My gelding isn’t a big drinker. He’s on electrolytes year round but I’m looking for something more for the hotter months. (I plan to talk to my vet just looking to see what’s worked for others) I’ve heard of people putting Gatorade powder or something sweet to taste in their water? Just to entice them to drink it. I’ve also heard of people putting a bit of salt in their grain but I’m not sure that’s something I’d want to do. What has worked for you or someone you know?
I’m a believer that if you provide clean, fresh drinking water they’ll drink when they need it. My horses also have access to clean salt blocks and do utilize them.
Also, depending on your environment and training, electrolytes year-round seems like overkill (but that’s coming from me who has winter and the horses only might sweat lightly a few times a week while working). I did used to board at a barn that did loose salt in the summer months in their feed. But if you’re already providing electrolytes then this would probably be overkill unless it gave you peace of mind.
I did used to put gatorade in a bucket of water when I was showing a particular gelding as he didn’t like the taste of city water as much as our well water. He would gulp up the gatorade water. I think it was just because of the sweetness–a partial packet of koolaid would probably do the trick too (and be cheaper).
I live in the desert where it can be stupid hot. My horses get a small scoop of Redmond’s crushed red salt mixed in with their mush each day. Everyone drinks plenty of water. When I do long hauls, I put about a cup of wheat bran in a bucket and fill with water. The horses slurp it down in order to get at the bran on the bottom and the boys do well while on the road. Maybe add water and salt to his grain mixture?
B-burg Dressage brought up a good point - make sure your horse’s water is clean and fresh. My guys always drink more right after the tubs are refreshed. Has your gelding always been a light drinker or did he back off after you moved to a new barn? Maybe the water tastes different to him? In which case you could disguise with Gatorade or apple cider vinegar.
@TB2trk his buckets are cleaned often and he’s always been a light drinker. I’ve had problems with it no matter where we are. Apple cider vinegar? I’ve not heard that, I might try it. How much per five gallons?
Maybe start with 1/4 cup
I have always been a stickler about clean water, squeaky clean tubs and a white salt block beside every water tub.
Even with that I have one horse that is not a sweater and does not drink a lot enough water - at least he didn’t used to. I resolved the issue by adding one teaspoon if sea salt in his feed pan daily. One tsp. is all he needs to get him to drink more.
That said, my horses have big pasture. On the days we have pouring rain they won’t drink a lot because there’s plenty of moisture in the grass:)
Something else you can do in the hot months,would be to chop up watermelon and the rind and add it to the feed pan. I feed one measure cup twice daily.
i started that some years back at the suggestion of the lameness vet. Watermelon is 90% water, the horses love it, and it helps cool them down. It is also very high in L-Citrulline, an amino acid that converts to L-arginine in the body and seems to be helpful controlling insulin in easy keepers::
Watermelon is a great idea! I feed chunks of it as a treat. The horses love it and make a slobbery mess.
I give my horse a very, very wet mash with timothy cubes and Stabul 1 treats or his Cosequin (both of which are really sweet-smelling; the Cosequin to me smells like very strong Kool Aid left in a hot car all summer) dissolved in it as well as any meds or supplements he won’t eat dry. He needs to avoid sugar , so no real Kool Aid or carrot juice – which I have heard of being used in the water. He sucks down the “tea” first, then eats the mush.
There is also a product called Horse Quencher that I remember hearing was effective, but I think it’s just another electrolyte mix.
I use Horse Quencher down here in Fla. Its a mix of some grain and flavoring that you add to bucket of water - a handful or so. No electrolytes. My horse is a good drinker but I make sure to give him a bucket post work on these 90 degree days. Most people I know use the peppermint flavor, but there are several choices. I buy the big tub and it lasts quite a while.
Free choice hay, if you’re not already doing that. Eating dry matter will make them thirsty; the more they eat, generally, the more they’ll drink.
I put redmond’s salt in every meal for my poor drinker, works a treat & it’s what my vet recommends. Horses, like people, don’t really need supplemental electrolytes (& can’t absorb them, they just pee them out) except when they are working really hard. I don’t add anything to water, mine are too picky for that. But if every meal is salty (it’s a really small amount), that keeps him drinking. If he has access to fresh grass in the growing season, he is getting water from that too. You can also give him soaked alfalfa pellets or other wet treat, I do this as well, especially in winter when everyone is drinking less.
You can wet down his feed and hay.
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