Most of us are familiar with the “eating clean” nutritional trend that has influenced the proliferation of organic, whole foods, and healthy eating for both people and animals. This commitment to providing the best nutrition possible should start with the one nutrient that plays the most vital role in the health of your horse – water.
Water is by far the largest nutrient you supply to your horse in both volume and weight. The average horse drinks between eight to 12 gallons of water daily which is roughly equivalent to between 66 and 100 pounds. For this reason, it is imperative that your horse drinks “clean.”
“Clean” is a Commitment to Providing Your Horse Clean, Fresh Water on Demand
Your horse needs access to clean, fresh water at all times. Providing enough clean water through buckets or stock tanks can be a challenge. Horse owners everywhere know how time-consuming it is to check, clean, haul, and refill water buckets or stock tanks on a daily basis. Water buckets also collect food debris and other pollutants and stock tanks hold a larger capacity of water that can quickly become a breeding ground for algae and mosquitoes.
According to Roberta Dwyer, DVM, and Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, it is recommended that buckets or water troughs routinely be scrubbed and cleaned, preferably once a week. Dwyer recommends diluting one cup of household bleach to five gallons of water to disinfect any troughs that have algae, or mold for disease control during warm months. Troughs cleaned with a disinfectant need to be thoroughly rinsed several times prior to refilling to remove any bleach or disinfectant residue.
There is an Easier and Eco-friendly Option – Automatic Waterers
Automatic livestock waterers, like the best-selling Ritchie brand, are designed to provide clean, fresh water on demand at a palatable temperature in a smaller capacity trough that is easy to keep clean.
“Ritchie Industries manufactures a full line of equine waterers designed specifically for horse health and well-being, like the StallFount or AutoFount series,” said Jeff Miller, Sales and Marketing Director at Ritchie Industries. “Our patented design conserves water because our valves have a very quick refresh rate which provides water on demand. Take the Classic StallFount for example, this waterer has a stainless-steel cover and trough which is easy to keep clean with just a brush and a capacity of just one gallon. This means when you do need to clean it, you are only using one gallon of water to clean versus a stock tank of water which could be anywhere from 50 to 100 gallons plus the water required to rinse out all the debris, algae, and disinfectant. If you clean your tanks out twice a month that could conservatively be close to 3,000 gallons of water wasted per tank in a year. Also, Ritchie waterers are the most reliable on the market. You’ll have no worries about leaky floats or cracked troughs. All of our products are backed by an industry-best 10-year warranty.”
Another major advantage of automatic waterers is that the water circulates and is not stagnant, this eliminates mosquitoes and their larvae which can carry Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), Western equine encephalitis (WEE), Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) and West Nile virus.
No hoof, no horse. This old saying reflects the importance of hoof health for your horse. While there are many factors that affect hoof health, there is one nutrient that has a major impact on not only your horse’s hooves but also their overall health. That is water.
According to Gary Pusillo, Ph.D. and well-known animal nutritionist, 60 to 80 percent of a horse’s daily nutritional intake is water. As fall winds down and chilly weather sets in, hay and water consumption will increase. A typical horse will require roughly half a gallon of water for every pound of hay eaten which should equal between 10 to 15 gallons a day in winter.
Water is vital for cellular functions that help keep hoof tissues hydrated. Adequate water intake is crucial to maintain dermal blood flow to the hoof and deliver nutrients to the epidermal cells that handle hoof growth. Water is also important to keeping the hoof strong and elastic. The hoof horn is 12 to 15 percent water and needs to remain well hydrated, otherwise, you’ll notice a brittle, crumbling, poor condition hoof wall. It is also thought that fluid balance within the hoof is vital for the hoof’s ability to absorb concussive impacts from the ground. The key takeaway is a healthy hoof is a well-hydrated hoof.
