Beating The Heat

Coping during the summer months

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With summer upon us and temperatures starting to soar, horses are in danger of heat stress. On summer days, it can be difficult to distinguish normal fatigue and sweatiness due to work, from dangerous heat stress.

UNDERSTANDING HEAT STRESS

Horses must expend considerable energy to keep cool at higher temperatures. This does not mean that we can’t enjoy working with our horses in hot climates such as ours, but simply that we need to be vigilant in these conditions, and conscious of the fact that a horse expends energy keeping himself cool, so pushing him hard in his training sessions on hot days could jeopardise his health.

There are three main stages of heat stress, and each one will be detailed here. It is critical that you recognise the signs in horses and intervene as soon as you spot them. Never hesitate to call your vet if you are concerned about heat stress, because, if ignored, it could prove fatal.

STAGE 1: DEHYDRATION

When a horse sweats, he loses fluid (water and electrolytes) from his bloodstream, then from his gut, and finally from the spaces found in between his body cells. If he is not rehydrated at this point, he will then have to draw fluid from within his cells. If a horse is mildly to moderately dehydrated, he will usually seek to replenish his own fluid levels by drinking water. However, in cases of severe dehydration, illness or exhaustion, the horse will be unable to replenish the fluid lost and may show no interest in drinking. It is these situations that can, all too often, prove fatal or cause permanent damage to the horse’s organs.