Not drinking in the stable

[sandr]

My horse has decided that he doesn't like the water in his stable

He has to come in during the day to stop him getting fat, and he doesn't drink anything, but when he goes out he goes straight to his trough and drinks for 5 mins solid

I also need to start working him in the evening, and i don't want to when he hasn't drunk all day.

Bringing water down from trough isn't an option, field is miles away!

He used to drink fine, its just since he has been out.

Any idea's?

 

[scotsmare]

Try some apple juice in the water

 

[251libby]

Soak his hay and give it to him without letting the water drip out (i leave mine for a hour dripping).
Make feeds really wet.

 

[Bossanova]

What do you supply his water in?

 

[ironhorse]

Have you tried different buckets? My mare is extremely fussy about what she drinks out of - can't stand orange B&Q buckets! Also our mains water smells very 'chloriney' - try letting it stand for a few minutes before offering it to him.

 

[charlie55]

My boy didnt like fresh water, hence loving water in the field. After the water had been there for two or three days he would drink it, very strange!!

But it is very common so i wouldnt worry too much, as said before, if you wet his hay then he would get water from that

 

[lexiedhb]

Fill your buckets from his field trough????- or leave buckets out to settle for a few days

 

[HenryandPeta]

Henry does this - he will drag me to the stagnant puddle down the road rather than drink from his clean water bucket! Would it be possible to turn out in the day and bring in over night instead? That way you could work him without worrying about his water intake during the day, and he might be thirsty enough afterwards to drink whilst stabled over night?

Failing that, try different buckets - several small ones / one big one / mint or apple essence in the water / apples bobbed in the water to encourage him to play...

 

[bex1984]

As someone else has said, soak your hay - especially as he is in to lose weight

 

[Annagain]

Can you leave a waterbut or a large container out to collect rainwater and let him drink that? I know it won't always be wet enough to have enough water all the time but it cetainly is at the moment, and if you mix tap water in with it and gradually increase the amount of tap water he might get used to it by the time the rain water runs out if we have a hot summer?

If he's happy drinking from his trough which I assume is metal, have you tried a metal bucket?

You could also put a small amount of sugarbeet in the bottom of his water bucket. If you do it when you put him out in the evening it will be soaked enough by the time he comes in in the morning, and the chlorine taste will have worn off by then as well.

I wouldn't worry too much about riding him as long as he passes the pinch test (pinch some skin on his neck fairly firmly but not too hard then let go - if it goes straight back to shape he's fine, if it stays wrinkled and loose then he's dehydrated) He'll go straight into the field and drink afterwards so he'll rehydrate then anyway.

 

[kellyeaton]

use the same bucket you use out side or add apple juice or peppermint oil to his stable water!

 

[sandr]

Thank you all for your suggestions

He has his hay soaked anyway, but i normally let it drip, so will stop that, good idea!

His water is in the same black tub its been in for the last 18 months.