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RE: [RC] Since we are on the subject of water - Betty EdgarTruman wrote: Why do my horses drink early and often while many other people have problems with their horses drinking the first 20 or 30 miles. I think I know - my horses didn't start out as endurance horses. They started out as trail horses. They had a good year of just hacking around on the trails. When we went camping it was to hack around. They learned to drink in a relaxed laid back trail ride not the pressure of an endurance ride. Not to say we weren't moving on and covering ground, but it was still a trail ride.>> I thought the same for many years because the horses I was doing endurance on were drinking everywhere, even right out of camp as you said. I had started them myself, long slow trail miles with stopping to invite drinking at every puddle and stream. I always made sure they stopped to at least sniff and stand in it if possible even if not drinking. Now I'm having second thoughts about that theory because I'm starting a 10 yr. old mare who had no trail experience in the past, only show. She has taken exceedingly well to trail work and obviously loves it but during the 8 months I've been riding her she rarely wants to drink on the trail, no matter what the water source. We're never in a rush, and she's happy and relaxed but doesn't appear thirsty. Just sniffs or pushes her nose around in the water. Thus far our rides have been 2-3 hours with an occasional 4-5 hour. Since she's so soft we have many long slow miles to cover before ever doing endurance, so maybe I should relax about the not drinking and just keep offering. Neither has she ever urinated on the trail, on the trailer, or until she gets back to her paddock. I always whistle my special "pee now please" whistle when I observe her so maybe in time that training will sink in and help with urinating. How about another special whistle or little tune to encourage drinking? Anyone ever tried that? She does eat. . . anything available any time. She'll clean up her manger while traveling down the road which I love to see. Have had horses too nervous in the trailer to eat until it stopped moving. Betty =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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