How come longhorn cattle don't need water?

Answer 1

This couldn't be farther from the truth. Whoever told you that Longhorn cattle don't need water is a liar, uneducated about the breed or mistaken. Just because Texas Longhorns are known to and bred to live in the desert does NOT mean that they don't need water. They're not like camels where they can survive for weeks without water: they NEED water just like any other bovine, and cannot survive for more than a week without it.

However, it is probably the fact that Longhorns are able to eat cacti is where you get the phrase that "longhorn cattle don't need water." The cacti they eat is full of water, and is enough to keep them satisfied without having to find water sources for many days, if not weeks. But put a Longhorn herd in an area where there are no cacti, just grass, and never let them have access to water (not even from a stream, a dugout or even a low wet area), you will have an animal abuse/cruelty case on your hands because of the fact you neglected to give them water that they are in need of.