Having a supply of fresh drinking water for your horses is important year round, but during hot summer weather it is critical to their health and well-being. Different horse farms and locations may have different sources of water including streams, ponds, lakes, well water, city water, automatic Waterers, troughs, or buckets.
Finding guidelines specific to equine drinking water is difficult. Water differs in physiochemical properties from area to area and sometimes within certain areas, depending on the source of the water.
Horse owners who are unfamiliar with the makeup of their water supply can have water samples tested for physical and physiochemical properties, excessive nutrients, toxic compounds, microbes, and other contaminants.
Almost routinely, water-related illnesses are seen by veterinarians. In some cases, horses die or become extremely ill from water toxicity caused by sulfates and other chemicals such as arsenic, flourine, lead, and mercury.
Fecal coliform and other possible pathogens are often present in water in pastures and other areas where horses can drink water from the ground. Flood waters also contribute to health consequences, since they usually contain sewage, gasoline, petrochemicals and other contaminants not suitable in horse or livestock drinking water.
To ensure a safe supply of water for your horse make sure to do the following on a daily or regular basis:
- Check all waterers, buckets, troughs or other water sources daily to ensure a continuous supply of clean, fresh water.
- Examine all watering equipment for buildup of scum, algae growth, fecal or other contaminants and clean equipment as necessary.
- Do not allow horses access to pasture areas where stagnant or contaminated water is found.
- Inspect all gates daily between pastures or in areas where horses might be locked up without fresh water or might have access to contaminated water.
If you discover that your horse has been without water for an extended period, do not let it drink as much water as it wants. Excessive water can result in water intoxication which can be deadly. Instead let your horse drink a fair amount and consult with your vet about rehydrating horses.