HOw much water should a lactating mare drink??

Cyn · 06-05-2004, 02:09 PM

THis may sound crazy. I have looked all over the net for thios answer and I can't find it anywhere. Sugar is home now with her colt, (yes, she is in foal) and she is drinking so much more water than normal. I was wondering if this is abnormal. I have a call into the vet but he is out on emergency (flooding near by) won't be able to call back until late tonight. She is drinking about 25 gal during the day. I have a 25 gal bucket and I need to fill it full each morning it ia almost empty. Could it be that Ace is drinking alot also. I don't remember her drinking this much with Boomer.

SyntheticTrust · 06-05-2004, 03:21 PM

she should drink as much as she wants, it all depends on the the climate you live in

shell · 06-05-2004, 03:23 PM

All the water she can get. If you deprive her of water, she will not be able to produes enough milk for her foal.

babs · 06-05-2004, 04:02 PM

all horses will drink different anounts anyway and it will vary according to the weather.

The last expectant mare drank tons of water! before and after.
always have water there for her!

CJ · 06-06-2004, 09:29 AM

I knew a pregnant mare that could tank a 20 gal can to the bottom, in the winter, after the can had just been filled by buckets b/c of a frozen yard pipe. If you restrict her water she will stop producing/ as much milk. The term 'dry lot' refers to keeping a mare somewhere short of water, and/ so she stops lactating. Unless the vet says differently, keep water in front of her, the whole time she's nursing.

BellaRaine · 06-06-2004, 09:55 AM

my mare is in foal and drinks what seems like a ton of water a day and pees more!LOL I feel she is just thirsty and it is normal. The weather has been very hot for early June.atleast for us in Ga.

Blistering Winds · 06-06-2004, 06:31 PM

Get you an automatic waterer that connects to the hose, put it on the bucket and allow her to dring as much as she wants.

The autos don't cost much.

Cyn · 06-06-2004, 09:01 PM

I do have an auto waterer, I just wanted to be sure she was drinking enough and to my surprise she is drinking like 25-30 gallons a day. I just wanted to be sure nothing was wrong with her kidneys. I talked to the vet and he said she is def drinking on the higher side but that is GOOD and don't worry about kidney probs. She is doing the right thing.

spyro1 · 06-07-2004, 03:40 AM

I don't like the automatic waterers because you can't moniter water intake. I would rather fill tubs 30xper day!! With the heat increasing, I would not panic over her drinking that much water. She is needing it. My gelding drinks that and probably a bit more normally, he has Psychogenic Water Consumption. I would rather them drink a lot, than risk the possibilities of colic and impaction by not drinking enough. You could also run the idea of putting her on electrolytes by your vet to ensure that she is getting what she needs there too.

spyro1 · 06-07-2004, 03:41 AM

OOPS!! Congrats on your *bun in the oven*!! Only, what, 10 months to go???

06-05-2004, 02:09 PM	#1
Cyn Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3,592 Images: 834	HOw much water should a lactating mare drink?? THis may sound crazy. I have looked all over the net for thios answer and I can't find it anywhere. Sugar is home now with her colt, (yes, she is in foal) and she is drinking so much more water than normal. I was wondering if this is abnormal. I have a call into the vet but he is out on emergency (flooding near by) won't be able to call back until late tonight. She is drinking about 25 gal during the day. I have a 25 gal bucket and I need to fill it full each morning it ia almost empty. Could it be that Ace is drinking alot also. I don't remember her drinking this much with Boomer. __________________ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

06-05-2004, 03:23 PM	#3
shell Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: The Great North West Posts: 8,841 Images: 306	All the water she can get. If you deprive her of water, she will not be able to produes enough milk for her foal. __________________ “Look, what a horse should have he did not lack, save a proud rider on so proud back.” -Shakespear Marshalltown, Iowa, it is against the law for a horse to eat a fire hydrant.

06-06-2004, 09:29 AM	#5
CJ Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 5,640 Images: 48	I knew a pregnant mare that could tank a 20 gal can to the bottom, in the winter, after the can had just been filled by buckets b/c of a frozen yard pipe. If you restrict her water she will stop producing/ as much milk. The term 'dry lot' refers to keeping a mare somewhere short of water, and/ so she stops lactating. Unless the vet says differently, keep water in front of her, the whole time she's nursing. __________________ One Mare Can Make a Difference Pinky Ribbon

06-06-2004, 06:31 PM	#7
Blistering Winds Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Augusta, Kansas Posts: 31,724 Images: 814 Blog Entries: 16	Get you an automatic waterer that connects to the hose, put it on the bucket and allow her to dring as much as she wants. The autos don't cost much. __________________ 20 lb club: New year Start: 175 Goal: 130 Current: 158 Total loss this year 17 lbs.

06-06-2004, 09:01 PM	#8
Cyn Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3,592 Images: 834	I do have an auto waterer, I just wanted to be sure she was drinking enough and to my surprise she is drinking like 25-30 gallons a day. I just wanted to be sure nothing was wrong with her kidneys. I talked to the vet and he said she is def drinking on the higher side but that is GOOD and don't worry about kidney probs. She is doing the right thing. __________________ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

06-05-2004, 03:21 PM	#2
SyntheticTrust Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,528	she should drink as much as she wants, it all depends on the the climate you live in

06-05-2004, 04:02 PM	#4
babs Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 960	all horses will drink different anounts anyway and it will vary according to the weather. The last expectant mare drank tons of water! before and after. always have water there for her!

06-06-2004, 09:55 AM	#6
BellaRaine Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 322	my mare is in foal and drinks what seems like a ton of water a day and pees more!LOL I feel she is just thirsty and it is normal. The weather has been very hot for early June.atleast for us in Ga.

06-07-2004, 03:40 AM	#9
spyro1 Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Swamp..Home of The SEC Champs~Go Gators Posts: 6,881 Images: 62 Blog Entries: 21	I don't like the automatic waterers because you can't moniter water intake. I would rather fill tubs 30xper day!! With the heat increasing, I would not panic over her drinking that much water. She is needing it. My gelding drinks that and probably a bit more normally, he has Psychogenic Water Consumption. I would rather them drink a lot, than risk the possibilities of colic and impaction by not drinking enough. You could also run the idea of putting her on electrolytes by your vet to ensure that she is getting what she needs there too. __________________ I used to have a handle on life, but it broke off. Do unto others......

06-07-2004, 03:41 AM	#10
spyro1 Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Swamp..Home of The SEC Champs~Go Gators Posts: 6,881 Images: 62 Blog Entries: 21	OOPS!! Congrats on your bun in the oven!! Only, what, 10 months to go??? __________________ I used to have a handle on life, but it broke off. Do unto others......

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