Re: RC: Feeding the Endurance Horse

["Glenda R. Snodgrass" <grs@TheNetEffect.com>]

> Use your head.  Horses don't like muddy water as much as clear.  If
> there's a puddle off to the side of the road they'll drink better than
> one that other horses have muddied while walking through.

That one must depend on the horse.  Lakota prefers to walk through clear
water, but will drink better from muddy water.  He also prefers muddy
water in a bucket -- he'll drink from his sponging water before he'll
drink from the clear bucket I've saved for his drinking <g>, and will even
choose the muddy sponging water over his clean electrolyte water.

> Try to travel with another horse who drinks well.

This one definitely works.  Lakota is getting much better at drinking on
the trail since hanging out with Embers, who stops to drink at *every*
*single* puddle on the trail, even only 3 feet apart, on a 5-mile putzer
ride. :)

I recently tried the "apple" trick on Lakota and it seemed to work quite
well.  I sliced an apple and dropped the pieces in his bucket -- he spent
15 minutes riotously bobbing for apples, slurping a good bit of water in
the process (spilling quite a bit too).  It didn't work for Embers,
though, because he doesn't really like apples.

I've wondered about mixing Kool-Aid in the buckets, especially when you
have funny-smelling water that the horses don't want.  Has anyone tried
that?  Any reason not to try it?

Glenda & Lakota
Mobile, AL
AERC # M18819 & H27310
SE Region


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