Hot stuff

With warmer weather already here, Emma Penny asks the experts how we can keep our horses cool.

Last year’s extreme temperatures led many horse owners to change plans as temperatures hit 40degC. That experience will be put to good use if the heat returns this season, but preparation can help minimise disruption.

British Equestrian’s director of equine sports science and medicine, vet John McEwen, says horses adapt surprisingly well to hot and cold temperatures, and turning them out in warm sunshine will help horses acclimatise to hotter weather.

Where temperatures do become more extreme – such as last summer’s 40degC – he explains that these temperatures don’t reflect the temperature experienced by horses. This is more accurately assessed by the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index which takes into account sun, temperature, windspeed and humidity in one figure. It is easy to measure with a fairly inexpensive handheld device, and accurately weighs up all the factors that determine thermal environmental load for horses. The index was first used for the Atlanta Olympics and is used by the FEI to assess weather conditions for all competitions, from dressage to endurance.

PICTURED

Above: Planning for training and competition in warmer weather has become part of the regime even for UK-based riders.

Below: BEF advisor John McEwen who has carried out extensive research into the effects of hot weather on competition horses.

The WBGT can often be lower than ‘just’ the temperature as the wind, for instance, can add a significant cooling factor.

However, while he advises owners maintain daily routines as closely as possible, turning out in the cooler morning or evening periods can be helpful, and providing shade which doesn’t overheat is critical. “Stables and shelters sometimes don’t have much insulation in the roof, and can heat up quickly. Airflow is crucial – keep doors and windows open, and think about using fans, as long as you are not in a dusty environment.”

Continue to turn out in fly rugs where horses are wearing them to avoid insect bites, and keep horses’ diets consistent,

Water Intake

Getting horses to drink enough, particularly when they are away from home, can be a difficult task. Seeing horses competing in hotter climates with the associated risk of dehydration led Saracen Horse Feeds’ Lizzie Drury, its senior nutritionist for sports horses, to develop its Re-covery Mash (pictured below).

“I thought we needed to find a way to encourage horses to drink and a fail-proof mechanism of getting fluid on board. It needed to be easily and quickly soakable, palatable, and made with common ingredients so that it wouldn’t compromise digestive health. It’s not a feed – it’s just a medium to get horses to drink, and can be used at any time, even just strategically.”

When horses feel fatigued during work, riders may be tempted to up their feed, but she warns that dehydration is one of the major causes of this. “When they are even slightly dehydrated, their drinking response may reduce, so getting fluid on board reliably and consistently is important.” but ensure salt or electrolytes are included (see panel). Provide plenty of tepid clean water as this is the temperature horses prefer, he says.

Ensuring horses drink enough (see panel) is critical for welfare and performance, particularly in hotter weather. “Monitor how much your horse drinks and keep a note of it. Only a small percentage of dehydration can have a marked effect on performance. You won’t know if a horse is dehydrated, and it is far too late if they are clinically dehydrated.”

Performance can also be hugely affected by how well the horse is cooled after exercise in warmer weather, says Mr McEwen. While it is commonplace to see racehorses and eventers being aggressively cooled at competitions, he says dressage horses are more likely to require this than other disciplines.

“I was involved in all three [Olympic] disciplines in Atlanta, and the hottest horses were those doing dressage. Dressage horses are not moving through the air like eventers, and are often heavier, bulkier types. The arenas often don’t have the same airflow, especially if they are surrounded by banks of seating, and a pale arena surface will reflect the heat too.”

Aggressive cooling after work

Opposite and at competitions should be routine, and not just for hot weather, he says. In practice, this means applying large volumes of cold water across the large muscle masses without scraping it off, and continuing this until the horse has returned to its comfort zone. “This is good practice and for the horse’s wellbeing. It will not cause muscle damage and will get the horse’s temperature down quickly so they will recover better and perform better.”

Keeping a daily log will help monitor horse health, and can be particularly useful in challenging conditions. The log should include feed and water intake, consistency and frequency of droppings, rectal temperature, heart rate and respiration rate. While temperature monitoring is an FEI requirement before and during competition, it is something which should be done by all horse owners, he says.

When travelling to competition or training, keeping horses cool is crucial; fitting fans in lorries is a good idea, as is monitoring the temperature in the horse area, he says.

“Don’t travel at busy times of day when it is hot – sitting still in a lorry is not good [for air flow], so travel when roads are quiet and do offer water and feed on a longer journey. Horses don’t mind travelling at night as long as they have recovery time when they arrive at a venue; a 6-8 hour journey will need about a day’s recovery.”

Taking water from home is ideal, but where this isn’t possible, he says it is important to monitor your horse’s water intake to ensure they are drinking it.

“The other key point is to ensure grooms and athletes are well hydrated too – it takes only a few percentage points of dehydration to affect decisionmaking and performance.”

Hot Weather Tips From The Top

Alan Davies has travelled horses to some venues where the heat and humidity have been really challenging, including the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA.

“The humidity in South Carolina was so much more than in Rio.” Alan says this meant rapid post-work cooling of horses was critical.

“We had buckets of iced water prepared for washing down when horses came out of the arena and worked as quickly as possible to cool them.” Stables were well ventilated, with additional fans to keep the air moving and horses were regularly hand walked as air movement helps with evaporation. He also uses cooling washes, post-exercise, and says they can also help. “Where we are washing horses a lot, I do watch that their heels don’t crack and will often dry their heels. I also add oil to feeds to keep their skin good.”

As dressage horses often tend to be bigger, heavier types he says that where they are working in hot, humid conditions they need to be kept ‘ultra-fit’. It is also important to know their normal heart rate and temperature at home when they are working, and at competitions so that any potential issues can be quickly spotted.

Getting horses to drink enough in hot conditions can be tricky, he says. “Valegro was very good, but I’ve had to syringe water into the mouths of other horses to encourage them to drink, or cut up apples to put in their water.”

Alan takes a canister of water from the yard in the lorry when travelling, allowing him to water horses when someone else is driving, or put water on the horses if it is particularly hot. “We have fans on the lorry and ensure there is as much ventilation as possible when travelling. I also tend to travel the horses naked to keep them cool.”

Liquid and powdered electrolytes are a key part of his kit, as horses will often prefer one over the other. He will also sometimes use a cooling gel or clay on legs for the home journey if horses have been competing on hard ground.

Electrolytes Explained

When horses sweat, the chemical compounds lost in their sweat need to be replaced – this is the role fulfilled by electrolytes. Horses cannot create a store of these in their body, so any lost need to be replaced, explains Nicola Tyler of TopSpec.

For horses sweating only lightly, 24/7 access to a salt lick, ad-lib forage and adding table salt to their feed – even if it is only a light chop – is likely to be enough. However, where horses have been working hard, a specific electrolyte product offered afterwards will help replace lost nutrients and ensure they do not suffer dehydration, she says.

“If a horse is only 2-3% dehydrated, they are likely to be behind the leg. If sodium isn’t replaced quickly, the horse can lose their thirst response and won’t drink.”

Electrolytes can be added to water or feed on top of salt; adding them to feed is a useful option for fussier horses, she says. John McEwen adds that where horses are given electrolytes in water, a bucket of plain water should be offered alongside.

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Inset: A specific electrolyte product can be helpful after exercise to replace lost nutrients and avoid dehydration.