Heatstroke and Your Horse

Now that we’ve entered the dog days of summer, in many areas the heat and humidity is really stepping up.

Just as humans have to take care not to overdo in this weather, the same goes for our equine partners. They, too, can experience adverse reactions to hot, sultry weather. And they don’t have the benefit of air conditioning!

Heatstroke occurs when a horse’s body temperature increases and he is unable to cool himself down. Besides exposure to hot and humid weather, exercise, and feed digestion can also cause body temperature to rise.

Horses naturally cool themselves by sweating. However, in very hot and humid conditions, for example, a temperature of 85 °F and 90% humidity, a horse may have trouble sweating, thus being able to cool himself. If this occurs and the horse’s body temperature begins to rise, it is important to take action.

Symptoms of heatstroke include:

·        Temperatures as high as 105° to 107° F
·        Rapid breathing and pulse
·        Stumbling, weakness, and depression
·        Refusal to eat or work
·        Dry skin and dehydration
·        In severe cases, convulsions or coma

These symptoms can range from mild to severe. Foals typically can’t tolerate heat as well as mature horses. Also, overweight horses and horses in poor condition as well as excessively muscled horses will have more trouble coping.

If you think your horse may have heatstroke, take him to a cool place, preferably a shady area. Turn a fan on him if necessary. To cool his body, ice the major blood vessels which are the jugular veins (the major veins that run down both sides of the neck); the veins on the inside of the front legs and the large veins on the inside of the hind legs. Ice with ice packs or a cold hose. This process helps to cool the blood as it circulates. Avoid icing the large muscles of the loin and hindquarters. Apply ice or cold water to the horse’s forehead, too.

Offer small amounts of water and administer oral electrolytes if necessary. In severe cases, intravenous fluid therapy may be required to treat dehydration, electrolyte loss, and shock.

Enjoy your summer riding but try not to overdo for the health of you and your horse.

When hauling in your horse trailer, be sure to use a trailer that is well ventilated to insure ample air flow to help keep your horse as cool as possible. Also, when purchasing a horse trailer, keep in mind that the color of the trailer will affect the temperature more than any other aspect. White trailers reflect more heat than any other color, darker colors absorb more light and heat thus causing higher temperatures. Finally, many white trailers will not have a white roof so check when purchasing your new trailer the color of the roof for maximum protection to your horses.