all now know that it means drink!

Also take sloppy sugarbeet/lucinuts which i give them after competing as they're made up with quite a lot of water so do rehydrate. Carrots in the water are excellent, and carrots themselves contain a lot of water so if they really wont drink then feed them lots of them too.

I always have a sponge and big syringe so if they really wont drink they get it squirted straight in!!
 
Have you tried apple bobbing?! In all seriousness, if you cut up some apples and put them in the bucket, I find they get the idea and if anything, it'll get some water into them.

I have also heard people use peppermint drops in the water at home and then do this at competitions as well so that it tastes the same if the water is not 'home' water (although I know it is in your case). Still, might be worth a try?
 
The same as saskia295... Han will drink bucket loads when we are out competing, but Grace dunks her nose in, laughs and then won't go near it again
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So, recently I have been taking a bag of apples with me and putting them in a half full tubtrug type bucket and she really dunks for them. She puts her head right under and loves it. OK, she is only getting small amounts of water, but I figure it is better than her not drinking at all and it seems to cool her off too
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Only thing is, she now has the hang of it and just pushes the apple to the bottom and crunches it down there
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I don't have a problem getting Oskar to drink, my problem is that he drinks, then holds onto it until he gets in to the lorry, and promptly wees for ever! Meaning that I drive home with the strong smell of wee wafting through the cab (3.5t, so horse is right behind cab) and leaving a urine trail behind me all the way. YUCK. He seems to regard the lorry as his favourite toilet place.
 
I wipe their mouths with a sponge when I am washing off, and offer a drink. Generally I find that I need to wait 15 mins of so before they will actually drink though, and mine more often than not just wants to splash and then driblle on me
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I can see that adding sweet things is a good idea, as is the apple/carrot bobbing but would never syringe into a horses mouth, if they are really thirsty - they will drink
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Mine will drink from puddles on hacks the big idiot, and in every stream crossing we go through
 
Sugar beet water. I usually put 1/2 a scoop of it into a bucket and fill up 3/4 full with water (one of those Dengie ones with the lids are great so it wont spill in transit). Mine rarely drink plain water at events, much prefer sugar beet water. Its good as it also has sugar in it which I think gives them a boost between disiplines and helps them absorb electrolytes better (which I add to it).
 
i have this problem and use a big suringe and fill with water and squirt in his mouth to wet his mouth. he usually swallows it.
 
Take water from their water trough - not the tap.

And also take sugar beat water with you as an alternative. It's a natural electrolyte - and horses very rarely refuse it (especially if there's a lovely bit of sugar beat still in it)
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Snoopy will drink at a show, but Winston wont.
I carry a squirty bottle and squirt water down their mouths during the day, esp if its hot, and use a sponge around their mouths.
Stabled away from home they have apples in their water which helps.
 
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Ah that sounds like a good idea, thanks
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Next question then is how much to give them?

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I use an old tropicana orange juice bottle (plastic) which I think is about 250ml I wouldn't even put a 1/4 of that in a normal sized bucket - a large glug (that's the technical term LOL) or enough to turn the water a darkish brown. But it's a bit of trial and error - if there's not enough mollassis in Ludo turns his nose up but on the otherhand I don't want him having too much sugar!!
 
Thanks everyone for the tips much appreciated
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Will be trying the sugar beet water tip on Friday when we're off XC schooling, cheers
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