Contrary to popular belief, letting a horse drink when it is exercising or hot does not make them ill or colicky. Too many generations have watched “Black Beauty” and come out with the wrong conclusions. It wasn’t the water – it was locking him up in the stall that made him colic, guys!!
If there’s one lesson to learn from endurance riding it is that you should always let your horse drink, whenever it is thirsty, whenever there is water at hand!!
So here are some good watering hole rules for your ride:
Always let your horse drink!
While you want to let them drink, you also need to maintain manners towards the rider at the watering hole. No reaching or pulling: halt, stand, allow to drink, and if needed they must pull their head up on cue as well.
Manners apply towards other riders as well. Always “sneak in, sneak out”. When horses approach in a flurry it may stop another horse from drinking. Same applies when they leave. If a horse leaves the other horses may also stop drinking to follow. Make sure every horse has finished their drink, of at least communicate with the rider, before you leave. And if you need to leave early, step aside, stand for a second and then walk off slowly to reduce the magnetism of your departure.
Let them drink the muddy water! It may look gross to you but to them it looks like salts and minerals and even probiotics. That’s right, there’s nutrients in they gross water. And horses regulate electrolytes on a micro-level differently than us humans so if they are seeking it out they probably need it. However if there is ever a sheen of oil on the water then you should BEWARE! (See more about probiotics in dirt even for humans here: https://www.mommypotamus.com/dirt-the-superfood-that-makes-you-happier-smarter-healthier/)
Resource guarding is a thing for water too! Some of the most aggressive behavior I have witnessed happens to be at the creek or water trough. Some horses, especially horses that came from rough background, may really see access to water as a prized possession, not to mention prime spot location to it!
Grazing on trail is a good source of water. There’s quite a bit of water in grass.
As the owner of Painted Bar Stables, the premier public riding facility in the N.Y. Finger Lakes Region, Erika hosts over 5,000 trail riders and lesson students per year on her herd of 30+ horses.
An avid horsewoman and traveler, Erika has spent the past decade combining those passions and repackaging them into adventurers for all levels. From walk only trail rides to EquiTreks through the Finger Lakes National Forest to endurance races with seasoned riders across the Biltmore Estate, her goal is to craft personal experiences and memories for the riders sharing her love of the trails and the adventures to be found out there
Erika has received numerous honors for her work, including the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014 by the U.S. Small Business Administration for the Syracuse N.Y. District. Erika is the organizer of the annual Schuyler Equine Conference and serves on the marketing advisory board for the Finger Lakes Tourism Association as well as the Schuyler County Cornell Cooperative Extension Pro-Ed Committee.
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