Clinical, biochemical, and hygiene assessment of stabled horses provided continuous or intermittent access to drinking water.

The research article studies the impact of different water delivery systems – continuous and intermittent – on the health, hydration status, and hygiene of stabled horses. The study concludes that all tested water delivery methods were adequate for maintaining the horses’ health and hydration, but intermittent access led to better stable hygiene.

Research Methodology

• The study was carried out in two study periods over two years and involved two sets of horses: 22 Quarter Horse (QH) or QH-crossbred mares and 18 Belgian or Belgian-crossbred mares (in study 1); and 24 QH or QH-crossbred mares and 18 Belgian or Belgian-crossbred mares (in study 2).
• These stabled horses were provided with water either continuously or via one of three different intermittent water delivery systems.
• Various parameters were measured or recorded daily, including the horses’ body temperature, behaviour, appetite, water consumption, and urine output.
• The cleanliness of each horse and the stable were assessed on a weekly basis.

Measurements of Hydration

• The study also checked for clinical and biochemical signs of hydration at three different points during each stage of the study.
• Clinical measures of hydration included examinations of skin turgor (elasticity), gum moisture, capillary refill time, and fecal consistency.
• Meanwhile, biochemical measures of hydration included packed cell volume (PCV), plasma total protein concentration, serum osmolality (a measure of the number of solute particles in a fluid), plasma vasopressin concentration (a hormone that regulates water retention in the body), urine specific gravity, and urine osmolality.

Results and Conclusions

• All the horses remained healthy regardless of the water delivery system used.
• However, the cleanliness of the stables declined when horses had continuous access to drinking water.
• The study found no difference in the measures of hydration between the different types of water delivery systems.
• The study concludes that both continuous and intermittent water delivery systems provide sufficient water to maintain the health and hydration of stabled horses.
• However, the study recommends intermittent access to water on the basis that it improves stable hygiene.