Winter is a very tough time for a lot of reasons. It’s cold, and that can be hard on animals that aren’t prepared appropriately. Problems like infections, hypothermia, and colic can arise in the winter.
Luckily, there are preventative steps you can take to protect your animals from winter-related problems. On Sunday, January 7th, one horse mom gave us a tip for keeping your horses healthy in the winter:
@libertynoelleWinter tip to prevent colic in horses. #winterhorsecare #colicprevention
I don’t have a horse (even though I’d love to), but Keely Bowen’s hack sounds so tasty. It’s just like apple cider!
Related: Horse Acts Like an ‘Oversized Dog’ and Couldn’t Be More Endearing
The horse in the video seems to enjoy his mom’s concoction a lot. According to her, it’s just:
- Warm water
- Apple juice
Apple juice is very sugary, so she says that most of the bucket is water and there’s just a splash of apple juice mixed in. The horse doesn’t seem to mind that it’s watered down: anything is a treat when you don’t normally get to have it! She seems very content to have her treat and stay warm this winter!
Colic is a huge problem for horses
Colic can happen to anything or anyone: babies, dogs, horses, and more. Essentially, it’s just fits of discomfort that are usually caused by constipation, gas, and general abdominal pain. Over time, constipation and other abdominal issues could lead to bowel obstruction, intestinal perforation, ulcers, and even death. In less severe cases, it’s still very uncomfortable and almost always results in fussiness and aggression.
One of the best ways to prevent colic in horses is to keep them well-hydrated and provide them with a high-fiber diet. Unfortunately, during the winter, a lot of horses shy away from drinking cold water and instead prefer to drink water that’s at least lukewarm, but preferably on the warmer side.
Offering your horse water that has been heated up should be enough to entice them to drink and stay hydrated. However, if your horse is still hesitant or not drinking enough, you can add in something extra to spice it up.
Unfortunately, if your horse is already suffering from colic, making these little horse potions often won’t be enough to solve the problem. As soon as you see the signs, you should get your horse to your equestrian vet – they may be able to prescribe stool softeners or, if the case is more severe, perform surgery to remove the blockage from their system. After they’ve been treated, you can begin hydration measures!
Encouraging hydration in horses is easy
Horses love sweet treats, and they generally enjoy drinking, especially when there’s a treat mixed in. Many horse havers will add a little something to their water at least once a week, like:
- Apple juice for fiber
- Orange juice for Vitamin C
- Electrolytes for extra hydration
- Beer or kombucha for probiotics
Though making a little drink for your horse is fun, it should also be reserved for a special treat: just like humans, horses should drink plain water, too. Otherwise, you risk making dehydration worse. It doesn’t look like Keely’s horse minds drinking “apple water,” and I’m sure she loves regular water just as much!
