With California entering its fourth year of drought and temperatures climbing to over 100°F, assuring a plentiful and palatable water supply for the 2015 Tevis Cup 100-mile endurance ride participants is a must—but a challenging one—for ride organizers and volunteers alike.

This year’s Tevis Cup will take place Aug. 1 in Northern California.

“An endurance horse, working in the heat, can sweat 3 to 4 gallons an hour or more, although the hourly average over the course would be lower,” explained head veterinarian Greg Fellers, DVM. “Natural thirst will stimulate the horse to replace about two-thirds of that water loss.”

Ride director Chuck Stalley said, “We have six water trucks capable of hauling 4,000 gallons each, along with two smaller 500-gallons rigs