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[RC] dehydrated horse or worse - kramspott

Thank you everyone for the awning advice.  It is definitely a relief knowing 
its no big deal.

I recently took on a horse to board.  Since this group of folks is so 
knowledgeable about horse hydration I thought this would be the best place to 
ask.

The horse:  Gelding, 16hh quarter horse 10 years old, seems to be a pasture 
ornament.  I told the owner I will be putting weight on him because even with a 
winter coat I could see his ribs.  The previous boarding location closed down 
and had been short on hay I was told.

I'm concerned because he got to my place on Saturday.  He had not had mineral 
salt block where he had been boarded.  Anyway, my arabs might drink an inch or 
2 of water out of the 18 quart feed type bucket I use in the stalls at night 
for water.
This quarterhorse for the last 3 nights has drained his water bucket at night 
AND drank during the day.  The water tubs I have in the pastures are typical 
ones.  I have 2 for 4 horses.  I used to only need to top off twice a week with 
my 3, last night I had to completely fill both after only 3 days.

I have been giving him coastal hay, 1/2 lb of omolene 100 2x a day ( he had 
only been getting fed once a day so I'm slowly working the grain up) and last 
night started him on 2 cups (wet) soaked beet pulp thinking it will help with 
weight gain through the winter.  I'm assuming these introductory amounts are 
small enough.  I'll ramp up slowly of course.

Is this horse just licking the mineral block like crazy then gettting crazy 
thirsty or could there be a real problem?  He just came to me on Saturday.  It 
was warm on Saturday and Sunday but seasonal yesterday.  He is not high strung 
and doesn't pace and even on Sunday when the arabs were running and playing he 
barely got a trot going so its not like he got all sweaty and needed that much 
water due to exercise.

I'll have the vet out  because he definitely needs his teeth floated but until 
then I thought I'd see what you all thought, if maybe it was serious enough to 
have the vet out sooner or if it should be a 'wait and see' for a while first.  
Any other signs I should look at?  He is current on coggins and supposidely on 
all annual shots.
Thanks in advance.
--

Kathy

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