Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Horses should have easy access to free-choice, pure, palatable water with minimal
mineral content.
Water Quality
No matter what the source, the water for your horses must be pure and palatable and contain
minimal mineral matter. There should be no harmful organisms or decomposing organic
matter in your horses' water. This means that the well (and cistern if you have one) must
be free from contamination and that the water vessels you use for the horses are kept scru-
pulously clean of old feed, algae, dead animals, and dirt.
To test your well for bacterial contamination, obtain a special sterilized container
provided by your county or local health department and take a sample according to the in-
structions provided with it. The sample must be representative and should not be from a
new or inactive well. A well should be thoroughly pumped before sampling.
