How To Save Water As An Equestrian

Those of you who live in Cape Town (or even the rest of South Africa, I guess- it’s gotten to the point where everyone is aware) will know that we are in the middle of a pretty scary drought. As I type this, our dams are at less than 11%, and no matter how many weather apps I download, none of them are telling me what I want to hear — this nightmare is far from over. The city has switched to level four water restrictions, which basically means water is reserved only for absolutely essential activities.

So what can we do, as equestrians? We can’t let our horses go thirsty, of course, and we certainly don’t want to neglect them, but we also don’t want to add to an already-desperate situation. Below are a few ways you can be water-conscious, without your beloved equine suffering as a result.

1. No bathing! Sorry, showing queens, I know this one will be tough for you especially. We all love having clean, shiny steeds, especially for shows, and it can be a fun bonding activity (unless, like Chewy, your horse does not taking kindly to being bathed). But with things being as serious as they are, for the foreseeable future you absolutely cannot bath your horse. Put in a bit more elbow grease when you’re grooming, double up on the coat shine, but for the sake of everyone, do not bath your horses until things go back to normal.
2. Minimal hosing. Although winter seems to be taking its sweet time getting here, temperatures have dropped in the past few weeks. This means hosing down after a ride should be less necessary than it is in summer, but in the middle of the day it is still pretty hot and your horse can work up a good sweat. Try ride early-morning or late-afternoon when it’s slightly cooler to avoid the need to hose your horse down after riding. If you really need to help your horse cool down, try hose only the legs, not the whole body. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a pond or stream of non-drinking water, take your horse and a small bucket there, and use that to cool them down. I saw this done at Turquoise Horse Trails in the Seychelles recently and thought it was very good use of natural resources.
3. Sturdy water buckets. Make sure that whatever you’re using for water, both in the stable and in paddock, is sturdy enough that it can’t be knocked over. Not only will knocking their water container over leave your horse without water, it will also mean unnecessary wastage of hundreds of liters of water.
4. Fixing leaks. Like the above, leaks can cause wastage of hundreds upon hundreds of liters of water. Do a tour of your yard/farm and ensure that there are no leakages anywhere, and fix any leaks you might find. Not only will it help save water, it can also help save costs! If the yard doesn’t belong to you, suggest it to the owner or manager, or even turn it into an activity for everyone to get involved in- like a mounted treasure hunt!
5. Human consumption. Apply the water-saving measures you’re using at home at the yard when it comes to washing your hands, showering, and anything else that requires using water. Try spread the word around the yard so others follow your example- maybe even ask if you can put up a few posters with water-saving tips. That way it won’t feel like your efforts are wasted because you’re the only one trying to make a difference.

I hope these tips help give you some ideas for saving water, not only now but in future- we should always be mindful of our water consumption, not only when there’s a shortage of it! Let’s hope we get some serious rain soon.