Urine, you probably don't think about it very often... But it is very important that all waste products from the body find their way out in a proper manner. Healthy kidneys and a healthy bladder are essential for your horse.

How much does a horse urinate?

How much a horse urinates and the color of the urine mainly depends on how much it drinks. A healthy horse that receives enough fresh drinking water from a clean trough drinks about 35 liters of water per day. On hot days, this can increase to 50 liters. A significant portion of that fluid is evaporated as sweat, especially when it is hot or when the horse is working. But around 20 to 30 liters are also urinated out. No wonder you have to clean that stall every day...

What does healthy urine look like in a horse?

Urine in horses is usually light yellow to dark yellow in color and never completely clear. A bit of foam or a slightly milky color is normal for a horse's pee. When it's hot, or when your horse doesn't drink much, the urine is darker yellow. Mares in heat often urinate in small amounts and their urine smells stronger than when they are not in heat. If urine smells strongly of ammonia, then there are a lot of protein waste products in it.

Help, my horse's urine is brown or red...

In combination with some nutrients, a horse's urine can turn slightly orange, or a puddle in the stall can appear orangish-red. This is not a concern. But if the urine actually turns red, even if it's only clear at the beginning or at the end of urination, it is advisable to call the vet. This can indicate blood in the urine, caused by issues with the bladder or kidneys. Horses can also get bladder infections! In addition, coffee-colored, brown, or even almost black urine is a clear warning sign. Such a very dark color indicates that there are a lot of waste products from the liver in the urine. This can be due to liver problems, tying-up syndrome or poisoning from sources such as maple trees or ragwort. In this case as well, call your vet for advice. If the urine smells really bad, like inflammation, you should also call.

Kidney stones in horses?

If your horse consumes an excess of minerals like calcium kidney stones can develop. These are clumped crystals in the urine. Usually, these stones are passed unnoticed, but if your horse is urinating with difficulty or discomfort, it is something to keep an eye on. Kidney stones can be painful and cause serious problems.

Keep the kidneys healthy!

The kidneys are important for removing excess salts, water, and waste products. To keep the whole system of kidneys, urinary tract, and bladder healthy, it is important that your horse can drink enough fresh water. This way, things get flushed out nicely.

Some tips to keep your horse's kidneys healthy:

• Ensure continuous access to fresh drinking water and clean the water trough daily.

• Provide your horse with enough salts and electrolytes, especially if it's hot or doing a lot of work.

• Do a detox twice a year or give a course of nettle extract four times a year, to regularly flush out waste products.

• Make it a habit to take a look when your horse urinates and alert your vet if there is blood in the urine or if the urine is coffee-colored.