Looking for a simple way to get your horse to drink more water? Whilst some horses won’t drink at shows, others seem to reduce vital water intake when the weather becomes cooler. But with this simple trick, courtesy of British Horse Feeds, you’ll never have to worry about dehydrating your horse again!
Horses and ponies need to stay hydrated all year round. However, maintaining hydration can be particularly problematic during the warmer periods of the year, when water is lost through sweating. Dehydration is a common summer health problem, and with water not only assisting thermoregulation but also vital for digestive health and athletic performance, it’s something all horse owners should be aware of!
Once water levels are lost, they need to be replenished, and Tamsin Palmer, an eventer from Stockport, found British Horse Feeds’ Fibre-Beet very useful for her horse, Bazaars Twister (Twink).
After the pair had finished schooling or after lessons, Tamsin was always keen to make sure Twink was drinking, but like most of us it is rare actually to see when our horses drink.
Normally horse owners can gage how much water is consumed from water buckets but automatic drinkers both in the field and in the stable makes it more difficult.
Tamsin added some soaked Fibre-Beet to Twink’s water bucket to entice him to drink more and hydrate again.
Because Twink was already fed on Fibre-Beet, Tamsin knew he would take to it straight away.
Fibre-Beet contains peppermint, making it extremely palatable for horses that can be extremely fussy and in this case helped Tamsin make sure her horse was drinking.
Tamsin commented;
“Twink loves his Fibre-Beet and I have found it is a great way to keep his fibre intake up.”
“I also feed British Horse Feeds Cooked Linseed alongside the Fibre-Beet for condition in winter, and in summer for that gorgeous coat shine. He has never looked so well.”
Adding one part dry Fibre-Beet (half kg) to three parts water by weight (one and half litres), the feed will soak and expand to hold three times its weight in water.
More water can be added to make a sloppier mash to increase fluid intake or like Tamsin, add a handful of soaked Fibre-Beet to water buckets to flavour the water.
This is extremely useful for when you are out competing. Some horses and ponies refuse to drink in these environments, and conveniently Fibre-Beet can be soaked and ready to feed in only 45 minutes with cold water, or 15 minutes with warm water.
Even better, RRP is only £13.50 – £14.50 per 20kg!
HEADER IMAGE: Tasmin Palmer riding Twink (Image Credit: Majestic Photography)
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Journalist and News Reporter, Everything Horse
Reporting on equestrian news stories, Abby also produces a variety of engaging content for the magazine.