On hot sunny days when temperatures are high, ensuring your horse drinks enough is top of every owners priority list because a dehydrated horse quickly becomes very unwell.They say you can lead a horse to water but you cant make them drink and its true theyll only gulp it down if they want to. However, there are several things you can do to increase your horses water intake and keep their hydration levels up Freely available, clean waterThe average horse will drink around 10 to 12 gallons of water a day, though just like us their thirstiness levels will vary. You only have to look at the water buckets in a typical yard to see that some horses will drain two big buckets overnight, while others will hardly have touched theirs.To be on the safe side, its best to follow the old Pony Club mantra that fresh, clean water should always be freely available and scrub out water troughs and buckets regularly.Consider giving them a larger water bucket so that they have some left when you next visit rather than risk them running out.If you use automatic drinkers in your stable and troughs outside, bear in mind you wont be able to gauge how much theyve actually been drinking.Its also a good idea to take water from home with you to a show or event. Many horses dont like the taste of strange water and will refuse to touch it out of a different tap or hose.Flavoured waterWater is great for quenching thirst, but sometimes adding a little something sweet so that it tastes nicer is necessary in order to encourage a horse to drink more of it.Things to consider adding are apple juice or sugarbeet water to the bucket.There are products available to tempt fussy horses to drink more too, such as Horse Quencher. If youre trying it for the first time, though, our top tip is to provide plain water in a separate bucket too. This way, if your horse doesnt like the tasty water, they still have something to drink.Soaked feedsA soaked feed is a really useful addition to everyhorses diet, because it boosts water intake and helps to keep them hydrated.There are plenty on the market to choose from but make sure you introduce a new feed to your horse gradually. This is very important.If youre not adding water via a soaked feed, then adding water from the tap and mixing it in by hand is better than nothing. A sloppy mash can be quite appealing to horses and is aneffective way to increase their water intake and prevent dehydration.Swap hay for haylageHaylage contains more water than hay and so can be fed instead to aid hydration levels. However, one of the golden rules of feeding horses is to make changes to their diet very slowly. So if your horse only ever eats hay, introducing them to haylage on a very hot sunny day may not be the best time to do it.Sudden dietary changes upset the digestive system and increase the risk of serious conditions like colic and diarrhoea occurring.Also bear in mind that haylage may not be suitable for all equines, so do what is best for your own horse. Contrary to popular belief,haylage is normally lower in sugar than hay and it contains more protein. However, soaking or steaming hay can help to reduce its sugar levels.ShadeThe golden rule, in case you missed it, is that horses should have access to clean, fresh water all of the time.This applies all year round, because winter dehydration is a risk too.Soaking hay will also help to increase its water content, but bear in mind it will affect its nutritional value too.It is also important that your horse has access to shade so that they can get out of the sun if they want to. It might be in the form of trees, a field shelter or being stabled by day and turned out at night. Whatever you choose, make sure your horse can escape the sun when they want to.ElectrolytesOn very hot days, it is best to either not ride or, if you really have to, go out very early in the morning or late in the evening when the air is cooler. Horses lose vital minerals called electrolytes in their sweat and urine, which water alone cant replace.Salt (or sodium chloride to give it its technical name) is the most important of all the electrolytes.Others include magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chloride and potassium. Electrolyte supplements contain a mix of some or all of these minerals in a bid to restore the horses natural balance and they work in two ways:They replace lost salts and other minerals. They help to prevent dehydration by encouraging the horse to drink.Its very important that electrolytes are given alongside sufficient levels of water. Feeding them in a concentrated form, without the water, risks further dehydrate the horse. So whether you give them in a very sloppy feed or dissolve them in a bucket of water, its important your horse always has plenty to drink.The easiest way to give vital minerals is via a salt or electrolyte lick in the field or stable so your horse has free access.You dont need to load them up prior to peak exercise, but if your horse is working hard and sweating up regularly or theres a long spell of hot weather its beneficial to give electrolytes as a matter of course.A horses normal diet doesnt provide enough salt as its impossible to put sufficient levels in a bagged feed. So generally, experts recommend feeding normal salt day to day, ideally in lick form.You can then upgrade to the electro-salts (or electrolytes) at peak times after exertion. If they wont use a lick, you can add salt to their diet at a rate of around 25-30g a day for a 500kg horse.Signs of dehydrationThe first signs of dehydration are often reduced stamina and loss of performance, before further health problems step into the fray.A pinch test can show early signs of dehydration. To do this, simply pinch the skin and if, when you let go, it doesnt immediately go back to being flat, it could be an indicator that your horse is dehydrated.If you allow this to continue without putting it right youre looking at side-effects like poor recovery from exercise, muscle damage and tying up (or azoturia).Long-term, repeated dehydration could result in serious problems, such as bone and tissue damage within the system. In the short-term, lethargy and poor recovery from exercise are the most common signs.Main image ShutterstockRelated contentHow to cool a horse down quickly in hot weatherWhy every horse will benefit from eating a soaked feedComplete guide to soaked feeds, including Fast Fibre Horse FeedHow to identify and prevent colic in horses10 golden rules of feeding for a happy, healthy horseThe post Effective ways to encourage a horse to drink water and prevent dehydration appeared first on Your Horse.