The dangers of horses overheating (2024)

FAQs

What happens if a horse overheats? ›

Horses suffering from hyperthermia (an abnormally high body temperature) can quickly become dehydrated, lethargic and weak. Severe heat stress can cause colic, diarrhoea or collapse, so it is important to keep your horse cool. Young, old and ill horses are more vulnerable and must be monitored carefully.

Avoid riding your horse when the combined air temperature (F) and relative humidity is over 150, especially if the horse is not acclimated to the heat. To cool an overheated horse, sponge it with cool water. Repeat this until the horse is cool.

Not giving your horse the proper time or care in letting it cool down puts him at risk of heat exhaustion. If your horse is hot after exercising and does not properly cool down, he is not going to get enough oxygen or blood circulation, which traps heat in his muscles.

Prolonged or severe heat stress can lead to anhidrosis, heat stroke, or brain damage in the horse. To ameliorate the negative effects of high heat load in the body, early detection of heat stress and immediate human intervention is required to reduce the horse's elevated body temperature in a timely manner.

When is my horse's fever considered dangerous? While it is rare for a high fever alone to cause permanent organ damage in horses, a temperature over 105-106 F (and the underlying cause of this fever) is cause for serious concern and warrants immediate medical care.

Although the mare continues to ovulate regularly every 21 days throughout the breeding season, the length of estrus (sexual receptivity) varies from 2–8 days, and the length of diestrus varies accordingly to maintain a 21-day interval.

A horse's normal temperature is 100 to 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures beyond 103.5 challenge his metabolic processes. Beyond 105 degrees, it may show signs of subtle uncoordination or lack precision and regularity in its paces. The horse may be fretful and irritable, less attentive and sluggish in its work.

A horse with a short hair coat can have a lower critical temperature of 60°F, and a heavy hair coat would be 30°F. So, any temperature below this level, the horse will have to burn energy to make his own heat.

Pay attention to the temperature and humidity levels, as well as the heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot it actually feels. In general, temperatures above 90°F (32°C) combined with high humidity levels can significantly increase the risk of heat-related issues for horses.

To cool down your horse properly:

Give cool water sponge baths or spray with a hose. Many urge that water must be scraped off, so that it doesn't end up insulating the coat and hindering cooling.

Can horses run in hot weather? ›

Horses that are fit and well-conditioned are more capable of exercising in hot weather than those who are not well-conditioned or acclimated to hot weather. High ambient temperatures and humidity make it more difficult for horses to avoid overheating.

Hose your horse down with a constant stream of cold water, focusing on the large blood vessels in the head & neck, the abdomen and the large muscle groups. Scrape off the water every few minutes to prevent it warming up against your horse's body. Offer your horse a drink.

Symptoms of Heat Stress and Heat Stroke in Horses

Excessive sweating or a lack of sweat (anhidrotic horses) High respiratory rate (over 10-12 breaths per minute, flaring nostrils, rapid breathing) or high heart rate that doesn't improve with rest. Hot skin to the touch.

It is important owners take precautions to avoid their horses getting heat stroke as the severest cases can be fatal. Heatstroke occurs when the horse's internal body temperature becomes too high and can be fatal particularly if the horse is dehydrated or lacking electrolytes.

Hosing or sponging your horse in cool water will also cool them down. To begin, add cool water to the horse's chest and neck. After doing so, you can proceed to add cool water to the horse's body. To effectively cool down a horse, you'll need to continuously wash your horse with cool water for at least a few minutes.

While high heat (85°F or higher) or high humidity (above 80%) alone is not a problem, the combination of high heat and high humidity should raise red flags. If the combination of the temperature and the humidity (temperature + humidity) is over 180, skip riding for that day and give your horse a cool bath instead.

Mare cycles generally last 21 days with them expressing signs of heat for 4-7 days. Estrus is expressed outwardly by; raising the tail, frequent urination, “winking” or eversion of the vulva, squealing, and posturing which entails widening the back legs while rounding the hind quarters.

The key with heatstroke is spotting the signs early and whilst these vary from horse to horse, they can include; Excessive sweating. Heavy rapid breathing. Elevated heart and respiratory rate.