Q: My pony never seems to drink enough water. I already soak his hay and add water to his feed, but I’ve been advised to try a mash as well. Should this replace his usual concentrate feed?

A: Ponies are generally very good at regulating their own water balance, and while this can go wrong when away from the yard, they should drink enough at home, provided management is consistent and water is always available. Having said this, with winter coming it is always worth making sure you are monitoring and maintaining your pony’s water intake. With an increase in colic at this time of year, you want to ensure your pony takes in the water he needs.

All ponies get some water from their grazing and feed. For example, hay contains 15% water, while grass can contain up to 80%. By soaking his hay, as you are doing, you’ll add further moisture content, reducing his need to drink water from his bucket.

Concentrate feeds/balancers etc should always be fed at least damp, to minimise the risk of your pony ‘inhaling’ his feed (i.e. eating much too fast!), and there is a lot to be said for adding even more water to the feed to keep him hydrated, just as you are doing.

To encourage drinking you can also add salt to his food, and he should have access to a salt lick 24/7. Most compound feeds contain approximately 1% salt, but others like sugar beet and cereals don’t contain any, so make sure your pony is getting enough salt.

Outside of adding salt (and on top of what you are already doing), feeding mash is probably the next best way to increase water intake and, depending on the rest of your pony’s diet, will reduce the total amount of food he needs. The amount of un-soaked mash you feed will normally replace the same dry weight of a comparable concentrate feed. The easiest way to feed a mash is to add one with no vitamins or trace elements to either a complete balancer or supplement. This way, your pony’s micronutrient requirements are met (by the balancer or supplement) but not exceeded. Keep in mind that there are also conditioning and low-calories mashes available on the market, so make sure you know what you are buying when choosing for your pony.

If your pony is on a concentrate feed and you are uncertain how to add the mash, speak to your equine nutritionist and they will be able to assist you.

Top tip

Always check how long you need to soak a mash for and how much water is required. Follow the instructions on the bag, because feeding mashes that aren’t fully soaked can cause problems like colic.