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  Discussion on He won't drink in his stall
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2001 - 4:48 pm:

I have a 3yo TB that was pasture raised accept for meals. This year he is stalled at night.

He will not drink his water all night, then when turned out in the am he runs to the trough and drinks.

He has 2 five gallon black flat back plastic buckets.

I have tried (based on suggestions of others) unsuccessfully:

Adding apple juice
Giving him electrolytes
Using a big muck bucket (what a pain!)
Changing the color of his bucket to a lighter color
Putting a bucket closer to the ground

Any other suggestions or should I just rest easy knowing if he is thirsty he will drink-

He seems healthy-his manure is not dry, but with winter coming I am a bit worried...

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 17, 2001 - 5:35 am:

I believe if he is thirsty he will drink and in time will come to accept the buckets in the stall too. However when you flavored the water did you flavor both the water in the trough and the bucket? This is important to try and make the conection for him.
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 17, 2001 - 9:53 am:

No I did not flavor both buckets. He goes out with two other geldings and I was concerned if they got a taste of the "new and improved" water then I would have a barn full of fussy drinkers!

Ahhh the joys of young horses....you know it IS funny how only MY homegrowns have such fussy issues-none of the older horses I have had in the past....hmmmmm.

Well Thanks Dr O.

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 17, 2001 - 4:28 pm:

There is a 16 yo TB at my boarding stable who is also a fussy drinker - seldom would drink from his stall bucket but no problems in the pasture trough. We moved all the horses to a new stable last weekend. This TB now nearly empties his stall bucket each night! Despite him never drinking much from his stall bucket before, he never had problems. As Dr. O says, he will drink when he is thirsty.

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 31, 2001 - 1:09 pm:

By what you described your horse is thirsty. We too have a TB gelding. I believe your horse doesn't like small narrow buckets. Maybe they smell funny or he thinks he will get his head stuck in it when he drinks. You could try a commercial 75 gal. plastic holding tank that might fit in the stall or you might try what I use, a 55 gallon plastic drum with the top cut off. I also use a large tall heavy plastic garbage container ( like the ones people use outside) without the lid of course. It works fine and holds a small heater. It doesn't take up much space in a stall and goes farther than a bucket and it's still easy to clean out.

Posted on Sunday, Nov 11, 2001 - 7:38 am:

My old mare (31 years old) also is refusing to use the bucket I put in her stall. She got used to the Rubbermaid trough over the past 1.5 years (and it is a pain to clean). I am trying to wean her off of it (a light grey Rubbermaid 50 gallon trough) and onto a blue (can be plugged in and heated) buckets in her stall-- with no luck so far. I am putting a black bucket where the trough used to be and she drinks only that. Mind you, for the 16 years previous to moving here, she was boarded in lots of places and drank from whatever buckets in stalls without a problem. ON the other hand, I am having no problem with switching my 6 year old mare over to the blue buckets in her stall.

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2002 - 2:27 pm:

I am having the SAME problem with my TB gelding! We just got him in October, and I have a heated Nelson automatic waterer in his stall, and I've only caught him drinking out of it once. In the morning when I let him out he will go right to the pasture water trough and drink right off. And by the condition of the water in the stall in the AM, he's not drinking out of it when I'm not around.

I'm concerned now that the cold weather is here he's drinking less. And he's also started licking his iron stall gate and the ground....any ideas what he might be missing? He has access to a red and white salt block all day, and has been seen licking them occationally. Should I be concerned that he's not using the waterer in his stall? Is it ok for him to go all night (11-12 hours) not drinking if he's "not thirsty"? I don't want to break down and use a regular bucket! (I have a bad back and can't lift a full water bucket and don't have the ability to run a hose to the stall).

My first concern is my horse's health...I've been trying to wait it out, figuring like was mentioned "if he's thirsty, he'll drink", but I'm beginning to think that may not happen....

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2002 - 2:47 pm:

The temps in SC have been in the teens for more than a week now. A friend said her vet suggests: 1/2 teaspoon of regular salt and 1/2 teaspoon of Morton's Lite salt once a day mixed in w/ the grain for our horses. We feed them grain twice a day. The Morton's Lite salt contains electrolytes.

I also add 5-10 gallons of very warm water to the water buckets in their stalls. They ALWAYS drink that water, plus they both have access to a 32 gal. water container.

Hope this helps. Debbie

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2002 - 6:17 am:

Daisy,
Yes your horse will be fine going all night and drinking in the morning. The one thing I would mention is that by not using the water regularly heated automtic waters can get a little stale pretty quick. Be sure to clean it regularly. You might try turning off the heat since he seems to prefer the cooler water outside. For information on his unusual appetites see Care for Horses: Nutrition: Horses Eating Things They Shouldn't: Pica, Coprophagia, Trees.
DrO
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