Heat Wave
The current heat spell of warm, humid weather can be as miserable for horses as it is for humans. Whereas we can get relief by stepping into air-conditioned houses and cars, horse barns are not practical to have that kind of luxury.
The alternative is to attach circulating fans to the front of each stall to give some relief from the opressive climate.
A horse's performance at the races can be affected by the heat as it can lose a lot of fluids and become dehydrated. If too many fluids are lost then the horse can succumb to heatstroke and collapse. With intravenous fluids and a cold hose shower a stricken horse can recover quite quickly.
Daily electrolyte supplements are added to a horse's feed and water in an effort to compensate for the loss of fluids. It is however important to adopt careful management and not race a horse when you know it is susceptable to the heat, to avoid unnecessary suffering.
Horse flies around the barn become aggravating to the horses so a daily wipe down with repellant becomes part of a groom's chore.
Horses are able to adapt themselves adequately to all changes in the weather and hot July days will look sweet come early January.
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Posted by: Nathan Ballard at December 4, 2005 8:51 AM