Keep Your Horse Hydrated

My animal family  -- two horses, four goats, three cats and two dogs! -- and I have moved to Southern California, to the high desert. It has been a challenge to keep the horses hydrated and their gut flora stabilized as they are eating entirely new kinds of hays and the weather here has been above 100 degrees for weeks at at time.

Hydration is imperative in keeping a horse's gut moving and impaction colic at bay. I have been keeping close watch on my horse's manure as a way to tell if they are consuming enough water. For the most part, their manure has looked fine but once or twice I have noticed a hardening of my gelding's stools and since he went through an impaction colic earlier this year I am very aware and quick to do whatever is necessary to get and keep him hydrated.

Fortunately, I have found quite a few ways that work quickly to keep him healthy l and I want to share them with you here:

• Feed at least 1 tablespoon of sea salt at least 2-3 times per day in your horse's feed, wetting down with as much water as possible. (You will notice a big difference when you feed that third meal with that third tablespoon of salt in terms of the amount of horse your water will start drinking -- this extra meal is well worth your time and effort.)
• Drop 10-20 drops of Bach's Rescue Remedy in your horse's water trough. This wonderful flower essence will sooth as well as help to hydrate your horse and has an equally wonderful effect for your dogs, too.
• Feed a combination of Chamomile and magnesium citrate to magnesium deficient horses, as magnesium deficiency puts hoses at high risk of impaction colic. Chamomile is a very soothing herb that is known to have natural magnesium -- a known muscle relaxant. Certified herbalist Catherine Bird and I just created an effective formula of these two ingredients that is now available in my store at www.skodeshorsetreats.com (look under herbal/mineral supplements).
• Feed a warm bran mash with 2 tablespoons salt and 1/2 cup of Alfalfa pellets. Many people reserve bran mashes for Winter time but I find them equally as helpful during very warm weather -- they help with gut motility and are another wonderful way to drench your horse's gut. (Just don't feed more than once per week as bran can upset the phosphorus/calcium ratio of your horse's nutritional program).
• Stay away from hard feeds and instead feed as much hay -- sprinkled with Sea Salt -- as possible, as this helps the horse stay true to his nature as a grazer created to eat small amounts of food 18-20 hours per day.
• Feed whole foods that help to hydrate and add fiber (safe bulk) to your horse's nutritional program. I like apples, which are packed with fiber and have a much lower sugar and starch level than carrots. I would not feed an Insulin Resistant horse too many apples, but I do on occasion give even my metabolically challenged horse whole apples when I feel he needs the added bulk in his diet.
• Supplement with a good pro-botioc to help stabilize your horse's gut, especially if you do not have access to a steady supply of the same hay supply. My new, favorite pro-biotic is called Forco. I like it because it is simple in that it contains nothing but pro-biotics and because it is very affordable. Another good pro-biotic is Equine Pro-bios and is also quite cost effective, especially if you can find it at Walmart. The pro-bios comes in a tube and has "live" pro-biotics. My equine nutritionist told me about it. It's a good thing to have on hand as it has a very fast stabilizing effect.
• Feed a diluted mixture of organic apple cider vinegar and water -- I offer a ratio of 1 part cider to 2 parts water -- over your horse's feed (2-4 total ounces per feeding). This is a great way to keep your horse's electrolytes balanced  My horses love the taste, too.
• Place buckets of fresh water near the places where you offer hay -- Some horses, if given the chance, will "dunk" their hay in the water -- (Mine told his animal communicator he does it because it is fun!)

"SKODE"

Comments

[Claire]

I'm one of those nutty people who rinses her low sugar-starch hay before feeding it for palatability & hydration purposes, but also to rinse off surface dust and iron.
Just call me crazy! My husband does!

[Lori Yearwood]

Hi Claire,

Yes, this is a terrific idea! I used to do this and have forgotten I did
it. Nice way to make the salt stick, too.

Thank you for sharing,

Lori