Every winter, it happens.
Temperatures drop, blankets come out, water tanks start freezing… and suddenly, horses that normally drink will barely touch their water. Owners worry about dehydration, impactions, and colic, and for good reason.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, this change in drinking behavior isn’t random or stubborn behavior. It’s the body responding to cold invading the system.
Cold Changes How the Body Functions
In TCM, cold is considered an external pathogenic factor. When cold enters the body, it doesn’t just make things chilly; it slows, tightens, and contracts normal function.
Cold has a very specific effect on the body:
- It slows circulation and the movement of Qi (energy)
- It reduces metabolic activity
- It creates tightness and stiffness in muscles and tissues
- It weakens digestion, especially when cold food or cold water is consumed
The digestive system, specifically the Spleen and Stomach in TCM, relies on warmth to function properly. These organs are responsible for breaking down food and fluids and distributing them throughout the body. When cold enters the system, that process becomes sluggish.
Why Cold Reduces Thirst
When the Spleen and Stomach are weakened by cold, fluid transformation slows down.
Instead of fluids being absorbed and moved where they need to go, they will accumulate and stagnate in the digestive tract. Horses may feel:
- Full or bloated
- Heavy through the belly
- Less hungry
- Less inclined to drink
From the horse’s perspective, they don't want to drink more because they already feel full, or cold water doesn’t feel good; it actually adds to the discomfort. So they drink less, even though their body technically needs more moisture.
This is why reduced water intake in cold weather is often tied to digestive stagnation, not just temperature preference.
The Bigger Risk: Sluggish Digestion and Colic
When cold stagnation lingers in the digestive system, it creates a dangerous setup:
- Fluids aren’t moving efficiently
- Digestion becomes slow and inefficient
- The gut lacks proper moisture
- Feed sits longer than it should
Over time, this can contribute to impaction, gas buildup, and colic, especially in horses that already tend to be sensitive in the gut.
So while it looks like a “water problem,” the root issue is often a digestive energy problem.
What Can You Do to Support Them?
The goal isn’t to force water consumption with "more electrolytes", it’s to warm and strengthen digestion so drinking feels natural again.
This is where Relentless comes in.
Relentless is designed to support the Spleen and Stomach, helping restore healthy digestive function by:
- Strengthening digestive energy
- Encouraging warm, smooth movement through the GI tract
- Improving appetite naturally
- Supporting proper fluid absorption and distribution
When digestion is functioning well, horses naturally begin to drink more, eat better, and move fluids efficiently, even in colder weather.
The Takeaway
Cold weather doesn’t just change the environment; it changes how the body functions.
When cold invades the system, digestion slows, fluids stagnate, and thirst drops. Supporting digestive warmth and movement is key to keeping horses comfortable, hydrated, and healthy through the winter months.
Sometimes the solution isn’t more water, it’s better digestion.
