I have a horse that won’t drink. He must be thirsty but doesn’t drink much when we are away from home. Why won’t he drink and what can I do to help?
This is not an uncommon problem and chances are it is as simple as he doesn’t like the water when you go away. A lot of horses become accustomed to the taste and smell of the water at home and this changes at different places. This is particularly common in horses that are use to drinking rain, dam or bore water and then go to an area with town or treated water which is often high in chlorine or other chemicals.
You can try masking the taste and smell of the new water. KER Drink-Up is a product that is designed to do just that. It is a highly palatable, flavoured mix that you add to water to increase the horse’s acceptance of the water. You could also try adding a little cordial or molasses to the water. I would try these tricks out at home first to get him used to it and willing to drink. If this fails you may end up having to take your own water with you.