Encouraging a horse to drink more water.

Horses may drink less than they need due to unfamiliar tastes, travel stress, cold weather, or changes in routine. Adequate hydration is essential for digestion, muscle function, circulation, and overall health. It’s best to start with simple, healthy strategies before using supplements.

Healthy ways to encourage water intake

Provide constant access to clean, fresh water:
– Buckets and troughs should be scrubbed regularly to prevent algae, slime, or bacteria build-up.

Check water temperature:
– Horses generally prefer lukewarm water in winter and cooler water in summer. Extremely cold or hot water can reduce intake.

Offer familiar containers and water:
– When travelling or competing, take your horse’s usual bucket and, if possible, bring water from home. Unfamiliar tastes or smells can discourage drinking.

Soak hay or feeds:
– Feeding soaked hay, haylage, or adding water to hard feeds can increase overall water intake. Avoid allowing horses to drink the leftover soaking water, and be aware that soaking hay reduces sugar and nutrient content.

Provide access to salt:
– Offering plain salt blocks or loose salt encourages thirst and helps maintain electrolyte balance.

When extra encouragement is needed

Introduce flavoured water at home:
– Adding a small amount of apple juice or molasses can make water more appealing. Introducing these flavours at home first helps the horse accept them when away.

Use electrolytes appropriately:
– Electrolytes replace salts lost through sweat and can stimulate drinking but should only be used according to workload, weather conditions, and veterinary guidance.

Offer multiple water sources:
– Some horses prefer buckets over troughs or moving water over still water.

Monitoring water intake daily and trialling these strategies at home before travelling helps you learn what works best for your horse.

Making water accessible and appealing is one of the simplest ways to prevent dehydration, support gut health, and reduce the risk of colic.