Heat Stress In Horses

‘Heat Stress,’ is the term used to describe when the horses’ cooling mechanisms stop working efficiently, consequently impairing another function. The cardiovascular system plays a key role in dissipating heat throughout the body and greater cardiovascular capacity may help to increase the time before a horse experiences heat stress. A dehydrated horse has a decrease in plasma volume, which in turn will decrease the capacity of the cardiovascular system, making it more likely that the horse will have to alter another function (such as performance) in order to maintain an appropriate heat balance.

Preventing Dehydration

• Make sure your horse receives no less than 1.5% of their body weight in forage per day. Not only is this important for their overall health, but research has found that horses drink in response to hay,
• Use Saracen Re-Covery Mash to encourage your horse to drink when away from home. Mashes are a palatable and reliable method to replenish water intake and can be used as a base for electrolyte replenishment programmes.
• Replace electrolytes slowly, over the course of 2-3 days. Restore SR contains the latest technology in electrolyte research, including a proprietary slow-release mechanism that allows sodium to be released gradually into the gastrointestinal tract for sustained absorption. When sodium is delivered slowly over a period of time, it is fully absorbed and utilised by the body.

Sweat vs Salt

All compound feeds and forage sources contain electrolytes; however, these sources are generally only enough for horses in light work or at pasture, and most will be deficient in sodium. For horses in work or during hot weather, additional electrolytes or salt may be required to replenish what may have been lost following periods of warm weather or sweating.

Do you know the most effective method for cooling horses?

Research has shown that continuously wetting the horse is a far more effective way of returning rectal temperatures when compared to other methods. Passive cooling of horses through walking, intermittent cooling and scraping of water was not as effective.

The evaporation of sweat accounts for 70% of the horse’s heat loss, and so sweat production is crucial for a horses natural cooling strategy. Replenishment of electrolytes and fluid lost through sweat are therefore a key factor in managing the diet of any working horse. Re-Covery Mash and Restore SR can be used to encourage water intake, as well as replenishing important electrolytes slowly, so as not to increase a surge in blood electrolyte levels whereby they are excreted too quickly.