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  Discussion on Softened water
Author Message
Member:
remmi

Posted on Monday, Dec 28, 2009 - 11:44 am:

Our well water is high in iron. When we built our farm we decided to run the barn water through our water softener. However, I have recently been told that was a bad idea as the horses will have too high a salt level in their water and could be unhealthy. This subject came up because I have a horse with an intensely itchy sheath and we can't figure out what is causing it. A nutrition company told me it could be the softened water, with the horse secreting the excess salt and it could be irritating to his sheath. She also said it would be very disruptive to his nutrition program.

Interestingly, I started using Clotrimizole cream and T-Zone cream (tea tree oil and 1% cortizone) in his sheath and within two days his itchiness suddenly stopped. Since it happened so quickly I assume it was the moisturing affect of the cream, or the soothing healing power of the T-Zone. I am still using the cream once per day and so far so good. But it doesn't address the cause, just the symptom.

I hate the idea of not using softened water because my new barn will turn orange. But I would rather have an orange barn if using soften water is bad for them.

Any thoughts?

Heidi
Member:
stek

Posted on Monday, Dec 28, 2009 - 5:27 pm:

Heidi I worked on a farm that had softened water for the house and the barn water was untreated, not sure if there were specific health reasons or if it was just to save on the treating? I do know if you watered plants with the treated water they would die. Considering that I would think it couldn't be good for the horses...
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009 - 7:02 am:

An interesting theory by the nutrition company but I have never heard of such a thing. If I remember right there was no evidence of irritation makeing the salt irritant theory questionable. Do you see salt accumulation around the sheath?

As to the safety of drinking the water I would check with the softner company then have your local health and safety department check the water just to be sure.
DrO
Member:
majoda92

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009 - 8:12 am:

We also have well water, which not only has extremely high iron, but also stinky sulphur! It's the nastiest water I have ever seen! Our water is treated by a softener, which is a process of going through a salt brine. I don't know how it works, but there is no taste of salt in our water supply. There have never been any health issues involved with drinking this water, and we have lived here for 10 years, and I know many of my neighbors have lived here much longer than that, and we all have softened water. Without the softening process, the water is totally undrinkable. I guess there is another step in the process which then takes the salt out. I'm curious now. Maybe I should contact the company that services our softener and find out what the whole process involves.
Member:
remmi

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009 - 12:54 pm:

Thanks for your feedback. There is no salt residue on his sheath. I drink the water and can't taste any salt at all. The horses do still lick the white salt block we have in each stall, although they don't eat much of it. I would think if a horse was getting an overdose of salt they would not want to lick the salt block.

I sent an email to Dr. Sarah Ralston of Rutgers, and she said soft water is no problem for a horse as long as the water softener is properly running and maintained. Her thought on my gelding's itchy sheath is that he produces more smegma than most horses, and that soft water is not a contributing factor.

I am relieved as I really didn't want to use high iron water in our new barn!

Diane, it's also good to hear that you have had no problems.

I am going to test my water just to be on the safe side, and because I am curious what the salt level actually is.

Thanks all.

Heidi
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 29, 2009 - 7:04 pm:

Diane, this is a problem I had with my home well decades ago and found it fixable. That rotten egg smell is created by a sulfur fixing bacteria in the system that produces hyDrOgen sulfide. The bacteria and the odor are harmless but it does smell like you are showering in a cesspool. In my case it was correctable with a good chlorine treatment of the well and water system.

If I remember right I put two large bottles of Clorox down the well head and let it sit an hour. Then I went around to every spigot and faucet connected to the system, including the one at the well head, and opened them until I could smell the chlorine then closed them and let them all sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours I ran each until I could not smell chlorine. This fixed a month long problem. I was told by local Extension Service I would probably have to repeat it but I never did and 20 years later the problem has never returned.

I still have friends that visited during that time who, to this day, always have a excuse not to visit.
DrO
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