Horse quencher to encourage your horse to drink

[Carolyn R]

I have never heard of this product until yesterday. I was so impressed when the vet tending to my impacted horse offered some to him (resolving impaction, is being monitored, will hopefully come home tomorrow).

I went to see him and was told it was fine to hand graze him for ten minutes, and I could walk him as much as I wanted after that. He was sipping at his water but not overly enthusiastic over it. I walked him for twenty minutes, just long enough to have his cabin fever subside. I returned him to his stall and the vet was just getting the words out of her mouth that she mixed a bucket of horse quencher and hung it in his stall, he bypassed two buckets of water, immediately walked to the far bucket and drank the entire bucket. I was impressed, and even the vet wasn't expecting that enthusiastic of a reaction.

I did some reading up when I got home, while it does not work for 100% of all horses, I would say 95% of the independent reviews in chat rooms was excellent. It is deffinately a good product to have on hand, the company will even send a sample pack, I believe enough for a gallon of water. I just wanted to share, maybe the info can lead someone to encourage fluid intake with a troubled horse. This will deffinately have a place right next to my electrolytes, probiotics and banamine.

 

[bevann]

Glad something worked for you and that your boy is doing better.I have several reluctant drinkers.Tried the quencher-didn't work for me.What has been working is water with Senior feed dumped in bottom with beet pulp and powdered electrolytes added.I have 4 that get this daily.If they want to eat they have to suck the feed out of the water.glad you found something that works for you.Sometimes it is just trial and error.

 

[user 3234]

Vet told me to put table salt as supplement topping or sprinke on hay. I have put on hay and they have not had an issue since then.

 

[Danielleee]

I use table salt during the winter for my quarter horse gelding not a huge amount but just sprinkle it over his grain. He doesn't drink as much water as he should in the winter which resulted in a very bad colic episode but with the salt he drinks almost his full bucket when he's in at night & hasn't coliced since. But I'm happy you found something that works for your horse!

 

[Carolyn R]

Ugg, seems like today would have been a good day to have the horse quencher. My mare seemed a bit off now. This hay is going bye bye, doesn't look or smell bad, a little coarse, but it has to be the issue, beyond the drinking. it is just too fibrous.

Anyhow, while she wasn't in extreme pain, we know when our horses are off. You know, a few odd rolls, not willing to eat grass as enthusiastically as we would normally see, an odd lip curl....one oddity we may ignore, a few, we just know! Dosed her with banamine, walked her, then made up my own version of the stuff with what I had on hand or could quickly run out and get.......6-7 alfalfa cubes disolved in 2.5 gallons of water, electrolytes, probiotics, some oil and some molasses. Drank it down in 2 minutes. Walk walk walk, rest , walk, no manure,...gloved and lubed up, cleaned out the back end and got a large amount of firm, but not hard manure (remember she's a big horse not a mini,not such a tight fit) walked her a bit more. She passed a pile on her own a bit later. Mixed her up another batch but omitted the oil and put in a cup of disolved Epsom salts. Almost 8 hours after the banamine and her pain is not back, hopefully she will be okay at the 10 and 12 hour mark. Gut sounds are excellent. Hopefully our vigilance will pay off.

So moral to the story....cut my losses and loose the current batch of hay and improvise if need be to make a slurry to encourage drinking!

I have been adding salt and some oil to their feed, but tonight the two minis only got soaked alfalfa. I want to make sure all this other hay safely works its way out of their systems before I add grain back into the mix. Thanks for all your remedies guys. My horses were never ones to go for Gatorade, so I have always been at a loss to make them drink if need be. If anyone else has other tips of mixes or slurries you make to hydrate your equines, add them to the list !!!

 

[MountainWoman]

Carolyn, I'm so sorry your mare is not doing well. I use Horse Quencher and always have it on hand and I use it when I trailer too. My horses love the taste and just a product I will always have on hand. I don't have any great suggestions for you but I hope someone is able to help you and your mare feels better.

 

[Carolyn R]

Carolyn, I'm so sorry your mare is not doing well. I use Horse Quencher and always have it on hand and I use it when I trailer too. My horses love the taste and just a product I will always have on hand. I don't have any great suggestions for you but I hope someone is able to help you and your mare feels better.

Thank you. She is much better this morning.We caught it soon enough with her, i was up a few times through the night and she was passing manure and anxious to get some soaked hay cubes. I will deffinately be picking up the hose quencher to have on hand for convenience sake, but I was thrilled to come up with a mix that worked when in a pinch.

 

[bevann]

Glad you are making progress.Sometimes it is just trial and error to find what works for your horse.Mine won't touch Gatorade-others only like apple juice.I was at my wits end once and poured molasses in a dog bowl and horse licked it clean.Then we added water in small amounts and finally lots of water.Sometimes they change and what has worked for while stops working and you have to come up with plan B.IMO if it is a hay issue throwing out some questionable hay is much more cost effective than pricey vet calls and more stress on you.

 

[Carolyn R]

Glad you are making progress.Sometimes it is just trial and error to find what works for your horse.Mine won't touch Gatorade-others only like apple juice.I was at my wits end once and poured molasses in a dog bowl and horse licked it clean.Then we added water in small amounts and finally lots of water.Sometimes they change and what has worked for while stops working and you have to come up with plan B.IMO if it is a hay issue throwing out some questionable hay is much more cost effective than pricey vet calls and more stress on you.

I am actually going to ask if they would take back the remaining 20 bales and swap them for some alfalfa or alfalfa mix and I will pay the difference. I have been getting hay from them for quite awhile, this year I think the timothy was late getting off the field. Father, son and grandson team, and the grandson passed away on 3/19. I understand where they are coming from, the hay is clean, smells great, fine for cattle, just too coarse for my guys.

 

[disneyhorse]

I've found when my horses are used to eating beet pulp, its very easy to just soak some in a bucket of water and horses will slurp down the molasses water no problem to eat the pulp at the bottom. Great for cross country trailer rides.

 

[susanne]

Horse Quencher tablets were sure a blessing this weekend on our beach drive. A couple of the horses were not drinking enough -- not colic but a worry away from home -- and the Horse Quenchers did the trick, helping everyone relax. I'm definitely going to buy some.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I buy the plain packets of Kool Aid (no sugar added) and add that to bucket of water, My horses favorite flavor is orange. In the summer I mix in a vitamin electrolyte that is unflavored and this way they drink it all. I use one packet in a 5 gallon bucket, so it's not real strong. It's also great to flavor any medications you have to add to grain. I made up my own "electrolyte" mix by mixing the Kool Aide packets with natural salt (the kind with brown & red color mixed in) because mine won't eat plain salt added to their grain and they love the orange flavor.

I also started using electrolyte paste because my vet recommended it often enough, it can help encourage them to drink when they don't feel like it. Soaking hay is good too if they are allowed to eat hay.