how much is too much water

[FionaM12]

Not read the thread, just popped in to say I've only just "got" the OP's name. I can be very slow sometimes.

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Depends on your horse and diet. My horse is a big drinker. She drinks lots in the fields, likes to drink from streams on hacks and will empty 2 huge trugs of water if she in overnight! Means Im constantly dragging huge heavy buckets from the tap to her stable!

 

[Littlelegs]

Sorry noblesteed, I disagree with some of what you say. Either horses need doing before 12am or they don't, regardless of whether the owner works, has kids to sort out or is just being lazy. Either its detrimental to the horse, in which case you either do it yourself or make arrangements for it to be done. Or its of no consequence.Except for emergency extremes I don't think stable management works on the basis leaving things not done is ok if you have other commitments.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

See my immediate reaction last night was TROLLLLLLL, but sadly I have a gut feeling that they aren't and they truly think it is acceptable to leave their horse stood in poo till lunchtime, without water being checked as someone has chucked it hay and a feed.

Believe me there are owners like this...........I have met a few and several and many more who have no issue strolling up the yard gone 10am on a weekend, while their poor horses stand and wait to go out.

I know a pair (mother and daughter) who think that if their horses are living out, it is fine to ignore them for several days. A friend and the mother went on holiday together, the daughter said that she would look after all their horses, who were all in the same field, with no other horses.
When they got back, friend found out that the daughter had been nowhere near for 3-4 days. The worst of it was that there were several people, including friend's husband, who would have been quite happy to check on them.

 

[Kat]

Littlegs I think you and noblesteed are on the same page. She was saying if you can't get up yourself you should get the yard to do your horse.

 

[Littlelegs]

If that's the case kat then apologies noblesteed, I read it as being ok to just chuck hay etc in if the owner has other responsibilities, but just lazy if the owner doesn't work.

 

[noblesteed]

No littlelegs I meant you pay the yard to do it! That's the arrangement I and other liveries have with the YO. In that way I suppose it's not complete DIY. There are plenty of people whose horses are on full livery and don't even see them every day but you pay to have your horse done or you get up early and do it yourself. Either way the horse isn't left til lunchtime!

We have had problems at our yard with people thinking it's ok to turn up at 11am, YO has even offered to do early morning jobs but they said no - so they were told to leave!

 

[diamonddogs]

Sadly I know of folk who happily leave their horse in until noon and later unchecked in real life. Wouldnt be so bad if they arranged for the horse to be checked, but they don't.

I overslept the other morning and didn't get to the yard till 9.15am and I was panic stricken and drove like a mad eejit to get to the yard!

I've been on DIY yards where horses have been left till early afternoon by non-working, childless owners. How do these people live with themselves? OTOH, a friend at my old yard paid the YO to turn her horse out in the mornings (into the same field as my mare) and often found out my horse had been by herself till well after lunch, while her field companion stood in his own filth with a slice of hay.

 

[mynutmeg]

It depends entirely upon the horse. When I first got my mare I was concered about how much she was drinking. We spoke to the vets and they did blood work and pee samples all of which were fine. One of the things we did was a 24 hour monitor of how much she drank - she drank 85 litres in 24 hours! Most nights she will go through at least one 40l bucket and often a bit more (she has 2 buckets in) plus whatever she's drinking in the field. This just seems to be her. All her blood work etc is fine. In contrast my sister's cob drinks maybe 5-10 litres over night.

It's all individual and provided the horse is well otherwise, including blood work if you're concerned, then I really wouldn't worry about how much your horse drinks.