ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] Cooling horses

[endurance] Cooling horses

RALSTON@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU
Mon, 06 May 1996 09:52:56 -0400 (EDT)

Regarding Shannon Loomis' query about the
cooling techniques she saw at a 3 day event
versus what we do in endurance:
I also have worked at both types of events.
A major difference in the horses at the 3-day
vet checks is that they have been doing a lot more intense
ANAEROBIC work than our endurance horses They
come into the vet checks with rectal temperatures over
105 degrees farenheit and heart rates over 150 that take over 30 min to
come down! The intense cooling is
indeed warranted under those conditions. The key to the ice water
cooling really is to keep them walking-douse with water, scrape, walk,
douse with water, scrape walk, etc. If the rectal temp is
104 or lower (which is usually the case with our endurance
horses) the ice water cooling is not warranted. I used to
shudder at the ice cooling, but came to realize we were
dealing with different metabolic problems here.
Sarah Ralston. VMD, PhD
Ralston@aesop.Rutgers.edu