Keeping Summer Cool
Cooling your Horse
Courtesy of KPP USA>>
From Rein, Summer 2010»
How to properly cool out your horse off after a typical trail ride or
training session:
1) Plan on spending the last 10 to 15 minutes of your ride walking, this
allows your horse’s heart and respiration rates to return to normal. It
also encourages a decrease in body temperature through the evaporation
of sweat. If you can walk in the shade it is even better!
2) When you get back to the barn or trailer, remove your tack and offer
water to your horse, let him drink as much as he wants. If he or she is
still blowing and very hot offer water in small amounts every few
minutes, allowing a horse to drink is very important. Offer electrolytes
if needed. Dose electrolytes according to the amount of sweat your horse
has lost. Electrolyte supplements replace lost minerals and encourage
horses to continue drinking.
3) Wash your horse off with cool water by hosing or sponging. Wet him
down all
over and keep it up until the water running off is no longer hot.
4) Use a sweat scraper to remove excess water and then walk or hand
graze your horse in the shade until he is cool to the touch.
~ Advertise on reinmagazine.com
~
5)
Offer water periodically while walking or grazing. Re-hydration is
important.
6) If it is really hot and humid you can set up misting fans to walk
your horse through until his body temperature comes back to normal.
7) It is best not to put a sheet or cooler on horses in the hot weather
as it traps hot air next to the skin and slows the cooling process.
8) If your horse starts to heat up again, repeat the processed until he
remains cool – then he can be put in his stall or turned out.
9) When and what to feed during the cooling out process:
• Hand grazing is fine while a horses is drying off after his bath.
• Hay can be offered once a horse is completely cool.
• It is best to wait at least an hour after your horse is completely
cooled off before offering a grain meal
(Find guidelines for determining appropriate
amount of Summer Games Electrolyte supplementation by clicking on the
link.
http://www.kppusa.com/summergames_when.htm )
Have a great idea for
an article?
Share them with Rein and we might use them and give you a great prize!
Send to
our editor.
Related articles
.jpg)
.png)
