When horses are traveling, it is not uncommon for them to decrease their water intake. Dehydration can be a dangerous condition for horses and has the potential to lead to colic. For this reason, monitoring the water intake and ensuring your horse does not become dehydrated is very important. There are several options to encourage water consumption during traveling. One option is traveling with tanks of water from your farm. Although this can be a challenge, some horses become “picky” and will only drink water from their own home. Another option is offering a bucket of electrolyte water and/or a bucket of molasses water with their bucket of plain water. Always make sure you offer a bucket of plain water whenever offering buckets of water with additives. Also, there are electrolyte powders that can be added to the feed that may encourage your horse to drink more water. Last but not least, the traditional mineral block may be helpful and is quite easy to make available at all times of the day and in all weather conditions.
