One of the most important ingredients to your horse�s health is also one of the cheapest and most available – water!
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Getting H2O into your horse�s system often presents problems.
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Water availability can�t be left to chance. Frozen stock tanks, cold water that limits drinking, fouled water
horse troughs, broken automatic systems, natural rivers and ponds that are contaminated, wrong-size
water buckets or buckets not filled frequently enough can result in a water shortage for your horse or livestock.
Many horses do not receive adequate amounts of water due to the issues listed above. In many cases your horse may get ENOUGH water – but that water is not clean and not free from toxins. Before making a decision on the
right watering system for your horse, you should consider some of the problems that hinder water nutrition in animals and then find the right watering system that offers the best solution for your particular situation.
Standing or Stagnant Water Problems
Water that has no movement and is stationary in a horse water bucket, watering tank, or automatic equine waterer can grow algae and collect debris. This kind of water can quickly become undesirable to your horse and your horse’s health.
If the water is bad or infested with algae it can hinder your horse from drinking sufficient amounts. Horses do not like the taste of water infected with algae – but worse, your horse can get poisoned. Blue -green algae (Cyanophyceae) produces a musty septic order and tastes bad to humans and animals. Other blue-green algae (Microcystis, Anabaena) produce toxins while they decompose on the water. Poisoning in horses usually happens in late summer after a period of hot, sunny weather when the algae growth is rapid.
Signs of poisoning are sudden and include:
- muscle tremor
- ataxia
- convulsions
- difficulty breathing
- salivation
- cyanosis
- recumbency
- hypersensitivity
- bloody diarrhea
If the animal survives algae poisoning, liver damage can occur.
Standing and stagnant water is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes and can be a source of water for rats and other rodents. Mosquito Control Stock Tank Dispenser Kills Mosquitos Including Those Which May Transmit West Niles Virus.
Standing water is heated or cooled by outside air temperature. If the water is too cold or too hot the amount your horse intakes can be restricted. Imagine your own likelihood in drinking hot water in the summer or icy cold water in the winter? Not pleasing!
Horses prefer water temperatures that range between 37 and 51 degrees Fahrenheit. A horse will drink more water if it is in the proper temperature range – thus it will help to eliminate dehydration and the health problems that go with limited water intake.
