Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Tanna has been on water bucket training for the last 5 or 6 days. He
seems to be ok with the water buckets. He has about 12 gallons
available when the buckets are full. He only drank about 3 gallons the
first day, 4 the second, and has leveled out around 5 gallons per 24
hour period.


Quick research on the web indicates this is probably about right for a
800 lb horse on pasture. I always thought he should be drinking about
10 gallons.


A very interesting (to me) phenomenon is that Tanna drinks the majority of his
water during the day. He drinks maybe 1/2 gallon at night. Certainly no
more than that.  I check the buckets before I go to work and
refill the buckets at night when I feed. This actually makes me feel
better about his drinking habits at a ride. He just doesn't seem to
drink at night at a ride either and this always worried me. This
training is allowing me to monitor his water intake at home in a
relaxed environment and at the very least is giving me a better idea of
what is normal for Tanna. Maybe I'll stop freaking out so much about
his water as long as he'll start drinking the first 15 or 20 miles of
an endurance ride. Maybe. Or maybe I'll just find something else to
freak out about! :-)

I'm beginning to mix up the buckets. Offering water in different colors
sizes and shapes of buckets. And I'm starting to move the buckets away
from the overturned water trough. I don't anticipate any issues. It's
just a slow progressive process. I also plan to add Perform N Win
and/or plain salt to one of the buckets within the next day or two.


April
Nashville, TN