Cooling out after a workout
Step1
To prevent your horse from overheating when you ride during the hottest part of the year, ride in the early morning or late in the evening when it is coolest. If the temperature and humidity are both high, avoid hard riding.
Step2
You may want to add electrolytes to your horse's feed to help offset those that he will lost through sweat.
Step3
You can help keep your horse cool during your ride by hosing his chest and legs down before you ride and by sponging water on him during your workout.
Step4
Once you are done working your horse but before you dismount, walk him for a few minutes to begin cooling him out.
Step5
Dismount and loosen the girth or cinch. Walk him for a minute or two before untacking him.
Step6
After removing his saddle and bridle, give him a drink of water. It is a myth that horses cannot drink when they're hot - they shouldn't drink unlimited water, but a few drinks will help cool them off.
Step7
Hose your horse off, starting with his legs and working up his body. Be sure to hose under his tail and hose his face if he will let you. If you do not have a hose, use a sponge and bucket and sponge him down.
Step8
If your horse is especially hot, you may want to scrap the excess water off of him and hose him down again to aid cooling. On your final hose-down, do not scrap the water off and leave him wet. As the water evaporates, it will help him cool off.
Step9
Some people like to use lineament on their horse after hosing him down to help ease muscles.
Step10
Walk your horse slowly until his breathing and heart-rate return to normal. You can walk him next to you or put him on a hot walker. Once he's cooled down and breathing and heart-rate have returned to normal, you can put him in his stall, pasture or paddock. It is best to not feed him for at least one hour after a hard workout.
Cooling off an overheated horse
Step1
Although horses can generally adapt well to varying temperatures, sometimes they overheat. Very old, very young, ill horses or those with anhydrosis are particularly at risk. Observe your horse. Is he breathing heavily or panting? Is he sweating profusely? Take him temperature. Is it elevated? If so, he may be overheating.
Step2
Hose your horse off with cold water immediately. Start at his legs and work your way off. Be sure to hose under his tail and hose his head (if he will let you). Scrap the water off and repeat. You can also sponge cold water mixed with rubbing alcohol over the horse's large muscle areas to encourage evaporation.
Step3
Let your horse drink some water. Contrary to popular belief, drinking water will not cause a horse to colic or founder.
Step4
Keep your horse out of the sun. If possible, put him in front of a fan.
Step5
Monitor his vital signs.
Step6
If his breathing and temperature do not return to normal following cool water baths, call your veterinarian.
Comments
Anonymous said
on 1/26/2006 I have trained horses for nearly eleven years, and worked for a veterinarian for five. Never cool your horse's entire body immediately after a workout with cold water. Work your way from the legs up. Soak the legs thoroughly before moving up, and then move to the neck, chest, and then the rest of the body. Applying sudden cold water all over can cause muscle tie-up and spasms. Performance horses are already susceptible to muscle cramps, let's not encourage this. Also, letting them drink as much water as they want immediately may not cause founder or colic, but it will cause muscle cramps, especially to the abdominal area. Let them drink 10 sips at a time, rest about 30 seconds, and repeat.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you don't have access to a hose then sponge off your horse. Take a bucket of fairly cool water, a large sponge (there are sponges especially for this at tack stores) and a sweat scraper. Dip the sponge in the water and run it over your horses body, squeezing the sponge, do this until the horse is completely wet. If your horse isn't that hot, then you can simply sponge off the saddle and girth area.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 After a long ride, follow your regular cool out (walking them around), if the horse is still sweaty, take a hose and starting at the legs, work up the horse's body(try not to use really cold water). To prevent the horse from getting too cold, use a sweat scraper or your hand to remove as much excess water as possible. To keep the horse from rolling, let them eat grass while you hold them.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Start to hose your horse from the legs up. Hose his legs, chest and neck first, making sure to hose his kidneys last. Hosing off a horse too quickly can put him in shock, make him "tied up", or colic
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 After working with a horse walk around for about 5 to 10 minutes slowly without saddle or blanket. Don't let your horse drink a lot of water for 1 hour. This can help with preventing colic.