“But I thought horses prefer cold water because it’s more natural…”

That was a message I received after a recent post about preparing for winter weather changes to help safeguard our horses against colic.

And honestly — I get it.
It’s a really common and very reasonable assumption. I used to wonder the same thing.

So I wanted to respond the way I would if we were chatting at the barn, coffee in hand, watching the horses quietly munch hay.

Here’s the gentle, reassuring truth as we understand it today:

What we know (based on research and experience)

There’s no good evidence that horses prefer cold water.
There is good evidence that cold water leads many horses to drink less.

And that’s why this matters so much in winter and during warm-to-cold weather swings.

What research and long-standing veterinary experience consistently show:

• Horses offered very cold or near-freezing water tend to drink less
• Horses offered slightly warmed or tepid water (about 45–65°F) usually drink more...