[marta]

so i always heard about the correlation between the two but i don't really have a good understanding what it is about temperature changes that makes horses prone to colic? do they drink less? is it the changes in grass? something entirely different?

[shawneeAcres]

There are many factors that can come into play with this. Barometric pressure changes which can cause gas in the gut. I find that when we go from very warm to very cold (which just happend and BTW I am dealing with a colic due to this), that horses often eat a lot of hay to stay warmer, but don't drink the correspoonding needed water, leading to impactions. Also changes in season can change the sugar content of grass leading to colic symtpoms

[marta]

it was your thread (and my mare's colic episode earlier this week) that made me ask.

my girlfriend told me she used to put apple juice in her mare's water to encourage more drinking during this time of year. sigh... my mare's poop on monday night didn't feel as brittle as usual. it seemed moist enough but didn't fall apart as readily as it usually does... ?

[shawneeAcres]

Actaully, in retrospect, I wish I had put electrolytes in the feed! I defintely will tonight!

[marta]

be careful with electrolytes.
they can dehydrate a horse that's not drinking. you'll end up doing more damage.

[shawneeAcres]

Oh I would not put it in the horses feed that is colicing! Actually she is off all feed, but I have used it alot in my horses to encourage drinking and has worked well in the winter. When REALLY cold I will often use powdered electrolytes in the water which not only keeps them drinking but also helps with freezing. The colicing mare is only getting whatever the vet recommends at this point

[rainechyldes]

apple juice or hunk of apple will encourage a horse to drink.

I'm not a fan of putting electrolytes directly in water, unless you are providing a second source of available water that isn't treated - that way horse can pick and choose, as you can easily overload a horse on electrolytes if you aren't careful

The other issue can be - is some horses can colic on water if it's unheated. ei icy cold. - regardless of how much they drink. dunno how uncommon/common this one is, - but I had a horse who would colic if water was too cold.

[Dalemma]

When the weather gets cold around here and my waters freeze.......I turn to buckets of warm water........warm water encourages them to continue to drink........touch wood I have not had a colic in 10 years.....well thats not entirely true....one mild colic but due to a reaction to bute.

Dalemma

[candyappy]

Have you tried the heated buckets? They are so much more economical to use and keeping the water at a comfortable temp will keep them drinking. I bought a 16 gallon that uses 260 watts of power and so far has kept the water frozen/ice free at 5 below night temps. I have 3 horses that use it. Some horses specially older ones just won't drink water that is cold. I can't blame them.

[LauraKY]

We have heated water troughs and offer one regular bucket of water and one heated in the stalls.

[Dalemma]

Have you tried the heated buckets? They are so much more economical to use and keeping the water at a comfortable temp will keep them drinking. I bought a 16 gallon that uses 260 watts of power and so far has kept the water frozen/ice free at 5 below night temps. I have 3 horses that use it. Some horses specially older ones just won't drink water that is cold. I can't blame them.

Heated water buckets aren't worth where I leave.....pretty mild here only get about 7 to 21 days of weather cold enough to freeze my waterers........we rarely go below minus 5 celuis.

Dalemma

[shawneeAcres]

I would like heated buckets and think about it every year but we rarely have LONG cold spells (except last witner was pretty bad) and I just have this "thing" about elec, water combined together in a barn!

[Hampton Bay]

Heated buckets are cheaper than the vet call for a colic!

I used them in TN and it really helped my mare keep drinking. Where I am now, the groundwater is decently warm, so I just run the hose into the water tank for a while. That warms the water up, and it stays decently warm all night.