Summer Tip: Horses and Hydration

Updated: June 13, 2007

From Our Sponsor:  Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency

 
Now that summer weather is here, it's important to make sure you aren't asking too much of your equine partner. The conditioning program you implement for your horse is a big factor in preventing dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dehydration, muscle tremors, dangerously high body temperatures, weakness, heavy sweating or anhydrosis (lack of sweating). All these can lead to collapse and death, which can happen immediately or even up to several hours after work has finished.

Sweating is for the most part a good thing, as it is the horse's natural way of dissipating body heat. However, in very hot weather, a horse can sweat away nearly four gallons of water and electrolytes in an hour. After a loss of more than four gallons of fluid (about 30 pounds of body weight), a horse may be classified as dehydrated. Losing nine gallons or more of water via sweating can be fatal.  Dehydration can be identified via pinching the skin on the horse's neck near the shoulder. If the skin doesn't recede immediately, some degree of dehydration is present. The longer it takes for the skin to flatten, the more dehydrated the horse has become. Other signs of dehydration include a sunken appearance to the eyes, and gums that fail to return to a pink color after pressing with your finger.

Treatment of heat exhaustion and dehydration include shade, fans, and rapid sponging and scraping cold water on the horse to transport heat away from the body. Although old beliefs hold that ice water is harmful, heat-stress studies have shown that using ice water is actually one of the most beneficial and efficient ways of cooling a hot horse. It's important to scrape the ice water away as soon as it warms from the horse's body heat, otherwise the water will actually trap heat causing the horse's temperature to increase. In emergency situations, a veterinarian may need to administer intravenous fluids.

Fitness is important because a fit horse develops a more efficient cardiovascular system, which results in more oxygen transport to the muscles and faster recovery heart rate. A fit horse will also sweat away fewer essential electrolytes and proteins.

After-effects of dehydration can include post-exertional myopathy (commonly called tying up) and impaction colic, and synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (thumps), all of which require immediate veterinary attention. If your horse has major medical insurance coverage, the resulting high vet bills will be much less of a blow.

The staff at Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, the Official Equine Insurance of the USEA, understands the extraordinary stresses of eventing and the need for fitness and top vet care in response to illness. Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help protect you and your horse. Visit our website at www.broadstoneequine.com or give us a call at 888-687-8555.

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