This message is from: Robin Churchill <[email protected]>
Here in south Florida, we generally have hot temperatures and high humidity all summer. The problem you can get into particularly if the horses are not used to it is anhidrosis--they stop sweating and can overheat fast. It does not seem to be well understood why it happens just that their heat dissapating mechanisms are overstressed and stop working. I had it happen to my warmblood a couple of years ago and he has always lived in hot climates and I have been having some problems with my new fjord gelding. I have plenty of shade but the problem is that he won't stay in the shade. If I turn out at night they are inundated with mosquitos. Basically what I have had to do is turn out at 6 am then put him in under the fans every day from about 12 to 5 so that he stays in the shade and that has helped a lot but I don't know what you do if the horse has to stay outside. A couple things is to make sure the horse gets enough salt and electrolytes, has plenty of water and possibly use one of the sweat supplements like ONE A.C. or True Sweat. Even with high humidity, hosing, sweat scraping them and putting them under a fan is the best way that most of us have available to cool them and that is probably helpful even if you can't have him that way all day long. If they do stop sweating you will notice them breathing fast and no sweat, hose them down with cool water and put them under a fan and take their temperature until it gets down. I saw in one article they recommended air conditioning their stall to cure them of anhidrosis--I thought "yeah that sounds practical. Good Luck, hopefully the temperatures will come down for you soon. For us they are here until November. Robin Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
