Make That Warm Water, Please

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We all pay pretty close attention to the amount of water our horses take in during the hot summer months, but many of us lighten up a bit in our vigilance during the cooler winter months. The average horse requires about eight to ten gallons of water a day. Horses in vigorous training or in foal require a great deal more. Although, it's true that our horses need less water as the thermometer drops, we need to be aware that many horses find a colder water temperature difficult to consume. This is especially true for young or older horses, or for horses that have dental issue. This is a little scary because when a horse doesn't receive enough water, it can't stay fit and is at a much greater risk of impaction colic.

The good news is the solution is relatively simple and straight forward. The best way to increase your horse's water intake and overall health in winter is to offer warmer water.

If you think your horse needs to be taking in more water, be thoughtful in how you introduce the change. Horses are creatures of habit and don't typically respond well to change. Obviously, it's easier to monitor how much water your horse takes in if you use buckets. If you elect to warm up the water, do so gradually and preferably use the same bucket you use throughout the year. A new or different “winter” bucket will impact the taste of the water and may actually have the opposite desired response.

Automated water systems are common in many barns today. If you're lucky enough to have this convenience, but you're concerned your horse is dehydrated, you may want to consider turning off the automated system for a bit. Horses may not like change, but they're also not great with choice. If a horse has to choose between his known automated water system and a new bucket of warmer water, he may not drink as much from either option. Keep it simple for your horse.

Many of us have our horses outside. The idea of hauling warm water ½ a mile or more into a pasture may not be all that feasible. Frankly, it's not always easy to get warm water down the barn aisle. If this rings true for you, make a trip to your local livestock supply store or internet supply store. Both can give you several options for devices to put in your water bucket or trough to warm up the water while maintaining your horse's safety.

Whether 40 below or 90 above, you may also want to consider adding a salt block to your stalls or pasture. Salt is a great way to increase your horses thirst and likelihood to drink water – whatever the reading on the thermometer.

Have ideas of your own to help keep our horses hydrated? Post ‘em below!

Comments  

Posted On

Dec 03, 2008

Posted By

Chase

Great post, and I thank you for inspiring myself and others on the topic.

The concept of "warm water" is about as fluid as the liquid itself. Temperature ranges very wildly from state to state, and even counties therein, so you want to find a happy medium that is healthy for your horse.

"Okay, mule-head, what's the ideal temperature to keep my horse happy?"

Glad you asked that great question... While I have no scientific data to back up this claim, I have found 'room temperature' of 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for all seasons, or so my horses tell me. They're especially thankful for it in the deep winter, after a long day of freezing their lips off grazing. Not too hot to burn their throats, and not too steamy to give them pneumonia breathing in the steamy mist.

I won't endorse any particular product, because what works for me, may well not work where you are. But, there are about as many ways as weeks in a year, to get your water to that temperature range. Most are *coughs* eco friendly, wile a few are outrageously expensive logistically and monetarily. And a few home grown ones are pretty darn smart for the handy man (ahem person) to build and install.

With a little thought, and the right tools, you can keep even a Minot ND water trough free of ice and comfy to drink in the dead of winter, and not have to take a second or third mortgage out to do it.

Winter water wonder... For those outdoor pasture types. Keep the ice from forming on all but the most sever of days with a solar powered bubbler. That's fish tank air pump to you city folks. With a minimal bit of conversion, you can make a battery powered air pump solar powered, and horse safe, to install in your outside water buckets or troughs. Use air stones place evenly around the water tub to keep the ice from forming near the edges. Side benefit of this is that all that air circulating the water, keeps the temperature fairly level throughout the tank, tub, what-have-you.

Install that in a dark tub for the winter, and the sun will help keep that ice away as well as raising the temperature a bit.

Bah, there's a thread around here where this is discussed in more depth, but I have to dig around for the link. But you should get the general idea of some methods to keep your healthy horse happily hydrated.

