Is that a thing? My not quite 5 year old OTTB, literally perfectly wonderful in every way except she cribs. She has turnout every day all day with run ins available. Stalled at night with plenty of yummy hay, likes her pasture mates and has been a joy to restart. Sound and healthy… but she cribs… ok BO is not unhappy but did ask me to put a collar on her in the stall ( I just bought this horse ) but the DRINKING!!! Two full 5 gallon buckets every day plus the trough in the field is filled and cleaned. It’s always at least half full! What gives? Is she trading one habit for another? I mean somedays I want to drink a lot too!!
Ulcers can certainly cause an increase in water intake, and ulcers can also = cribbing. It might be worth treating for ulcers to see if anything (cribbing or drinking!) changes.
I’ve not experienced this with my cribber, but I was at a barn once where a mare would just constantly drink water when she was in her stall. I believe they called it polydipsia. She was not a cribber. We think she was just bored.
Could your horse be bored since she can’t crib and is drinking to occupy herself?
Years ago I leased a horse that was an excessive drinker - the facility had limited turnout and we also thought it was due to boredom; he had no kidney issues or any other health issues. Could be that OP’s horse is trading one thing for another.
My horse is not a cribber. He drinks 2.5 bucket s of water during the day in the summer. He is just a big drinker. He drinks a lot in the field too. He drinks less this time of year. He is healthy.
I had one horse who drank more in the fall and winter. I think less grass and more hay so he drank more to make up for it.
Yes, thank you for mentioning this, she did act a bit like she might have ulcers when I first got her about two months ago, so we did treat her. She also gets a supplement that is supposed to help with ulcers. She doesn’t seem to have any of those symptoms now. Other than drinking a lot of water she is normal. She does get a large flake of alfalfa hay in her stall at night as well as the regular hay, so maybe all the hay keeps her drinking. She puts back a lot of hay which is great! She is gaining weight and is healthy otherwise, she’s had her teeth done in the chiropractor out as well as that of course. I guess she just is a big drinker.
I do wonder if she is trading one habit for another as well.
Alfalfa ie high protein will make her drink a lot and pee a lot.
So will ulcers.
I bet it’s a little of column a, a little of column b.
I would shoot for as much turn out as possible.
Yes, she gets turned out every day all day. They have run ins and plenty of hay outside so I am pleased about that