Horses stopped drinking

[candyappy]

@OzarksRider

We’re having a truly ghastly summer. No rain in 5 weeks, hot as hell, and no end in sight.

So are we. We have gotten very little rain since June started. We did get 7/10ths last evening, the most since May but it is going to stay in the upper 90’s+ for the foreseeable future and it won’t help much but is better than not getting it.

Are they drinking now??

[candyappy]

@OzarksRider

I think I’ve ruled out tainted water and location. The substitute tub is in the same location as the “bad” tub, and they drink from it no problem. And they still drink from the buckets in their stalls.

Maybe they came to drink and found whatever was at/ in the trough? If mine get scared by something like that I can see the aversion to the trough.

[OzarksRider]

Yes, they’re drinking out of the new tub I put out. I’m letting the old tub dry out in the sun for a few days, then I may try again to see if they’ll drink out of it. Manure looks moist enough, so I guess they’re getting enough water.

Interesting that @SolarFlare had the same happen where her/his horse is boarded. Horses suddenly wouldn’t drink out of their usual trough and nobody could figure out why.

We got 1/2 inch of rain yesterday evening, really not enough to do any good but we’ll take what we can get. I’m hearing about ponds and wells going dry and farmers are selling their cattle. I bought first cut hay this year because I knew nobody would get a second cutting. Even most first cutting crops were way less than last year, and farmers that usually cut their own are looking to buy some.

[clanter]

@Paint_Party

And the big ugly dish that holds the water for the barn dogs. While they have plenty of access to fresh water,

I have four of the low sidewall (13 inch) Rubbermaid type 40 gallon troughs in different pastures for the horses, my thought was these are closer to a natural drinking height for them (but primary reason was for the miniatures to have access) But the miniatures Prefer to stand on their tippy toes to drink out of the large water 150 gallon trough

[OzarksRider]

@clanter

low sidewall (13 inch) Rubbermaid type 40 gallon troughs

This is the type trough my horses suddenly decided they couldn’t drink out of after using it for years with no complaints. Now they’re drinking out of a tub that used to hold minerals for cows.

[clanter]

@OzarksRider

Now they’re drinking out of a tub that used to hold minerals for cows.

I have mineral salt, white salt and Himalayan salt set out for the horses in each pasture…also am dumping/refilling the troughs daily since its about 111F now