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Winter Water Intake EssentialBy Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 13, 2011
Don't depend on horses eating snow to slake their thirst on cold days when streams, ponds, and water tanks may freeze. To be sure your horses always have access to drinking water, invest in insulated buckets, automatic frost-free waterers, or a tank heater, and monitor frequently to be sure these devices are keeping the water thawed. Check and recheck for stray voltage if horses seem unhappy to drink from a tank with a heater. Some stray voltage is so slight that it's quite difficult to detect with standard volt meters, but even a tiny shock will make horses refuse to approach the tank. Even in cold weather, horses can quickly become dehydrated, a condition that is frequently followed by colic from intestinal impaction. Horses tend to drink more when the water temperature is in the fifties or sixties than when it is close to freezing. Drinking water for horses shouldn't be hot, or even warm to the touch.
