Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Zinger enjoys a deep drink from a cool, naturally aerated Rocky Mountain creek.
In very cold weather, providing freshly drawn water might encourage a horse to drink
more water than if he were forced to get his needed moisture by eating snow or drinking
from an icy pond or trough. However, many horses will not drink artificially warmed or
too-hot water. If you are in a cold climate and do not have heated watering devices, the best
bet is to draw fresh buckets from the tap or hydrant several times a day to offer each horse.
Horses seem to prefer freshly aerated water at 35 to 40°F.
A horse drinks by closing his lips and creating suction with his tongue, so it can take
quite a bit of time for a horse to get his fill of water. Horses drink about ⅓ of a pint per
swallow or 1 gallon in about 30 seconds, generally coming up for air after about ten swal-
lows.
Because horses have such keen senses of smell and taste, they often refuse to drink for-
eign water when they are away from home, even though the water may be perfectly safe
