Q: My horse never seems to drink enough water. I already soak his hay and add water to his feed but I’ve been advised to try a mash as well. Should this replace his usual concentrate feed?
A: Horses are generally very good at regulating their own water balance and, while this can go awry when away from the yard, they should drink enough at home provided management is consistent. Having said this, with winter coming it is always worth making sure you are monitoring and maintaining your horse’s water intake. With an increase in colic at this time of year, you want to ensure your horse is taking in the fluid he requires.
All horses gain some water from their grazing and feed. For example, hay contains 15% water, while grass can contain up to 80%. By soaking his hay, as you are doing, you’ll add further moisture content, reducing his need to drink water from his bucket.
Bucket rations should always be fed at least damp, to minimize the risk of your horse inhaling his feed, and there is a lot to be said for adding even more water to the feed to aid in hydration, just as you are doing.
To stimulate drinking you can also add salt to his ration, and he should have access to a salt lick 24/7. Most compound feeds contain approximately 1% salt, but others like sugar beet and cereals don’t contain any.
Outside of adding salt (and on top of what you are already doing), feeding mash is probably the next best way to increase water intake and, depending on the rest of your horse’s diet, will reduce his total feed requirement. The amount of un-soaked mash you feed will normally replace the same dry weight of a comparable hard feed. The easiest way to feed a mash is to add one with no vitamins or trace elements to either a complete balancer or supplement. This way, his micronutrient requirements are met and not exceeded. Keep in mind that there are also conditioning and low-calories mashes available on the market, so make sure you know what you are buying.
If your horse is on a concentrate feed and you are uncertain how to add the mash, speak to your equine nutritionist and they will be able to assist you.
Top tip
Always check how long you need to soak a mash for and how much water is required. Follow the instructions on the bag, because feeding mashes that aren’t fully soaked can cause digestive issues like colic.