My horse hardly ever drinks.
I dont think it is a problem as he is never dehydrated when I pinch-test him, and water is always there for him - but he never wants it.
He is perfectly healthy and happy. Our horse's stables are fitted with automatic waterers, and at first we thought he wasnt drinking because he was unhappy with them, so we give him two buckets of water as well.
Sometimes I can tell if he's thirsty because he will go and stare at the hosepipe, and if I fill him a bucket and bring it over he will drink from it.
Sometimes he will use the ones in his stable but only if they've JUST been filled, and most of the time he just ignores them. If the buckets have stood more than ten minutes (Im not joking), have a little dust on them, or a piece of straw has dropped in one, he wont touch them.
Ive seen him drink in the field occasionally (obviously I dont watch him all the time!) but he hardly ever drinks in his stable. We know he isnt using the automatic as we keep having to clean it out as it gets a film on top, and twice a day I end up pouring two full buckets away and refilling them.
Sometimes he will drink out of a hosepipe in preference to a bucket but he usually likes to just swill his mouth out with it, ie. just have the hosepipe run into his mouth and dribble down his chin.
Cant remember how much horses are supposed to drink a day but Im sure it's a lot more than nothing! He has been like this for five years now so Im not worried about it, Im just wondering why.
How is he surviving!? Where is he getting his water from???
Thanks a lot - Jo and Hec
xxx
I dont think it is a problem as he is never dehydrated when I pinch-test him, and water is always there for him - but he never wants it.
He is perfectly healthy and happy. Our horse's stables are fitted with automatic waterers, and at first we thought he wasnt drinking because he was unhappy with them, so we give him two buckets of water as well.
Sometimes I can tell if he's thirsty because he will go and stare at the hosepipe, and if I fill him a bucket and bring it over he will drink from it.
Sometimes he will use the ones in his stable but only if they've JUST been filled, and most of the time he just ignores them. If the buckets have stood more than ten minutes (Im not joking), have a little dust on them, or a piece of straw has dropped in one, he wont touch them.
Ive seen him drink in the field occasionally (obviously I dont watch him all the time!) but he hardly ever drinks in his stable. We know he isnt using the automatic as we keep having to clean it out as it gets a film on top, and twice a day I end up pouring two full buckets away and refilling them.
Sometimes he will drink out of a hosepipe in preference to a bucket but he usually likes to just swill his mouth out with it, ie. just have the hosepipe run into his mouth and dribble down his chin.
Cant remember how much horses are supposed to drink a day but Im sure it's a lot more than nothing! He has been like this for five years now so Im not worried about it, Im just wondering why.
How is he surviving!? Where is he getting his water from???
Thanks a lot - Jo and Hec
xxx