For the Health of It
Dr . Getty ’ s Tip of the Month : Snow Will NOT Meet Your Horse ’ s Water Needs !
by Juliet M . Getty Ph . D . , Dec 14 , 2017
Piles of fluffy snow in your pasture - and a horse that nibbles at them - making you think your horse is all set for water this winter ? Sorry . Think again , please ! The main cause of colic during the winter is from reduced water consumption . Snow will not provide enough water : A gallon ( 128 fluid ounces ) of average-moisture snow only contains 10 ounces of water , far short of the 8-12 gallons of water your horse should consume each day . Also , eating snow will force your horse to burn precious calories to keep his body temperature steady .
Horses will not drink enough when the water is icy cold . Plan to heat your horse ’ s water to 50 degrees F . And don ’ t forget the salt - it is necessary for electrolyte balance as well as to encourage your horse to drink . Either add table salt , or better yet , a naturally mined sea salt1 , to each meal ( one tablespoon , twice daily for a full-sized horse ) or offer it free-choice in a small bucket . A salt block or rock is helpful for additional needs , but keep in mind that many horses avoid them because they can cause tongue irritation . Mineralized or blue ( from added iodine and cobalt ) salt blocks can be bitter and may add more minerals than your horse requires if he is receiving them from fortified feeds or supplements .
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Naturally mined sea salt offers minute amounts of trace minerals that domesticated horses typically do not consume . Redmond Rock is an excellent choice : http :// gettyequinenutrition . biz / products / redmondrock . htm
Juliet M . Getty , Ph . D . is an independent equine nutritionist with a wide U . S . and international following . Her research-based approach optimizes equine health by aligning physiology and instincts with correct feeding and nutrition practices . Dr . Getty ’ s goal is to empower the horseperson with the confidence and knowledge to provide the best nutrition for his or her horse ’ s needs .
Dr . Getty ’ s fundamental resource book , Feed Your Horse Like a Horse , is available in paperback as well as in hardcover , searchable CD and Kindle versions . All except the Kindle version are available at www . GettyEquineNutrition . com -- buy the book there and have it inscribed by the author . Print and Kindle versions are also available at Amazon ( www . Amazon . com ); find print versions at other online retail bookstores . The seven individual volumes in Dr . Getty ’ s topic-centered “ Spotlight on Equine Nutrition ” series are available with special package pricing at her website , and also at Amazon in print and Kindle versions . Dr . Getty ’ s books make ideal gifts for equestrians !
Find a world of useful information for the horseperson at www . GettyEquineNutrition . com : Sign up for Dr . Getty ’ s informative , free e-newsletter , Forage for Thought ; browse her library of reference articles ; search her nutrition forum archives ; and purchase recordings of her educational teleseminars . Find top-quality supplements , feeders , and other equine-related items , at her online Free Shipping Supplement Store [ i ]. Reach Dr . Getty directly at gettyequinenutrition @ gmail . com .
10 • Walking On