If your horse refuses to drink despite your efforts, don't despair. Of all the years I've gone horse camping, I've never seen a horse die of thirst. A horse will drink. The secret is to get him to want to drink. Offer water in the morning, on a ride, and before and after each feeding.
Pack your own pail. Even if there's water available at a trailhead or in camp, give your horse water in his own bucket, pail, or tub. Disease and parasites can lurk in common drinking areas. Also, your horse might prefer to drink from a familiar container - and you'll be able to monitor how much water he drinks each time.
Pack canvas. To give your horse water on the trail, use a canvas water pail, which you can easily tie to your saddle or a pack. (Make sure the pail opens wide enough for your horse to easily put his nose into it.) This pail will come in especially handy on federal lands, where you're not allowed to take your horse to lakes, streams, ponds, or rivers.
Pack a rope. Tie a 30-foot rope to your saddle or pack. Then, if you come upon a stream that you can't hike right down to, simply open the canvas water pail, tie the rope to the handle, and toss the pail into the stream. To fill, let the water carry the pail downstream, or let the pail sink. When full, pull it back up with the rope.
Water-Use Tips
Here are some conservation tips you can use while horse camping to stretch that precious water supply.
Water the feed. If your horse's feed contains water, he'll drink less water afterward. To soak baled feeds - such as oat, alfalfa, or grass hay - fill the haynet with feed, then plunge it into a tub of water. Let it sit for a few minutes, then pick it up and allow it to drain into the tub to save excess water. Hang the net, and allow your horse to eat. If you have pelleted or cubed feed, simply place the feed into a feed tub, and dump about a gallon of water over it. Let it sit for a few minutes, then allow your horse to eat.
Catch excess water. After giving your horse soaked forage, fill an empty feed tub about halfway with water, and set it under the haynet to catch excess water. Then place the tub in a corner of the corral - or just outside of the corral fence, where your horse has access to it, but can't turn it over or play in it.
Tap other sources. Let your horse drink from water sources along the trail or near the camp to conserve the water you've hauled in.
Recycle camp water. Save your end-of-day shower or basin-bath water in a pail. The next day, after your ride, use the leftover water to rinse your horse's back to cool him. You can use leftover dishwater and laundry water the same way. (Tip: When rinsing your horse's back, stand him in the shade so the water won't quickly evaporate in the hot sun; his back will stay cooler longer, and he'll be a happier horse!)
Bonnie Davis of Fremont, California, is an internationally published equine journalist and The Trail Rider's consulting editor. She gives presentations, lectures, and workshops on horse camping, multiuse trail development, and gentle-use trail management.
