They say you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. If you own a horse, you probably know how true that sentiment is. Horses become accustomed to the water in their home paddock and stall, and water from a different source when you’re traveling or have moved can taste strange to them. Often times, you’ll find your equine partner will simply refuse to drink the foreign water. This will of course cause you concern about dehydration.
Dehydration is the lack of water and a full range of minerals like sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium. It is a serious condition that can lead to lethargy, colic, and kidney failure if the horse is not quickly rehydrated. Though many people think of dehydration as a problem only in the hot months, it is a major issue that can also occur all year long—even in the depths of winter.
To encourage drinking, owners will try a variety of tactics, including adding sweeteners, molasses flavoring, or even a sugary sports drink. Some owners even resort to taking gallons of the home water with them when they travel, to prevent dehydration issues. We probably don’t need to tell you that none of those are good options, but just in case: none of those are good options. Your horse may drink it, but that still doesn’t make it a good option. Why? To begin with, as veterinarian Dr. Mark DePaolo has written, “Horses were not designed to eat sugars or carbohydrates. High sugar diets are detrimental to your horse’s health and well-being.” Secondly, offering water alone to a dehydrated horse does not truly rehydrate it. Water by itself dilutes the body fluids surrounding the tissues and lowers the balance of electrolytes that the body needs to function well, while shutting off the thirst mechanism. Electrolytes need to be incorporated to help replace the essential salts in the body that are lost through sweat, so the best rehydration therapies include the use of electrolyte preparations, either in feed or water, to encourage drinking.
This is where Rein Water comes in. Rein Water is a proprietary mix of over 60 Redmond minerals, salt, and Daily Gold. It is like an equine Gatorade…without the sugar. When mixed with water, the minerals and salt will dissolve and mix well giving your horses the electrolyte benefits they need to stave off dehydration. The good news is, because it helps mask the taste of foreign water and gives horses the trigger to drink more, it will help your dehydrated horse drink and stay hydrated and healthy, especially when you’re on the road or in new surroundings.
Good traveling, good drinking. And remember, a healthy horse is a hydrated horse.