A horse needs around a gallon of water every day. That is about 1600-1800 ml or 1.6-1.8 litres daily.
The horse’s digestive system uses 70% of its ingested water for the process of digestion and excretion, which leaves about 30% of its ingested water for drinking and perspiration.
The amount of water that a horse drinks depends on the level of activity it is doing and its environment. In fact, horses will drink more when they are in areas with high humidity such as the equator where their body temperature is higher than in dry regions like the Sahara desert where their body temperature can drop to negative ten degrees Celsius.
What is a Horse’s Body System and How Does it Work?
The horse is one of the most complicated animals, as it has a body composed of 40 bones and 26 joints. This system is essential to the horse’s survival because it provides protection and support for the hoof.
The horse’s body system is made up of several different parts including a skull, vertebrae in the neck, lumbar vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx. The horse also has an impressive heart with a single large left ventricle that pumps blood through the lungs and then back around to their head.
The Horse’s Body System is extremely complex in order to protect the animal from injury.
The Horse’s Digestive System, Its Importance for Health and the Important Role that Water Plays in it
The digestive system is a complex, multi-chambered organ that is responsible for breaking down food and converting it into nutrients to be absorbed by the body. It consists of many different parts and its main functions are digestion, absorbing nutrients from digested food and excreting waste in the form of feces.
The horse’s digestive system protects their health by regulating fluid balance and controlling electrolyte levels by preventing dehydration, feeding them a diet with balanced nutrients, producing enzymes to break down ingested nutrients into usable ones, and expelling excess water.
Water plays an important role in the horse’s digestive system since it helps stimulate its hydrochloric acid production which aids in digestion.
How Much Water Do Horses Need?
Horses require an average of 25 to 30 gallons of water each day.
If you have a horse, it is wise to plan for the amount of water he/she might need. The easiest way to do this is by providing a water trough that will hold about two gallons or more. You should also provide hay, grain and fresh water for your horse as well as other animals in the pasture.
Horses need more than just food and water. They need access to the outdoors, which means they need fences around the pasture and shelters from rain or snow.
What Happens to an Over-Drinking Horse?
Over-drinking horses are at risk of water toxicity because they are not able to regulate their water intake. This type of intoxication may cause neurological damage, muscle spasms and seizures.
Many horse owners struggle with how much or whether their horses should drink water. A well-developed theory on this subject is that horses drink because they want to ingest enough fluid to maintain the appropriate concentration of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and chloride in the blood plasma.
The horse’s body has a natural thirst mechanism – it will consume water when necessary – but unfortunately some horses over-drink and become addicted to this practice. With too much water consumed, horses are unable to keep up with their normal metabolic rate and may suffer severe consequences as a result.