NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Dehydration woes at Horse of the Year as at least 12 horses become ill

Ruby Harfield
By Ruby Harfield
Hawkes Bay Today·
16 Mar, 2018 08:45 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Richard McKenzie of Vet Services talks about horse health of Horse of the Year.

At least 12 horses at a national equestrian event in Hastings have become ill from dehydration.

The horses have been treated by vet staff during the Land Rover Horse of the Year at Tomoana Showgrounds after refusing to drink water (or not drinking enough) at the event, which has been running this week.

Vet Services Hawke's Bay veterinarian Richard McKenzie said it was common for horses to refuse to drink water when they travelled to new areas for events due to the different taste but this was exacerbated by the length of the show.

Usually people would take their own water but because horses were away from home for more than a week this was impossible and at least 12 horses had ended up with dehydration which had caused colic in some, he said.

While horses had been treated for dehydration in previous years this time was worse because of the good weather.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The heat and humidity probably doesn't help with the horses sweating a lot."

A remedy for the issue was flavouring the water with something like molasses but without getting a horse used to it for a few weeks before the event some had refused this, too.

"Luckily we haven't lost any horses."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Although the number of dehydration cases was small and most were mild it was disappointing for owners because their horses either weren't performing at their best or had to pull out of the competition, McKenzie said.

About six horses were unable to be treated on site and had to be referred to secondary clinics such as Massey University Equine Veterinary Clinic in Palmerston North for further investigation and treatment due to other underlying issues which were made worse from the dehydration.

Vet Services staff had seen 10-15 horses a day since the start of the event for various reasons including cuts and transport injuries.

Horse of the Year board chair Cynthia Bowers said she hadn't heard of any problems but expected the horses didn't like the taste of chlorine in the water.

Discover more

New Zealand

Your weather: Wild start to the week in the west

18 Mar 04:54 PM

Chlorine was added to the town's water supply in 2016 and may not have been so much of an issue last year because the weather was wet and not as warm.

Chlorination of water supplies was not uncommon and would be something that would have to be managed by owners of horses at events in terms of flavouring the water, she said.

"It's the way of the future.

"I think it's just something that we really need to be aware of and do whatever we need to do particularly when we are dealing with animals like horses."

A Hastings District Council (HDC) spokesperson said Tomoana Showgrounds has both a private bore and HDC water connection.

A Bombay resident, who doesn't want to be named, said she had come down to the event with her daughter and niece's horses and had heard of at least eight horses getting colic from refusing to drink the water.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"On Tuesday night one of the ponies was unsettled in the yard, luckily he was being watched closely.

"They thought it was colic and got the vet out.

"This little pony nearly died…it was just about falling over."

It was almost sent to Massey University for surgery but was able to be treated on site, she said.

The vet had been going from one end of the grounds to the other dealing with colicky horses that night.

"Everyone was panicking, we didn't know what was causing the colic.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They were all from Auckland so I thought it must have been a bad batch of feed but the vet said it's the water.

"They won't drink it and are getting dehydrated."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Wellington

'Amazing woman': Kiwi killed by elephant remembered as adventurous traveller

04 Jul 06:53 AM
New Zealand

Royal NZ Air Force establishes first dedicated space unit

04 Jul 06:24 AM
New Zealand

The nearly fatal gas exposure case that rocked Greymouth

04 Jul 06:03 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Amazing woman': Kiwi killed by elephant remembered as adventurous traveller

'Amazing woman': Kiwi killed by elephant remembered as adventurous traveller

04 Jul 06:53 AM

Alison Jean Taylor died with her sister in an elephant attack in Zambia this week.

Royal NZ Air Force establishes first dedicated space unit

Royal NZ Air Force establishes first dedicated space unit

04 Jul 06:24 AM
The nearly fatal gas exposure case that rocked Greymouth

The nearly fatal gas exposure case that rocked Greymouth

04 Jul 06:03 AM
'It's all safe mum': Murder accused allegedly took $85k hidden in mother's dressing gown

'It's all safe mum': Murder accused allegedly took $85k hidden in mother's dressing gown

04 Jul 06:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP