Hedgerows must always have access to fresh liquid water in order to stay healthy and prevent colic. Maintaining an ice-free supply during winter can be challenging.
While horses enjoy nibbling snow, it does not provide them with enough liquid. Energy must also be expended to metabolize it, potentially creating waste products which could cause impaction colic or cause impaction colic.
Water Intake Requirements
Water intake is crucial to the wellbeing of horses. It helps keep their feces at a normal moisture level, keeps blood moist, and aids the function of sweat glands. Without enough water intake, digestive system problems may arise that could result in colic or other complications.
Water consumption varies significantly depending on dietary type and environmental conditions, with horses eating high dry matter content hay requiring more water than those who prefer silage for example. Furthermore, their water needs increase during training sessions, nursing foal care sessions or in hot/humid climates.
Temperature of water also has an effect on their consumption. Horses tend to prefer slightly warm water over cold, as evidenced by studies that revealed those given lukewarm water drank 40% more than those given cold. Therefore, it’s essential that horses always have access to free-flowing and clean sources to meet their daily water intake needs.
In cold temperatures, an ideal way of providing water for horses in cold environments is through a trough with either an internal heater or floating heater – both will help ensure that the temperature remains above freezing and reduce the chance of ice formation which would reduce their desire to drink.
If a horse must rely on snow as his source of water, his intake will likely fall far short of his body’s needs and energy will have to be expended in melting it – diverting resources away from keeping warm.
Additionally, un-cleaned snow may contain contaminants that cause sand colic. Therefore, horses should never rely on snow as their primary source of hydration.
Increase the nutrient content of his feed to increase moisture in his feces. Grid systems that drain pastures can also help boost horse’s water intake during colder weather by encouraging natural water flow; this will decrease any build-up left after rainfall, and enable more of that water to reach soil.
Dehydration
Accessing fresh, clean water is the cornerstone of proper horse hydration. Winter months bring increased needs due to reduced rainfall and higher forage consumption rates; horses that depend solely on snow for water may be susceptible to dehydration, hypothermia and digestive issues.
Consuming water from a snowbank can cause dehydration as horses use their precious body heat to melt it and digest it – an energy drain which also contributes to digestive discomfort such as colic or diarrhea in horses.
Icelandic horses used in this study are used to more extreme climate conditions, and therefore used snow as their water source; however, snow does not provide the volume of liquid necessary for hydrating an animal of 1000 pounds or more.
Horses suffering from dehydration cannot absorb all the necessary nutrients from their feed, leading them to experience weight loss and show outward signs of dehydration such as sunken eyes or an appearance that their flank has been pulled in tight, among others. Their skin may feel dry to touch and won’t snap back after being pulled – known as the pinch test.
Horses in the wild rely heavily on rainwater and snowmelt as sources of sustenance, so it is vitally important that natural sources like these remain free from contamination. Springs and rainwater should also be filtered before drinking them; springs must also be cleared of debris before being used as drinking water sources; while in cold conditions it’s vitally important that outdoor troughs have their ice broken every day so automatic drinking systems remain functional.
Not consuming enough water can result in dehydration and impaction colic, in which dry feces stop being passed along with regularity through your digestive tract, potentially blocking it up completely and leading to blockages within your intestines.
Dehydration can also result from other health conditions, including kidney and liver diseases which cause fluid loss through urine output, as well as digestive issues like diarrhea that require extra fluid consumption to make up for lost fluids. To remain healthy, horses with diarrhea must consume additional water to compensate for lost liquids.
Hypothermia
As temperatures decrease, the risk of hypothermia for horses and other outdoor-living animals such as cattle increases dramatically. Wet horses or other animals become especially susceptible, particularly during periods of rain or snow. Hypothermia occurs when core body temperatures fall below the normal range and affect all organs within their bodies including brain function – it is extremely dangerous and requires immediate veterinary assistance to restore them back to health.
Winter temperatures place great strain on horses, who need energy and water in their bodies just to remain comfortable. Many owners use tank heaters or floating tennis balls in troughs as means to prevent freezing water; however, these measures become ineffective once temperatures fall below freezing point.
Horses will lick and consume snow as a source of water, but it does not meet all their hydration needs. Eating too much snow will lower their core temperature too much and contains limited actual liquid; horses who consume too much snow could experience dehydration and hypothermia as a result of too much snow intake.
Though most horse breeds can adapt to cold temperatures, some tend to fare better than others. Draft and Warmblood breeds, longhaired (feathers on fetlocks), and light colored horses tend to adapt more readily than their counterparts in cold climates.
Once wet, horses quickly become colder due to water’s absorption of heat from its surrounding environment and slowing blood circulation; eventually this causes their vascular system to constrict further, leading to body temperature loss and eventually signs of hypothermia such as uncontrollable shivering, lethargy and anxiety.
Owners of outdoor pets must remain especially diligent during winter to ensure their animals have access to water at all times and don’t remain exposed for too long. It is especially important for owners of horses that they provide adequate shelter, high-quality hay supply and use blanketing properly in order to minimize heat loss through skin. They should also monitor signs of colic or impaction that might increase with cold temperatures.
Health Concerns
Horses often graze on snow to stay hydrated in cold conditions, yet this should not be seen as an adequate replacement for water. Melting and warming it takes away energy that should be spent keeping warm; furthermore, its resultant water lacks essential vitamins and nutrients required by their bodies for adequate hydration needs. Consumption of large quantities may even cause health complications such as diarrhea, vomiting and infection in horses.
As most horses are unfamiliar with living in winter conditions, eating snow for water is something they will usually avoid doing naturally. Icelandic horses that have become adept at handling colder climates may consume enough snowwater to meet their hydration requirements; other horses may require additional sources such as buckets or troughs in order to remain hydrated during winter conditions and avoid health concerns like impaction colic.
Water intake not only meets hydration needs for horses but also regulates fecal moisture levels to help prevent intestinal blockages or impaction. If cold weather leads to reduced consumption of water intake by horses, then their risk of impaction increases exponentially.
Heated water can help ensure thirsty horses have access to their troughs during cold days. Studies have revealed that horses prefer drinking water between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal drinking pleasure.
Heaters can help prevent the surface ice from freezing over when not being used by horses, such as during the overnight hours and on frigid days. On non-heated troughs, surface ice should be broken off twice daily before freezing once more to provide horses with access to drink before it solidifies again.
Before the first frost of autumn arrives is generally the ideal time for providing heated water sources to horses. At that point, insulation and heater plug-in can ensure all winter months will go off smoothly. Caretakers must spend extra time plowing paths to water sources, thawing automatic troughs and carrying buckets during this season so all horses have access to fresh, clean non-frozen drinking water sources.