Did you know that extreme weather changes can cause dehydration? 

Most people wouldn't think about it like this but it really can confuse the body of a horse. 

Here in Texas and especially this year we have really had some major weather! Everyone thinks about dehydration in the Summer do to the Extreme heat. What we don't think about is that the winter months can be just as dangerous. 

In the past 72 hours we have have gone from a High temperature of 75 degrees to a low of 30 degrees in one day. We are now down to 26 degrees and tomorrow the high is only in the 40's again. 

A horse is a pretty picky creature. If there water is too cold then they have a tendency to not want to drink much. Not only that but they aren't hot and sweaty so their bodies aren't driving them to drink more water. 

A good way to combat this is to just add a little bit of ground salt mineral to their feed or electorlytes just like in the summer months. However you can also use heated buckets in the barn to ensure that the water doesn't get too cold. This encourages the horses to drink more water at one time. 

Avoid impaction colic by ensuring that your horse is drinking plenty of water this winter.

on a side note: if you have the time, means and energy you can offer up a hot mash once a day. This will add to the daily consumption of water and be a tasty treat for your equine companion. :)