My Horse Will Not Drink Water

The most common reason Horses will not drink water is from stray electricity as I mentioned in the Cold Weather Colic post. For those of us that live in a cold climate the need for electricity to keep the waters from freezing is mandatory. In Stamina Plus’s research facility there are 20 automatic waters that need to be checked daily. These waters are checked to make sure they are not frozen and that the electric wiring has not shorted out. The electric hook up for all waters should be on a ground fault outlet so that in case of a short the outlet will disconnect before a horse is electrocuted.

Many horse owners use electric fences to keep their horses in pens or pastures. The reason this works is that horses are very sensitive to electricity and will stay away from the electric fence. It is important then to remember that electricity can jump from the electric fence to a water source and produce a shock when the horse goes to get a drink of water. Therefore keep electric fences away from your water source.

Remember that water is the most important nutrient for your horse year around and they should always have access to fresh clean water.