Hydrophobia!

Mon Mar 20, 2006

Quzqo is now terrified of the water tank in his pasture. He didn't mind the old tank, but they switched out to these new ones late last Fall, and he hasn't taken a drink since. Some theorize he got zapped by the fence, because at one point the wire WAS touching the tank and the horses were getting shocks (great!). So he went ALL winter w/o drinking a drop, he'd just eat his hay, and come in in the evening dying of thirst and suck down a bucket of water in one slurp!

Well, the snow's gone, so he can't eat snow for moisture, so I began in earnest trying to convince him that the water tank is safe and good for drinking! When I got to the barn this evening after work, I got outside just in time to see Himself ambling down towards the gate with a few of his pasturemates. His pals all came up to the tank and got good drinks...he hung back, and much to my horror, dropped his head and began sucking at a DIRTY STAGNANT PUDDLE OF POOPY RUNOFF WATER! NOOOOOO!!!! I hurried out there, and couldn't get that dang horse to stop sucking at that greeny-brown NASTY stuff!! I managed to shove him away, so he swung around to the other side and dropped his head and started drinking (I mean, you could SEE the chewed-up grass from the manure swirling around in it!!!). I had to loop the lead rope around his neck and haul him away!! GAAAH!

We went to the water tank, and in a milestone, I got him to actually approach it within drinking distance...the other day he refused to go NEAR it, even rearing up in protest!! He acted like he WANTED to get a drink...it'd just been filled, so it was full of lovely clean, fresh water. I even dipped my hand in it (COLD!!! 29 degree air temperature...water was probably 33 degrees!) and splashed it around, and he licked it from my hand, but the most he did was sort of bobble his head downwards, but not anywhere near the actual water. It was obvious he didn't trust the WATER...he was fine with the tank, the pipe they use to fill it, the mare on the other side of the fence...it was the WATER he didn't trust. Poor guy.

We gave up eventually and he sucked down 3/4 of a bucket while I brushed him (shedding like crazy! About time!). He wasn't at all pleased when I started rubbing liniment on his tailhead (vet recommended it), LOL, I think it was the fact I was rubbing it (gently), because once I worked it down through the thick winter fur, *I* could feel it getting warm, and he settled down, started yawning and cocked a hind leg, LOL. Goofy lad.

The liniment is a new "herbal formula" from Absorbine (a gel), so he smelled minty in the front AND the back, ha! I just hope his new minty-fresh butt doesn't attract more chewers!!! Well, hopefully the smell will disappear by morning...he sure seemed to enjoy it!