Staying adequately hydrated is vital to your horse’s overall health, well-being, and performance ability. | Photo: iStock

Q: Last weekend at an event my horse stopped drinking, which has never been an issue for him before. He also doesn’t seem to be as keen to drink on the trailer as he once was. Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep him drinking?

A: Staying adequately hydrated is vital to your horse’s overall health, well-being, and performance ability. Dehydration not only increases the chances of an impaction colic but also reduces fluids available for the production of bodily fluids such as saliva, mucus, and digestive secretions. Dehydration can also lead to issues with muscle contraction and nerve conduction, thus it negatively impacts performance. In severe cases it might even lead to tying-up.

So if your horse is dehydrated not only does this have health implications, but he also won’t be at his competitive best! In fact it has been reported that a 1% decrease in hydration can result in as much as a 4 % drop in performance