Out & About
W
hen it comes to
horsecamping, nothing is more valuable or required than water. People and horses can live longer
without food and feed than without water. It’s vital to the well being, health and care of both species. So when going camping, plan how much water you’ll need, how to haul it, where to put it, how to use it and how not to waste it. With the large LQ (living quarters) trailers, water can be hauled in tanks. In smaller trailers a water tank can be built into a corner or one can do it the old fashioned way, in multiple containers. Built-in water tanks are handy to use but a real draw back is having to take the complete rig someplace to fill up and this is why I do not have them. In comparison to some I am still in the ‘dark ages’ of camping. For water, I haul four 2.5 gallon containers and three 5 gallon containers. They are the green, rectangle, plastic water cans. When empty I simply go down to a stream, tie a rope to the handle and toss the container in the water. It will float, fill with water and then sink. Once full, I pull it to where I can reach it and take it back to the trailer and the rig doesn’t move from the campsite. When packing or hauling water, remember water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. If a 5 gallon can is used it weighs 40 pounds when full. If a built-in 20 gallon water tank is added to a trailer on one side, that’s 160 pounds added to that side of the trailer. The extra water weight has to be balanced with something of equal weight on the other side or your trailer will be unevenly loaded. This is another reason why I like cans – they can be moved from one side of the trailer to the other to balance the water load so a trailer will pull easier and ride smoother for the horses inside.
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WATERING TACTICS When using water it should be poured out
sparingly. If a horse is prone to paw and dump the water pail or container, water before feeding. After feeding leave the bucket near the horse but when he begins to paw or play in it, move it away so he can’t spill it. Water again a couple hours later and then again before and after night feedings. For a horse that constantly wants to play or spill water by knocking containers over, put the bucket on the side of the trailer or hang it on a tree or corral rail high enough so he can’t reach it with his hoof and spill it. Bucket hangers work great for this. They comprise a short, adjustable, looped rope, and can be used for just everything. They won’t scar a trailer side and horses can’t get them loose. Like all my camping gear, bucket hangers have multiple uses. They make great corral gate closures, safety lines for critters that may fall into a water pail and even a collar for a dog. To find them, go to my website Two Horse Enterprises (
www.twohorseenterprises.com) and look under ‘hardware.’
FUSSY DRINKER We have to remember that when a horse
leaves the barn, the water can change taste. My horse, Nic, is a city horse. He’s used to drinking water with ‘city additives’ in it. Take him out to the forest to a nice stream and he’ll dip his nose down, smell the water, maybe take a sip and then look at me with that ‘I know this ain’t my barn water. What are you trying to do, poison me?’! Horses have tastes just as we do. I’ve never seen a horse die of dehydration because it wouldn’t drink but there are tricks one can use to get a horse to drink quicker. Try shredding carrots or apples into the water then freeze. The carrot/apple frozen block can be tossed into the water bucket and as it melts the pieces will float. The horse will eat them while slurping water at the same time. Or pour a can of apple juice into the water. Again, I can eat carrots, apples and drink apple juice myself so that fits my multiuse use rule.
If one wants to buy something, the Thirst Quencher product is good to add to water but I don’t use a whole packet, only about a
May/June 2012
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