How to Check the Hydration of a Horse
You can check the hydration of your horse in several ways: by measuring capillary refill time (CRT), checking skin turgor, and assessing eyes and gums.
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Things You'll Need
- Local Horse Magazines
- National Horse Magazines
- Horses
- Horse Comb/brush Set
Instructions
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Measure Capillary Refill Time
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1
Use both hands to part the horse's lips and expose the gums.
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2
Press gently and briefly on the gum of the upper jaw with the index finger or thumb of one hand. This will force the blood from the capillaries, "blanching" the gum.
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3
Watch and count how long it takes for the gum to return to its natural pink color after removing your finger. If the count is longer than 2 seconds, your horse may be dehydrated or have a circulatory problem.
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4
Take this measurement regularly to get an idea of what's normal for your horse.
Assess Eyes and Gums
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5
Learn what your horse's eyes and gums normally look like. They should appear moist and shiny, not dry.
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6
Inspect your horse's gums and eyes frequently.
Check Skin Turgor
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7
Pinch the skin on the horse's neck in front of the shoulder, using your thumb and forefinger.
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8
Note whether the skin snaps back to its normal position quickly or responds slowly and remains "tented up." A slow response can indicate dehydration.
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9
Check skin turgor regularly to get an idea of what's normal for your horse. Individuals can show variation in this test.
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1
Tips & Warnings
An older horse may have less-elastic skin that returns slowly to its normal position even if the horse is well hydrated.
Comments
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thehorsecoach
Nov 12, 2007
The Gatorade idea is a good one - we use that pretty frequently. We also put electrolytes in our horse's feed twice daily. -
thehorsecoach
Nov 12, 2007
The Gatorade idea is a good one - we use that pretty frequently. We also put electrolytes in our horse's feed twice daily.
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Aug 08, 2006
My farrier taught me this one and it works great. Put powdered Powerade or Gatorade in the water the day before trailer hauling a long distance. It is high in electrolytes and horses love it- and it's cheap and easier to use than the molasses and beet combo!