Posted On

Dec 03, 2008

Posted By

country_girl

Wow! What a great supplemental article, Chase. You really fleshed out the original article, and gave me a ton of feasible ideas to use with my horses.

Thanks for taking the time to share the ideas!!

Posted On

Dec 03, 2008

Posted By

Chase

Ahh geeze... now ya done went and made me blush.

You are more than welcome, ma'am

Oh hey... "You okay?" *snickers*

Posted On

Dec 21, 2008

Posted By

Chase

Was at the pharmacy the other day for non-horse related something-or-other, when I espied those little "natural heating" packets, and started thinking about how they could be used for horses...

Put one in an oven bag or freezer bag, or even a rubber glove and try rubbing it slowly around that ice ball to melt it down to manageable.

Now I'm going to do some experimenting with these little $15 buck a case things and see what I can come up with for keeping ice out of the bucket, while preventing the horses from eating the packets. Maybe stuff them in a weighted PVC pipe that's threaded on one end and just drop it in the tank. Anything water proof that sinks will do, because these things thrive in low to no oxygen environments and last upwards of 10 hours.

Chute, I might even apply for a patent on the device, market it here, and become the next brazillionaire. then I could buy y'all a great Christmas gift and go broke again.

Posted On

Jan 07, 2009

Posted By

country_girl

That sounds like a novel idea, Chase. Keep me posted on how it goes.

~Fellow brazillionaire wanna-be...

Posted On

Jan 08, 2009

Posted By

tracker2nn

My last horse just loved HOT water in the winter. Sugar would stick his face in the bucket and drink it down before I could mix it with the cold water. He also loved it when I would put Molasses in it.. And he was a hay/water eater. The first one I have ownerd that did that but if he liked doing it then let me help. (I would put his bucket next to his hay) My Dad told me at 14 to take care of my horse FIRST and then I could eat. He also had me put peppr in the water.. Thanks for reading.. God Bless Joan

Posted On

Jan 09, 2009

Posted By

reinerslider

our horses all get warm water in the winter, they appreciate it and it makes doing chores a little more bearable

Posted On

Jan 14, 2009

Posted By

Mary

Well my horse has the ice balls and I'm going to try your idea of the hand warmer,and then warm water. Its -35 out and it was down to -50.I live in the tunder I think,OMG I HATE THIS WEATHER.....

Posted On

Jan 15, 2009

Posted By

lucretia45

Hi, great subject and so many variations. I live in NJ and for the winter have 1-150 gal trough (rubbermaid) that one has a heater where the drain plug is...then we have 2-16gal heated buckets and 2-5gal heated pails...the cost is low and it sure saves me from carry warm water from the house, especially at 5am. I think my horses are happy that they don't have to fight the ice. The most expensive cost were the outside heavy duty extension cords. But once the winter is over, I wipe the cords down and put them in the garage....

Posted On

Jan 15, 2009

Posted By

Christian Cowgirl

as being someone that learns from experience DON't Use Plastic Buckets for water! you will just end up with a thursty horse and a cracked bucket! I have learned from my dad that rubber is the best although if it is old rubber bucket you can still cause holes! My dad puts the water heater in a big tub out side and puts the little buckets in side on really cold nights. Just my Blonde thoughts!

Posted On

Jan 15, 2009

Posted By

Chase

Gee willickers Mary. Yous seen any woolly mammoths around your area? No wonder you take the buckets in for the night... it'd take a front end loader to pry 'em loose from the tundra. hehe

Posted On

Jan 16, 2009

Posted By

horsecrazy122972

howdy from the kansas Flint hills........around here we use a bird-bath heater in our back yard kiddy pool for the ducks and chickens and sinking tank heaters for the horse water tanks they cost about 8 dollors per day to opperate total and keep the water at about 40 degrees even when its -20 out side at night......and for the ice balls in hooves when it snows we use a hoof pic and room temp water to break and loosen them up and clear the hoof. and keeping a thin layer of patrolium jelly on the sole of the hoof will also help to keep the ice balls from sticking in the first place.

