“Water is key. I think we underestimate the effect water plays on the metabolic systems of the horse,” says Britt Stubblefield, DVM, of Rocky Top Veterinary Service in Guffey, Colorado. He explains that access to water is especially important for horses when there are extreme changes in the environment, such as fluctuating temperatures fall turns into winter.
Source: Western Horseman, December 2016.
To stay healthy, a horse requires about 12 gallons of water a day. However, as temperatures drop, consumption of water goes down, as well. Stubblefield explains that because horses aren’t sweating and burning as many calories from the heat of the sun, they tend to drink less water in the winter. As a result, the dehydrated tissues in the body absorb water from the bowel and lower the amount of mucous and fluid that secrete into it. This combination is a recipe for impaction colic, a blockage in the intestine that causes severe pain and discomfort.
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