Plan a route around water, not the other way round: a working horse drinks 30-50 litres a day, a team of 8 drinks 240-400 litres, and that is 20-67% of the capacity of one cart, so water cannot be carried for more than a day or two. Keep no more than 15-20 km between water sources in moderate weather and 10 km in hot weather, map every stream, spring, well and pond, and carry at least 20 litres of emergency water per animal.
Part of Logistics & Load Planning
Finding, mapping and spacing the water points along a route for a team of working animals.
Animals Drink More Than A Convoy Can Carry
The parent article says a working horse drinks 30-50 litres a day, that you cannot carry enough water for a team and must plan around water sources, and that in dry regions water determines the route: you go where the water is. Its rules: map every stream, spring, well and pond along the route; allow a maximum distance between water of 15-20 km in moderate weather and 10 km in hot weather; and carry at least 20 litres of emergency water for each animal, which it says covers 4-6 hours if the expected water source is dry.
Other articles give higher figures for a draft horse: Draft Animal Care has 40-60 litres a day in cool weather and up to 80 in summer heat, and Draft Animal Training has 30-50 for horses and 40-60 for oxen. Use the higher figure in heat.
What You Need
- A map or sketch of the route with every known water source marked.
- Scouting reports — a stream that ran last month may be dry.
- Containers — barrels, skins or buckets for emergency water.
- Knowledge of the season. See Seasonal Route Selection.
Method: Plan Water Along The Route
Step 1: Mark the sources Mark each stream, spring, well and pond, and when each last held water.
Step 2: Check the spacing Measure the distance between neighbouring sources. Compare it with 15-20 km, or 10 km in heat.
Step 3: Fill the gaps Where the gap is too wide, change the route, dig a well, or cache water ahead of time.
Step 4: Time the days Place each day’s end at a source. See Timing & Daily Schedule.
Step 5: Carry the reserve At least 20 litres per animal, in addition to what the next gap needs.
Worked Example: A 150 km Route
Inputs: 8 horses, one per cart; 30-50 litres a day each; cart capacity 600-1,200 kg from Carts and Wagons; a route of 150 km.
- Daily water: 8 × 30 = 240 to 8 × 50 = 400 litres, which is 240-400 kg.
- As a share of one cart’s capacity: 240 / 1,200 = 20% up to 400 / 600 = 67%.
- Water cannot be carried for more than a day or two. For a 3-day dry stretch: 720 to 1,200 kg, up to 2 carts’ worth just for water.
- Water points on 150 km: at one every 20 km, 150 / 20 = 7.5, so 8 sources at least; at one every 15 km, 150 / 15 = 10, so 10 or 11; at one every 10 km in hot weather, 150 / 10 = 15.
- The emergency reserve: 8 × 20 = 160 litres. The parent says 20 litres covers 4-6 hours, which is 20 / 6 = 3.3 to 20 / 4 = 5 litres per hour; that is well above the daily average of 30-50 / 24 = 1.25-2.1 litres per hour, so it describes hard work in heat. At the daily average, 20 litres would last about 10-16 hours (20 / 2.08 = 9.6, 20 / 1.25 = 16).
Common Mistakes
- Trusting last season’s map — a spring that flowed in spring may be dry in summer.
- Planning only to the next source — if it is dry, the animals are in trouble. Keep the reserve.
- Watering after hard work, all at once — offer it in portions.
- Taking contaminated water for the people — animals tolerate more than people; see Water Purification for human drinking water.
Safety
Dry stretches and bad water
A team without water for a day in heat can collapse, and stagnant or fouled water makes animals and people ill. Scout dry gaps first, do not enter one without the reserve, and treat any water people will drink.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Route Optimization — choosing the route
- Combine with: Feed Requirements on the Move — the feed constraint