frequently aSKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HORSE QUENCHER
Is Horse Quencher safe to use under FEI and Jockey Club rules?
There is nothing in Horse Quencher that might cause an adverse reaction or worries about drug testing fall-out. An all-natural blend of ingredients including barley, oats, beet, corn, soybean oil and molasses, Horse Quencher
proved an immediate winner and a 'must have' for a number of horses troubled by the heat and humidity of the Hong Kong Olympics. The American Endurance Ride Conference, the national governing body for endurance riding in the United States, has since named it their Official Hydration Product.
Who makes Horse Quencher?
Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies manufacture Horse Quencher. In 2008 Pennfield was named the Official Feed of the US Equestrian Federation (USEF). The company was the official feed of the US team in the 2002 Jerez World Equestrian Games (WEG), the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2006 Aachen WEG, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Pennfield is a widely respected, family-owned feed company in Pennsylvania that has been feeding horses on the east coast of the US since 1919. For over a decade Pennfield has partnered with Kentucky Equine Research to bring state-of-the-art nutritional expertise to their feed products. Their quality and consistency has not only earned Pennfield the trust of the USEF, but also of Olympians and super-stars Karen and David O’Connor, Phillip Dutton, Bruce Davidson, John Williams, Kim Severson and Michael Barisone; Four-In-Hand Driving Champion Chester Weber; and top Irish show jumper Jonathon McCrea and his wife, US show jumper Christine McCrea.
Why won't horses drink?
The reason why horses don't feel the need to drink when they dehydrate is because of the nature of their sweat. When we humans sweat, we sweat mostly water and the salt concentration builds up in our bodies, that's why we want to drink, to dilute these, whereas horses sweat equal amounts of salt and water, so the salt concentration in their bodies does not increase, so they don't feel the same need to drink. Consequently even though they are clearly dehydrated, when you lead them to water you can't make them drink! They're not stubborn — their bodies are just not giving them an early enough warning signal. And when they do eventually drink, they are quite close to being clinically dehydrated before they even feel this urge to drink. It is odd why horses would be so insensitive to what, even in the wild, is something that is so obviously dangerous to them - i.e., dehydration.
Will my horse colic if I let him exercise with a stomach full of water?
NO! The horse's stomach empties very rapidly in response to a water ingestion, so you really needn't be concerned about colic, or a stomach that is too full.
Is Horse Quencher safe to use with pregnant mares?
Yes, it’s a safe way to hydrate pregnant mares. Indeed, Horse Quencher started as a feed inducement to tempt a pregnant mare to drink. We always recommend checking with your veterinarian though, if you have any special concerns.
Can I use Horse Quencher along with electrolytes during an Endurance Race?
Yes, it can be used safely and effectively as a perfect companion product with electrolytes to increase total water consumption.
According to top nutritionist Dr John Fidler of Pennfield Feeds, the manufacturer of Horse Quencher, and Mike Lennox, feed formulation and quality assurance manager at Kentucky Equine Research, using Horse Quencher during endurance rides may actually help maintain salt and electrolyte balance.
Mike says: "The challenge for these events is to keep the horses hydrated and to maintain electrolyte balance. Given that electrolytes by themselves are not palatable, the combination of electrolytes and Horse Quencher would seem a winning ticket!
"Horse Quencher used before events, or during rides at vet gates, will not create imbalances with other electrolytes such as calcium or potassium, especially if electrolytes containing calcium are administered at the same time. And because re-hydration is the goal, and Horse Quencher helps achieve better water intake, the product will work well when fed during an endurance race."
Why is it especially important to keep a horse hydrated while on box rest?
A fit horse on unexpected box rest due to injury can trigger large colon or fecal impactions. An impaction is a blockage in the horse's gastrointestinal tract. It is usually caused by a build-up of food or partially-formed faeces, which prevents the normal passage of gut contents. If an impaction is untreated, a horse can die of severe shock or a ruptured bowel. Inadequate water intake, either due to inaccessibility or poor palatability, can also lead to impactions and colic. Water lubricates the gut and exercise keeps it moving, removing the excess digestive gases that build up during the day, and can contribute to impactions. So a box rest diet needs to be sufficiently laxative. Horse Quencher causes most horses to dive right in making it a handy health insurance policy and a ‘must have’ on every rehab yard.
Why is it important to keep a travelling horse hydrated?
One of your primary concerns when travelling is ensuring that your horse arrives unscathed and in peak fitness. Hydration is important for optimal performance — therefore, especially when travelling precedes an athletic event, drinking during and after transportation becomes an important consideration.
Horses lose weight during transport due to decreases in water intake and an increase in water losses (via sweating). Even in cool weather, weight loss can be substantial — on average, approximately 0.45-0.55% of their body weight per hour.
