 |
[RC] Cooling Horses - Bruce Weary DCSome tricks I've learned over the years about cooling horses:1) Ride the horse within his capabilities based on genetics, level of conditioning, and ride conditions. In other words, prevention is much more effective than efforts to cool the horse after he is overheated. 2) According to Courtney Hart, 80% of the horse's heat dissipation occurs from the shoulder forward. Clip this area if ride temps will be 70 degrees or above, and focus cooling efforts here. 3) A full body tepid water bath at the longer vet checks can work wonders and will rarely cause any cramping or negative reaction. Blanket him afterward to avoid over cooling. 4) A soaked sponge placed between the tail and the anus will drop respiration and heart rate fairly quickly without risk of cramping. Sometimes the horse will clamp down with his tail and hold it there himself, otherwise you can pull the tail forward between his legs and hold the sponge there yourself. 5) Have the horse move around a bit every few minutes, as circulation from muscular activity helps keep blood moving, and avoids stagnation of metabolic by-products in the muscle tissues. 6) Cooling the poll can also have dramatic effects on the horse's heat dissipation. You can lodge a sponge under his halter (if he'll tolerate it) and keep adding water as the sponges dries. 7) Remove any leg protection gear--splint boots, wraps, etc. They hold a lot of heat in. 8) Wet your saddle blanket and girth (if they are made of a fabric that will hold water, like wool or mohair) before you leave the vet check so the horse can continue cooling himself on the trail. Especially if there is a breeze. 9) Under certain conditions I may cool the horse in the sunlight. You want the water to evaporate, not stay on the horse. Cool water and shade combined, may have an exaggerated effect. You want cooling, not vascular shut-down. On really hot days, though, go for the shade. 10) Don't drink beer while you're cooling the horse. You might spill your beer. Dr Q, world renowned equine core temperature regulator. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|