Posted On

Jan 16, 2009

Posted By

Mary

horsecrazy122972 are you saying it cost 248.00 a month to run a water heater? omg I hope not no wonder where I have my horse at they don't like my tank heater,they didn't have one and I told them that we needed to set my tank and heater up cause the horses wasn't getting enough water a day just by taking a bucket out a couple times a day. We have wrapped it with insulation and boxed it in to help from the cold hitting it.Its never even came close to freezing. They took the cows heater out of their tank and just give them a couple buckets a day,I just don't think that is enough water when its cold out or warm out.They pry did that cause it was costing so much and they knew I wouldn't like my horse not having water.:cry: Boy I really hope thats not true that it costs that much or my rent will pry go up...:o

Posted On

Jan 16, 2009

Posted By

Mary

Oh and the reason I think they needed my tank and heater is I've had him colic before from lack of water and it was so scary I just have had enough happen to him cause I don't have my own place, and I don't want to get rid of him.

Posted On

Jan 16, 2009

Posted By

lucretia45

hi, at $8.00 a day I would go broke too & I keep my horses at home.....I really don't believe that it costs that much ...the newer water heaters and buckets and pails are all thermostacially controlled, they go on and off with the temperature. Hay, horsecrazy, thanks for the tip with the petroleum jelly, I am going to try that on their hoofs....I am always willing to learn to tricks of the trade, even at my age....rubbermaid make water troughs in various sizes, a little costly to purchase unless you get them on sale, but they last a long time..my 150 gallon one is over 15 years old...I just change the water heater element every couple of years...you can find them on line in the catalogs...have a great day ya'll....

Posted On

Jan 17, 2009

Posted By

painthorsechic

To help prevent colic and impaction I keep mineral oil in a cleaned out mustard squirt bottle and once or twice a week I put a good squirt in my horses feed (in the winter time that is). When it is really cold I do pour a little bit of table salt in their feed to it makes them drink more water. They always have a mineral salt block available as well. Daily I put a good squirt of corn oil in their feed it really helps their coat shine and gives them the energy they need to keep warm in winter without making them stupid. They seem to shed quicker now too in the spring.

Posted On

Jan 18, 2009

Posted By

Mary

Hey Pianthorsechic thanks for the idea of the mineral oil,I've used the corn oil alot on his grain and I buy loose mineral salt and put that in his feed with a little water to get it to stick and that works good but never thought of mineral oil,will do. The things we have to worry about, I raised 7 children and I think it was a piece of cake compared to one horse that I worry about all the time,it sure would make things easier if he would talk to me like Wilbur,lol

Posted On

Jan 18, 2009

Posted By

Mary

well so far Mr.Ed still isn't talking so I'll assume he is doing good with the mineral oil. Now how often to you give it ? once a week or every other day? Parenting is so much eaiser when you have others input.lol Wilbur I need more hay,fresh water,my teeth floated ,my hoofs hurt, it would really make it eaiser. I was use to mom I need this and need that.;-)Thank gals

Posted On

Jan 30, 2009

Posted By

Sunshine

Putting corn oil in the feed is good. But my vet told me to slowly work up a 1/4 cup teice a day. But you have to do it very slow. If you do it to fast, it will be harmful to the liver and could cause more harm than good. Tim, my vet, told me to take about 2 weeks to work up to that 1/4 twice aday. My old man has put on more weight. But he sure loves that hot wate with a scoop of senior feed and a scoop of alpha pelles twice aday with the corn oil in it.
But please work slowly up to the 1/4 cup. I took about 3 weeks to get it the 1/4 cup.

Posted On

Apr 27, 2009

Posted By

Sunshine

I take pvc pipe with screw caps on the ends and drop them in the water tanks. The pipe heats up and then warm the water. Plus it give the colts a little something to play with in the water & they drink more. I take out the pipes and refill them with hot water. I have a hot water heater in my barn, and have most of the water tanks close to the barn. But I have 2 horses that refuse to dring warm water.

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