Posted: 10th June 2020 | Back to news feed
How much water will my horse drink a day?
An average 500kg (approximately 15hh) horse drinks around 30-50 litres of clean fresh water per day. This amount may be higher in hot weather (because the horse will sweat more and use up water reserves in the body) and if working very hard (again the horse will sweat more). Horses on a dry forage based diet for example hay or older dry grass will also require a larger amount of water as they will not be getting as much from other sources for example freshly grown grass or haylage.
Why does my horse need so much water?
There are two main reasons a horse requires so much water. Horses have a high fibre diet and in order to be able to digest that they must have enough water in their system to ensure itt keeps moving. When a horse doesn't get the water it needs either due to a lack of it or the water available being contaminated they are at risk of impaction colic. Impaction colic is where fibre blocks the digestive system, this is very serious for a horse and requires immediate veterinary attention as the horse is unable to resolve the issue naturally.
Horses are also one of the few animals that rely on sweating to cool them selves down either in hot weather or after exercise. When a horse becomes dehydrated they can become lethargic and will not be able to complete vital bodily functions, it is important to re-hydrate them quickly so no damage is done.
A vets perspective
Last year we had a brilliant insight from Fiona Jones BSc BVSc MRCVS, Equine Vet from R D Owen Equine Clinic Ltd take a look at the video below to hear her thoughts. It will be important to treat his dehydration because left untreated, it can cause kidney damage and more.
So how do I ensure my horse gets the water it needs?
Here at JFC Equine we manufacture a wide range water drinkers and troughs from tough, impact resistant and UV protected polyethylene which is designed with smooth edges for animal safety so suitable for your every equine need.
For your stable
We produce a range of stable drinkers including the DBL9 tip over drinker designed with a twin plastic wall for strength and fitted with a steel frame to protect, the internal brass float valve capable of delivering 9L/min at 3 bar pressure.
The drink bowl has a unique design meaning the bowl can be emptied by you at the push of a button. The gravity operated rotation simply uses the weight of the water to tip 180 degrees dumping all contents into a pre- positioned vessel below and then returns to a working position. This action makes being able to give your horse clean fresh water a thing to be done in seconds.
For your field
We produce a range of water troughs including single & double resivour troughs for versatility, to corner troughs for those small spaced to insulated troughs for cold weather. All are manufactured from tough, impact resistant polyethylene and has a smooth polished finish designed specifically for animal safety.
Our fast flow range including the DT30FF drinker below feature an easy to access service lid and are fitted with a fast-fill float valve, capable of delivering up to 75L/min at 3 bar pressure. The double reservoir design makes it ideal for using in between paddocks or for a larger number of animals in one paddock and the fitted drain off bungs make moving and cleaning quick and easy.
For more information give us a call or drop an email to the contacts below.
Or take a look at our website: http://jfcagri.com
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