A horse drinks roughly 25 to 55 litres a day, and much more in heat, work or when eating dry hay. Provide clean water at all times, check troughs twice daily, and encourage drinking in cold and hot weather.
How much they drink
An average horse drinks about 25 to 55 litres a day, but this rises sharply with hot weather, hard work, lactation, and a diet of dry hay rather than fresh grass. A horse eating dry forage needs far more water than one on lush pasture, because grass is mostly water.
Keep it clean and constant
Horses drink less from dirty or stale water, so scrub troughs and buckets regularly and top them up daily. Position water away from muck and check it at least twice a day, since a horse can empty a trough or a valve can fail without you noticing.
Encourage drinking in the cold
In winter, icy water puts horses off drinking, which raises the risk of impaction colic. Break ice twice daily, use insulated or heated troughs where you can, and offer slightly warmed water to poor drinkers. A little salt in the feed encourages a healthy thirst.
Replace what work takes out
A working, sweating horse loses both water and salts. Always offer water after exercise, provide a salt lick, and for hard work or travel add measured electrolytes to replace what sweat removes. See our best horse electrolytes guide.
Watch for warning signs
A horse that goes off water, or shows a skin pinch that is slow to flatten, dark gums or reduced droppings, may be dehydrated or heading for colic. Sudden changes in drinking always deserve attention, so monitor intake as part of daily care.
