ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] heat exhaustion

Re: [endurance] heat exhaustion

Diane E. Nelson (nelsonde@ttown.apci.com)
Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:49:35 -0400 (EDT)

Certainly the use of electrolytes might be in order. Acculytes can be
added to the feed as a daily supplement--fairly palatable stuff. Also
when in work additional electrolytes should be used (Appledex is
OK--avoid StressDex which is full of sugar). Avoiding midday heat is a
good idea. Presoak the horse with water before work and have a bucket
with cool water handy for dipping a sponge and wetting the neck.

Is the horse on the chubby side? Cutting calories may help.

Also watch your feed....cut out corn or sweet feeds heavy in corn &
molasses.

Is the horse conditioned sufficiently for what appears to be "light
work"? Long slow evening walks, up & down little hills will go a long
way in toning up those muscles and reducing body fat.

I had a Morgan mare like that....no matter how fit we got her, she'd
still huff 'n puff & sweat like a pig.

Good luck--

Diane @ Safe Haven

On Wed, 10 Apr 1996, Serge Cote wrote:

> The horse concerned here is not an endurance horse, but I need your advise.
> A friend of mine has a 12 year old light gray Appaloosa/Percheron
> guilding. She does some jumping with him and, in the summer, especially on
> hot days, he suffers very much from the heat: sweating, heavy breathing that
> will not stop unless she cools him down with a shower. He is so abnormally
> sensible to heat exhaustion that she has stopped taking him out during the
> summer.
> What we are wondering is not how to treat heat exhaustion, but how
> she could prevent it. Would electrolytes be of any help? And if yes what
> kind should she use. Could a blood test tell us anything of importance?
> You can e-mail me privately at scote@laurentides.mtl.net
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Anne, Qc, Canada
> --
> Serge Cote
> scote@laurentides.mtl.net
> URL http://laurentides.mtl.net
>
>