When I first started endurance riding, I was told
about sponging. Later I read some stuff and talked to some other riders about it
and heard that maybe it doesn't help as much as we think.
Here is what I was told: In dry conditions,
sponging helps cool the horse through the evaporative effect..As the water
evaporates, it takes the heat with it. However in humid conditions, it can
actually insulate the horse with a layer of hot water that closes the sweat
pores to keep the hot outside water from coming in? Without removing the hot
water, sponging actually hurts rather than helps the horse cool off. If you add
enough cool water, like with a hose, or buckets, that washes away the hot
water and provides a cooling effect. So under humid conditions, if you just drop
a sponge into a bucket, wipe it on the horse and ride off, you may not be
helping your cause.
This is what some experienced riders told me.
So I started sponging less and only when I could
get off and squeegee the hot water off my horse. We have never noticed the lack
of sponging hurting him. In fact he seemed to sweat the same but it dried off
quicker.
Have there been any studies that examined internal
body temps with our style of sponging horses under humid conditions? Any
other input?
Plus...It really bugs me when riders come up to the
water tanks and ignore the signs about which tanks are for sponging and which
are for drinking, and then drop their nasty sponge in my horses face, and wring
it out, in the tank, before they wet their horse down.. Let's not do that in
2009..ok?
