Winter Water for Horses
- January 10, 2016
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- Lynn Kohr
Posted in: Featured, Horse Care, Ranch Life
Water is a concern in winter feeding. Chopping ice, plowing ways to water, thawing automatic waters, carrying buckets…ahh winter time.
What do you do if your horses don’t have access to one of these?
What about good old eating snow?
Even with fresh water available horses hydrate by eating snow.
When asked, Dr. Marshall Kohr, DVM, commented, “Although not optimal, eating snow can keep a horse alive through the winter. Eating snow does take more energy and it burns more calories than having an available water source, so additional calories should be available to these horses. Eating snow for their water source has increased risk of impaction colic due to dehydration.”
Another good way to up calories during the winter months.
Up your horses’ calorie intake when they need to eat snow for winter water.
If your horse has only snow to eat, kick up the calories and either put out a lick tub high in fat or supplement with an easily digestible complete grain. Even in winter conditions and only snow to eat, your horse can stay fat and shiny.
Don’t forget this key element to surviving winter.
Salt and Mineral should always be available as well.
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Posted in: Featured, Horse Care, Ranch Life
About Lynn Kohr
I am a barrel and pole horse trainer, giving springtime barrel racing and pole bending clinics and workshops, competing in barrel racing and pole bending futurities while marketing our horses for sale. I am a Mom of 3: Sage, Cedar, and Stratton. And wife of...