Water Consumption is a Reliable Health Indicator
When a horse is not feeling well, they tend to reduce how much water they drink, and in turn, how much feed they consume. A drop in water consumption is a reliable indicator that something is going on. The most common issue is diarrhea. Monitoring manure will give you a heads-up on how much water is being lost. On the flip side, horses who have drier or less manure production are telling you that they are not drinking enough, and an intestinal blockage or impaction of colic may occur. Colic is still the number one killer of horses and increasing water intake is one of the easiest and most recommended ways to reduce the risk. A horse who is not drinking enough water can begin to experience dehydration and impaction colic in as few as 48 hours.
Make Sure Your Horse has Fresh Water on Demand at All Times
It is critical that your horse has access to an abundant source of fresh, clean water. Horses that only have access to buckets may not be drinking enough water which can leave them susceptible to hoof and health issues.
“It is very easy for horse owners to underestimate how much water their horse needs,” said Jeff Miller, Ritchie Industries Sales and Marketing Manager. “Automatic waterers like Ritchie help take the stress and guesswork out of the equation. Water is a necessity, and you need to provide as much fresh, clean water as the horse wants. Ritchie manufactures individual stall mount models, portable models, and models designed for up to 40 head of horses that deliver temperature-controlled water on demand. We have a waterer that will fit your budget and your barn. You can skip the hassle of emptying, cleaning, and carrying buckets to the barn and never dealing with frozen buckets again.”
Tornadoes in Georgia, floods in Michigan, wildfires in California and Hurricane Elsa hitting Florida, 2021 so far has been another busy year for the destructive forces of Mother Nature. No matter where you live, disasters can strike at any time and can impact your horses and facilities.
There are two major scenarios that horse owners need to prepare for: evacuating with your horses or without – leaving them to shelter in place. Certain wildfires, hurricanes and large-scale flooding events can usually be predicted in time to allow safe evacuations. Most disaster plans are common sense but there can be some blind spots that folks overlook.
Simple Tips for Evacuations With Your Horses
“Typically, we want horse owners to prepare a go kit for their horses during evacuations,” said Kris Hiney, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University professor and OSU Extension equine specialist. “This includes halters, lead ropes, and several days of feed and water, along with any medications. When horses have to cross state lines, remember to take all health certificates, Coggins test results and make sure your horse is up to date on vaccinations. Make sure to check if there are any diseases outbreaks that might limit your ability to move your horses – you can get alerts from the Equine Disease Communication Center (www.equinedideasecc.com) through an app on your phone or email.
Another basic item that not a lot of people think about beforehand is to practice quick loading their horses. When we are under stress, especially during a chaotic event, the horses pick up on that and can be reluctant to load. Everyone’s anxiety can just compound the problem. Practice loading the animals and hooking up the trailer quickly to familiarize your horses with the speed and process.
“Additionally, we also recommend to horse owners that they teach their horses to drink water with just a little bit of flavoring to it. This can help mask odors from unfamiliar water sources like city water. I would not recommend trying it for the first time on the road, you need your horse to be accustomed to the flavor to make sure they will drink enough water. During a disaster you just don’t know what water sources will be available.”
Simple Tips for When You Have to Leave Your Horses Behind
Sometimes there isn’t enough trailer space to haul all your horses, or you simply don’t have enough time to evacuate safely, and you have to leave your horses behind. There are a few key precautions you can take to help maximize the odds of a successful reunion after the disaster passes.
“We highly recommend that you mark and have contact information on each horse,” said Hiney. “Livestock paint is suggested so that it’s visible to rescuers from afar. The other thing we recommend is that you have photos on your phone or uploaded to the cloud of you with your horse to help prove ownership. This will help reunite you with your horses faster.”
Horse owners have also written on their horse’s hooves with a permanent marker (Sharpie), braided waterproof luggage tags into manes and taped Ziploc baggies with contact info to halters to help identify their horses. Microchips are also a great way to identify and protect your horse. Contact your veterinarian for more information on microchipping.
No Matter the Disaster, Make Water a Key Priority
Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm, battered Florida and Louisiana in August of 1992. Andrew was the second costliest hurricane to hit the U.S. racking up over $27 billion (1992 dollars) in damage and killing 65 people and over 1,000 horses. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, one of the leading causes of death in horses was kidney failure due to dehydration. A lot of valuable lessons were learned in proper disaster planning, including making sure to put an emphasis on supplying clean, fresh water to horses.
