Horses, like humans, are highly active animals that require proper hydration to maintain their health and performance. With the competition season in full swing, coupled with warmer weather, understanding the mechanisms of sweating and the importance of hydration in horses is crucial for every owner and rider.  

In our latest Blog post, we delve into how horses sweat, why hydration is vital, and how you can ensure your horse stays properly hydrated, whatever the workload or weather, through the right diet and management:

The Physiology of Sweating in Horses

Horses, in contrast to many animals, have a unique efficient cooling system that relies heavily on sweating. Unlike humans, who have sweat glands distributed all over the body, horses primarily sweat through their apocrine glands located in their skin. When a horse exercises or is exposed to higher temperatures, these glands produce sweat to cool the body.

Sweat in horses is rich in electrolytes, particularly sodium, chloride, and potassium, and in lesser amounts, magnesium, and calcium. These electrolytes are essential for muscle function, nerve transmission, and maintaining the body’s fluid balance. However, excessive sweating can lead to significant electrolyte loss, which, if not replenished, can result in dehydration and other health issues.

The Importance of Hydration

Hydration is critical for horses to maintain optimal health and performance yet despite this, water is one of the most overlooked nutrients in a horses diet. Water constitutes about 65-75% of a horse’s body weight, playing a vital role in digestion, nutrient absorption, temperature regulation, and joint lubrication.

Dehydration in horses can lead to serious conditions such as colic, kidney damage, and heat stroke.

Sources of Hydration

Horses hydrate through direct means (drinking water and eating food) and indirect means (metabolic processes). All feedstuffs contain water, with spring grass having the highest moisture content at over 80%, haylage at 32-45%, and hay, cubes, mixes, chaffs, and late autumn grass at about 10-15%). Due to the higher water content of spring grass, horses drink less frequently when turned out full time on spring pasture and more when fed drier feedstuffs like hay in winter.,

Signs of Dehydration in Horses:

• Dry, sticky gums
• Sunken eyes
• Dull coat
• Lethargy
• Reduced skin elasticity (skin tent test)
• Decreased urination

How Much Water Does a Horse Need?

On average, horses and ponies need between 15 to 30 litres of water per day, depending on size, but this amount can increase significantly with exercise, hot weather, lactation, and diet. Horses consuming dry forage, such as hay, require more water than those grazing on fresh pasture due to the lower moisture content in hay.

Tips for Ensuring Proper Hydration

Provide Clean, Fresh Water:

Ensure your horse always has constant access to clean, fresh water – exercise and warm weather can significantly increase water intake with research showing that daily water intakes can increase by 79% when horses are exercised at higher temperatures.

Water buckets and troughs should be cleaned regularly to prevent contamination and ensure that water is always palatable.

Electrolyte Supplementation:

During periods of heavy sweating, such as intense exercise or hot weather, electrolyte supplements which can be offered in water, feed, or as a paste are essential to replenish lost minerals.

VitaStance Mineral Mix will help provide a comprehensive range of electrolytes, including Sodium and Chloride (salt), Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium and helps support optimal fluid balance and hydration when fed daily.  Salt will help stimulate thirst, so in this way daily feeding of VitaStance mixed in your horses feed, can be extremely beneficial both to support optimal hydration and replenish electrolytes.

Feed plenty of Fibre

Your horse’s hindgut acts as a beneficial fluid reservoir, which is possible because fibre, like hay, haylage or digestible fibres like CoolStance Copra, bind water.

Fibre has a high water holding capacity and as it is fermented in the hindgut water is released and builds up a useful water reservoir in the hindgut to use when your horse needs it, helping to prevent potential dehydration.  

Feed wet food or mashes

Adding water to your horse’s bucket feed or providing wet forage can help increase water intake but mashes also can be an excellent tool to help ensure your horses is fully hydrated, particularly after exercise in warmer weather or harder work.

CoolStance Copra can be made into a nutritious, fibre filled, beneficial mash that will not only help get extra water into your horse but will also help restore lost nutrients when fed in combination with VitaStance Mineral Mix after harder work or competition.

Monitor intake

Keep track of how much water your horse is drinking, especially during travel or changes in weather. Sudden decreases in water intake can be a sign of health issues.

Provide Shade and Ventilation:

Ensure your horse has access to shade and well-ventilated areas to minimize excessive sweating and overheating.

If your horse or pony does not have access to a lot of good shade in their field, bringing them in to a cool stable in the hottest part of the day and treating them to a nice refreshing wash down can help to support optimal hydration when the temperature rises.

When to Call the Vet

If you suspect your horse is dehydrated or if they show signs of severe dehydration, it is crucial to seek veterinary assistance immediately. Severe dehydration requires prompt medical intervention, often including intravenous fluids and electrolytes.

Proper hydration and understanding the sweating mechanisms in horses are essential for maintaining their health and performance. By ensuring access to clean water, monitoring their hydration status, and providing essential supplements, you can help your equine friend stay healthy and thrive, even in more challenging conditions.

Remember, a well-hydrated horse is a happy and healthy horse 😊

If you have any questions about creating the best diet and nutrition for your horse or pony, please contact 01488 73322 or info@boomerangnutrition.co.uk