Some horses just don't drink very well on the road, which has been shown in research studies. Even when offered water at regular intervals, many horses consumed very little water. To make matters worse, some horses are reluctant to consume water if not from the home source. All of this serves to emphasise the potential for a horse to become significantly dehydrated during transportation. The stress of travel combined with dehydration can result in gastrointestinal disturbances, such as impaction colic. Dehydration and weight deficits can persist for three days or more after a trip.
All of the above is not meant to scare you from taking your horse on a trip. However, you need to be aware that travelling disrupts normal patterns of water intake.
Carrying enough home water can be a problem and often is not feasible for all but short trips. And clearly, you cannot carry enough water for several horses — remember, each horse will drink seven gallons or more per day.
Adding Horse Quencher to home or 'foreign' water will keep your horse drinking during and after a trip.
How much will my horse’s performance be affected by dehydration?
Even the slightest dehydration — a loss of just 10kg of water (or 2%) — can affect your horse’s performance adversely.
Water is the most important ingredient in the horse's system and a horse can go quickly wrong when it's not right.
The body of a horse is nearly three-quarters water: in a 550kg horse that’s 360kg! Horses need at least seven gallons a day to stay on form, and up to four times more in hot weather.
Signs of dehydration are often not evident until the horse reaches 6% water loss, about 30kg of weight.
A fit horse can produce vast amounts of sweat. A racehorse running one mile in approximately two minutes will produce more than two gallons (literally a big bucket's worth).
Horse Quencher solves this problem for virtually every horse who tries it. A commonly heard testimonial – including from the many Olympians who took Horse Quencher to Hong Kong – is “I was astounded when my finicky horse drained the bucket and licked the bottom clean!”
I have an Insulin Resistant horse, can I use Horse Quencher?
Horse Quencher is not an equine fizzy drink. The molasses content is trace at 8%. Some of our customers have told us that before HQ they used molasses to get their horses to drink. With an eye-popping 50% sugar content, molasses can be damaging to a horse’s teeth and is inadvisable for those prone to laminitis. It can also cause diarrhoea and is very messy to handle!
I see Horse Quencher has barley and oats in it, is it heating?
No. In fact many of our customers, including vets and rehab yards, give their horses on box rest Horse Quencher to prevent impactions and to ensure they stay hydrated while healing. The amount of grain in each serving is negligible ie. does not even equate to a handful and so Horse Quencher will not have a heating effect.
Should I mix Horse Quencher in warm or cold water?
We recommend warm water in the winter, especially on cold frosty mornings. Your horses will really love it. Otherwise cool water is fine.
Should I be using Horse Quencher in the winter if I am not hunting or competing?
It’s a little known fact that horses can actually be thirstier in the winter than they are in the summer. During cold weather a horse’s thirst mechanism doesn’t always function as efficiently as it does in the summer. In fact, the closer your horse's water is to freezing temperature, the less he will be inclined to drink — even when his body really needs fluid. This is especially true of older horses whose teeth can be more sensitive to cold water.
It is essential to keep your horse drinking during winter. Keeping his body fluids at optimum levels will be his best defense against the cold — and colic.
Horse Quencher makes for a great winter tipple and is a handy health insurance policy to have around any time you feel your horse is drinking less than he or she should. Water is one essential nutrient you never want to skimp on.
All of my horses love Horse Quencher but I have one that just won’t try it. What can I do?
Scoop up the grains that sink to the bottom of the bucket and give them to your horse. Often he will then understand that the treat at the bottom is worth emptying the bucket for!
Alternatively, let the bucket of Horse Quencher ‘marinate’ for anything from 30 minutes to overnight. This will enhance the flavours for the finicky horse.
Also, you can make the water-to-HQ ratio stronger at first. Put one measure (or sachet) in a quarter of a bucket of water, stir and let it sit a while, then offer it. As the horse starts drinking, you can always top up the water to make it last longer.
Taking the bucket to the horse’s nose rather than leaving it on the ground sometimes helps, as does leaving it in his field or stable overnight alongside his regular water.
Can I use Horse Quencher as a treat?
Yes. We actively encourage you to give Horse Quencher to your horse as a treat. That way he will be used to it and when you need him to get hydrated right away, he will drink. Horse Quencher makes a great alternative treat to an apple or carrot. Horses love it and the slurping noises can cause much merriment!
Can I add Horse Quencher to my horse’s regular feed to make him drink more?
Horse Quencher is designed to be mixed with water. Do not put it in the horse’s feed.
What is the shelf-life of a bucket of Horse Quencher?
We recommend that you use the contents within two years after opening. Storing in a cool, dry place increases the shelf life.