“The biggest thing horse owners can do is have a disaster plan and discuss it with family members and your extended network of friends and neighbors so that the right decisions are made when the time comes,” said Hiney. “Try to get the basic needs covered first and that includes knowing what your water situation is. A horse will need roughly 10 gallons per day. Storms mean potential extended power outages and depending on your facility, you may need to plan on either running a generator or filling up large tubs or storage tanks to have enough water in case the water gets shut off. After storms, flooding is a big issue and this can lead to contamination of your water supply. It is a great idea to plan ahead and have a storage tank that contains enough potable water for your horses.”
Wildfires and rapidly spreading grassfires are also major disasters that alter the established soil ecosystem, impact water supplies and destroy pastures and forages. The aftermath can take a long time to recover from and the affected area can be prone to flash floods and mudslides. Horses can be displaced for an extended time. Fortunately, there are a couple of options available to help ease the chore of watering horses on a temporary basis.
Portable automatic waterers that can be hooked up to a water source through a garden or supply hose can be a quick and easy way to provide clean, fresh water to your horses. The leading manufacturer of both portable and permanent livestock automatic water solutions is Ritchie Industries, based in Conrad, Iowa. Ritchie Industries has been in business for 100 years and has sold over three million waterers worldwide. The founder, Thomas Ritchie of Oskaloosa, Iowa was a farmer and the inventor of the first automatic waterer device in 1921. Today, Ritchie Industries continues to design, engineer and manufacture their products in the U.S.A. to meet the ever-changing needs of ranchers, farmers and horse owners.
“Ritchie Industries engineers and manufactures two lines of portable waterers called the Classic Equine by Ritchie EZ Fount and the Genesis series that are perfect for serving the temporary water needs of disaster affected horses,” said Tad Upah, Director of Engineering at Ritchie Industries, Inc. “Both the EZ Fount and Genesis line of products are lightweight making them easily transported and installed. Due to the single wall construction, the water supply hookup can be placed anywhere on the unit to facilitate hook up with a garden hose or supply hose. Regardless of the hookup style, whether it be a yard hydrant, a house spigot or a storage tank, our Ritchie valves will accommodate all types of flow. Although they are light weight, they are still manufactured to the same tough quality standards as all of our products.”
Another practical choice to consider is hooking up portable or permanent waterers to a water source with a solar powered pump. Solar pumps can provide multiple benefits for horse owners, including facilitating rotational grazing, water security during a disaster and those on solar would not be subject to grid power outages.
The Bottomline
Minimize the stress and chaos that a natural disaster brings by developing a disaster plan and communicating that plan to family and friends so it can be implemented quickly and smoothly. Make sure to prepare a go kit for your horses and make sure to identify your horses and provide visual proof of ownership (registration papers, photos, etc.) to help reunite you with your horses. Make sure that your horse has an ample supply of fresh, clean water.
One hundred years ago, horses in the United States were primarily valued as beasts of burden for the raw power they brought to farms and transportation companies. The population of horses and mules in 1921 was over 25 million, just slightly under the peak of 26.4 million in 1915. The rapid development of mechanization technologies like tractors soon started to displace the horse population. In 1945, tractors overtook horsepower on farms for the first time. 1960 marked the lowest point in the horse and mule population, plummeting to just slightly over 3 million.
Then, a major transformation started to happen and horses, who were once prized as utilitarian assets, became more valued as companion animals, equine athletes and therapy animals. Today, current estimates put the total U.S. horse population at over 9 million and growing.
A lot has changed in the equine world in the past 100 years and one Iowa company has witnessed the entire cycle from the very beginning. In 1921, Thomas Ritchie invented the first automatic waterer valve and the first automatic livestock watering system that forever changed how livestock and horses were cared for. Gone were the days of stagnant, old wooden troughs or rusted steel tubs that froze over in the winter. Ritchie Industries, based in Conrad, Iowa, quickly became the industry leader and continued to make improvements in design, materials and manufacturing.
