Hydrate your Horse

 

Horses delight themselves in livable stables and good food. So sometimes they will show signs of behavior feeling sick or starve themselves whenever they don’t feel like those things.

 Horses delight themselves in livable stables and good food. So sometimes they will show signs of behavior feeling sick or starve themselves whenever they don’t feel like those things. Their preference is also the same with water --- they prefer NONACIDIC water. Researchers from the University of Guelph – Kemptville have found that horses opt for water with neutral pH levels (7 or above) rather than drinking acidic at low pH levels (7 below) giving it a sour taste.

In addition, they don’t feel like drinking the water when:
★ It has too much fluoride.
★ The bucket or the water source is unfamiliar.
★It is dirty.
★They are nervous --- they drink less when they are nervous.

DEHYDRATION A horse is made up of 60% water – with 85% of its brain, 75% of its muscles, and even
30% of its bone. Its overall health stability in varying environments and feed also depends on its body fluid levels. This is why on average, equines need 5 to 10 gallons of freshwater per day.

But what if this daily requirement cannot be met? Signs can be when:
★ The resting heart rate is higher than 60 (a horse’s resting heart rate is 36-42 beats per minute in average).
★ The horse takes frequent, shallow breathes.
★ The horse’s gum color takes longer than two seconds to return to its normal shade when pressed.
★ The horse’s skin stays up like a ridge or returns slowly to its regular shape when folded.
★ The horse’s gums appear excessively red and eyes seem dry.
★ The horse oozes out excessive thick saliva. So you should be eyeful with these signs and start taking action.

LIQUIDY GOODNESS
A horse deprived of feed, but supplied with drinking water, is capable of surviving 20 to 25 days, but if it’s deprived with water it can only live up to 3 or 6 days.

This is why it is crucially important and should not wait for these things to happen Other reasons include:
★ Without water, the circulatory system cannot function.
★ Water in saliva acts as a medium to transport food through the digestive tract.
★ Water is helpful for the lymphatic system, removing toxins, waste and other
unwanted materials and fighting off diseases.
★ Water helps extract waste from the body through urine and mucus.
★ Water is good for thermoregulation via sweating.
★ Water is required for the secretion of tears and mucus.

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