Hot Toddy for Horses

Shiloh seems to enjoy winter

Like many horses, Shiloh likes to stand in the snow and let it blanket her back even though she has 2 sheds to choose from. But when it gets really cold and windy, and horses might not move around as much, we worry about them getting enough water. Shiloh and Brandy chug this concoction, and even picky Bronzz sometimes enjoys it. In winter we make it warm, adjusting to each horse's preference. In summer, it can be served chilled to encourage drinking. Ingredients and proportions are flexible. Experiment to see what's popular at your barn.
For each gallon of water add:
1 Tablespoon plain salt
1-2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons apple juice (optional)
A handful of oats (Since I don't keep horse oats on hand, I throw in a handful of the same oats I cook for myself.)

horseencouragingdrinkingwintersummerrecipe

Brandy loves her hot toddy!

Warm weather tips to head off dehydration Medical research shows that it IS safe to let a hot horse drink cold water after a workout. Some tips for reluctant drinkers include:
- Flavor the water with apple juice or some other flavoring your horse likes, especially useful when enticing him to drink "foreign" water that might taste funny to him.
- Offer lightly salted water (1 tablespoon per gallon) after a workout. Replace it 20 minutes later with fresh unsalted water.
- Offer your horse watermelon which is 92% water.

Resource for warm weather tips:
Hands On by Katie Frank and Melinda Freckleton, DVM
Equus Magazine June 2011