“As we celebrate 100 years in business, the foundation of our success has always been the efficiency and simplicity of our patented valve design,” says Robert Amundson, President and CEO of Ritchie Industries, Inc. “It has always been our goal to produce a reliable and durable product that is as tough and dependable as the farmers, ranchers and horse owners that we serve.”
Over three million Ritchie waterers have been sold worldwide and one particular horseman took notice of the brand when he first moved to the United States from Australia.
“When I moved to Sterling, Illinois to work at the former Wahl Equestrian Center I noticed all these Ritchie red and yellow waterers at the center,” says Clinton Anderson, clinician, horse trainer, competitor and founder of Downunder Horsemanship. “I noticed that these waterers were at least 15 years old and they were in great working condition. I started paying attention to other farms and stables and noticed Ritchie everywhere. I had not heard of the brand before, and I tracked down their information and reached out directly to Ritchie Industries in Iowa. We struck up a relationship and over the past 15 years Ritchie waterers began to dominate waterer sales in the equine industry and the Classic Equine by Ritchie is now the premium waterer series on the market. I have built three ranches in my career – one in Ohio, Texas and now Arkansas and every time, I only put in Ritchie waterers – they are dependable and durable.
Ritchie Industries is a very unique company. They are employee owned and everyone at Ritchie has a vested interest in the success of the company and that comes through in their work. They take pride in producing a great product. Even though Ritchie has been around for 100 years and are known for their classic design, they always keep their finger on the pulse of the livestock and equine industries. Ritchie adjusts to what the industry needs or wants. For example, if the cattle industry has shifted and they need a waterer to meet their new requirements, Ritchie will work with industry leaders and make the necessary design and manufacturing changes. Ritchie is and will always be an innovative leader committed to producing a quality product that meets or exceeds your expectations.”
One of the more stubbornly enduring equine myths is the thought that giving cold (40 to 50 degrees F) or too much water to your sweaty horse after a heavy workout will cause colic.
“I don’t think anybody truly understands where this [myth] comes from, but there is no consensus among veterinarians about cold water causing colic,” said Fernanda Camargo, DVM, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Equine Extension Specialist at the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky. “A possible perpetuation of this myth could be tied to the Thoroughbred industry and the various decisions trainers make when they instruct a hot walker to only allow recently raced horses to take small amounts of water while they cool down. However, those racehorses will go back to a stall with fresh water, where they can drink as much as they want.”
A working horse should always have access to as much water as they want. Horses will generally not drink more than their stomach can hold, which is typically 2 to 3 gallons. In basic physiological terms, thirst is a reflex controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. The hypothalamus will increase thirst when there is a decrease in blood volume and an increase in the osmolality (more salts) in the blood. In other words, trust your horse to know when they need a drink of water.
“In my personal opinion, it is better to allow the sweaty horse to drink until he feels satiated instead of denying him water,” said Camargo. “If you don’t satiate the thirst reflex, it can be bypassed which could set the horse up for dehydration which actually can cause colic and other health concerns like overheating. If you look at equine athletes like endurance horses that run 100 plus miles, these horses are allowed to drink as much as they want at every single stop that they have because it is so important to rehydrate these horses. These horses are HOT; they’re cantering long distances and they don’t have problems drinking water. I have watched working ranch horses in Texas who are hard at it for eight hours in the hot weather and they are allowed to drink as much as they want, with no stomach cramps. In both these examples, the key is that the water is ambient temperature. Some vets believe that ice-cold water can cause stomach cramps, which can seem like colic to a horse owner. You know the old saying, ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink’, well it’s the truth. You simply can’t make a horse drink more water than his body needs.”
Research backs this up. Studies by Schott et al. have demonstrated that horses do not drink beyond their stomach capacity in the first few minutes following intense exercise, so there is no need to wait until your horse has “cooled off.” Horses prefer fresh, clean and cool (50 to 68 degrees F) water in the summer but cold water from the hose or warmer ambient environmental temperature is also perfectly fine. The bottom line is, let your horses have free access to water before, during and immediately after heavy exercise.