A novel water additive increases voluntary water intake in healthy horses.

Overview

• This study investigated whether a novel water additive (NWA) could increase the voluntary water intake (VWI) of healthy horses compared to plain tap water (TAP) and water flavored with sweet feed (sweet tea, ST).
• Researchers found that horses drank significantly more water when it contained the novel additive, suggesting it may promote better hydration in horses without adverse effects.

Study Objective

• To determine if healthy horses would voluntarily drink more water with the addition of a novel water additive (NWA) compared to plain tap water (TAP) or water flavored with sweet feed (sweet tea, ST).
• Understanding methods to increase water intake in horses is important for maintaining optimal hydration and health.

Study Design and Methods

• Participants: 12 clinically healthy horses, aged 2 to 5 years.
• Design: Experimental crossover, where horses were randomly assigned to groups consuming different water treatments over three study weeks.
• Groups: Each week, four horses were given access to two buckets:
  • One bucket with plain tap water (untreated bucket).
  • One bucket with one of the three treatments: TAP, ST, or NWA (study bucket).
• Water Intake Measurement:
  • Each bucket started with 16 liters of water.
  • Bucket volumes were measured three times daily and refreshed at least once per day.
  • Total voluntary water intake (both buckets combined) was calculated daily for each horse.
• Manure Output:
  • Number of fecal piles was recorded twice daily as an additional metric potentially influenced by hydration status.
• Treatment Period: Each study week consisted of a 5-day assessment period followed by a 1-week washout to minimize carryover effects.

Results

• Water Intake:
  • Horses consumed significantly more water when offered the novel water additive (52.0 ± 6.7 L per day).
  • This was higher than intake when offered plain tap water (30.1 ± 6.2 L per day) or sweet tea (32.0 ± 5.8 L per day).
• Manure Production:
  • The number of fecal piles was significantly greater on day 4 for horses drinking the NWA (6.8 ± 1.8 piles) compared to those drinking sweet tea (4.8 ± 1.4 piles).
  • This suggests enhanced hydration might improve gut motility or fecal production.
• Safety:
  • No adverse effects were observed in horses during the study, indicating the NWA is safe for use in healthy horses.

Conclusions and Implications

• The novel water additive significantly increased voluntary water intake in healthy horses compared to plain tap water and water flavored with sweet feed.
• Increased water intake may have physiological benefits, such as enhanced manure production, potentially reflecting improved hydration status or gut function.
• The NWA was well tolerated with no negative health effects observed during the study.
• This additive could be a useful tool for horse owners and veterinarians to encourage greater water consumption, especially in conditions where hydration is critical for health and recovery.