Re: [RC] Lack of fresh drinking water on trail - Kristen A Fisher
So I guess the trade off is, what is the risk of
illness from the water vs. not drinking the water?
I can't assess this, I am not familiar enough
with water borne bugs and how susceptible horses are. Eg, I know I can feed my
dogs meat that is a little "off" as their digestive tract is shorter than the
incubation period of some of the bugs like E Coli and Salmonella, and they have
the digestive enzymes to handle that type of food. However, I don't know what
horses are really susceptible to, and if the risk of an illness outweighs the
risk of withholding water. I think we need a more expert opinion if possible,
I'd be interested to know.
Subject: Re: [RC] Lack of fresh drinking
water on trail
I get the humour :) but seriously, I was wondering about this too
ever since I was told that a possible source of Leptospirosis bacteria could
be a beaver-made lake near the trails where I ride. I have always let my
horses drink there. Now I feel like I shouldn't. Maybe it isn't quite the
same as mud puddles....
Given the choice between no water and that water, I would let the horse
drink. But if there is alternative water, I would definitely go for the
alternative.
Lepto is pretty scary given its link to moon blindness. My horse was
tested and came back with a positive for lepto. The exposure could have been
from something other than the "lake" water (we also haev lots
of raccoons, and other animals that can have lepto). She may never get
sick but it does make me worry.
