Nutrition Evaluation: Testing Your Horse’s Water

Kentucky Equine Research offers many technical services to horse owners, including analysis of pasture samples and water sources.

Water is a primary component in any horse’s diet, with mature horses drinking 20-80 litres per day depending on physiological state, amount of exercise, degree of sweating, and several other factors.

Understanding water quality can provide valuable insight into management decisions. Water tests assess multiple physical parameters like turbidity, color, and odor, as well as chemical and microbiological attributes, such as the presence of minerals and bacteria.

Testing the water on your property can help determine what it contributes to your horse’s diet.