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Horse not drinking

1K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  equiniphile 
#1 ·
HI my horse has just stopped drinking. He usually drinks two 12 L pails a day but yesterday he drank only half a pail and today he just ignored the water. What should I do? He eats normally and acts normal too. he gets a lot of good hay. He has some warm water avalible right now. praying he'll drink it before it freezes. Please help.
 
#6 ·
I've noticed with all horses we've ever had, that they'll eat snow and drink less. Lazy suckers. Not to say there isn't a health problem, but it's something I've come to expect. Simply watching him in pasture you should be able see if he is or isn't eating snow. Usually as close to hay as possible.
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#7 ·
Snow is too cold to hydrate a horse, and oftentimes they will eat snow thinking they're drinking and end up dehydrated. It's very important that you keep checking for signs of dehydration by doing the skin test and monitoring his manure. Is the water provided heated? My horses are reluctant to drink if their water isn't heated in the winter.

If he doesn't start drinking more, you may have to stall him for a few hours a day to force him to drink actual water instead of snow.
 
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