News
They do, indeed! Like other animals that have sweat glands, horses have sweat glands, too.
Sweating is very important for an equine. Sweating is part of a horse’s cooling system to relieve heat build-up.
A horse can sweat (and should sweat) during exercise; may sweat when it is in pain, under duress, or ill; and may sweat when nervous. Horses will perspire when being trailered, participating in a race, and even while out on a trail ride. Keep in mind that although perspiration might indicate a healthy horse, it can also indicate a horse in need of assistance.
How Do Horses Sweat?
Horses sweat so they can cool down and bring their body temperature back to normal, claims Dr. Duncan Peters, DVM.
According to Peters, “muscles produce heat during activity; heat is a consequence of energy metabolism.”
Horses release heat via their skin and breathing. When these measures fail to minimize heat buildup, a horse’s sweat glands begin to produce perspiration. A horse’s sweat is different from a human’s sweat in that it does contain water, but also has more electrolytes than humans. Minerals in solution are called electrolytes. You could really see this electrolyte depletion in certain horses. When a horse produces white foam or lather, this indicates that it is losing electrolytes. This lather is typically seen between the horse’s hind legs and on their neck where the reins make contact with their hide.
The majority of horses use 10 to 20 liters of water each day. That’s a lot of water, but considering a horse’s size, it wouldn’t be appropriate. When a horse is exercising, it can lose approximately four gallons of sweat per hour. Of course, this depends on the weather, how much the horse is exercising, how long the horse is exercising, and the level of the horse’s fitness.
Keeping Your Horse Comfortable
After activity, your horse may be cooled down in a variety of methods. Until your horse’s respiration returns to normal, walk it outside. Depending on how much exercise you got, your horse’s degree of fitness, and the temperature outside, you’ll need to walk your horse for as long it takes. Your horse will take longer to cool down the more humid the environment is. Most horse owners and riders walk their horses out, put the horse on cross ties, take off the horse’s tack, and then will give the horse a bath or will squirt the horse down with water.
Using a horse shower is one of the finest methods to cool down your horse. A horse shower is an excellent way to clean off your horse’s sweat. Horse showers of the portable kind enables you to give your horse a full wash at any time, anyplace, using warm water. Warm water helps to get rid of sweat residue left on the horse’s skin after they cool off. It’s crucial to remove this residue from your horse since it may cause skin issues that need for prescription medication to treat. Muscle soreness may also be lessened by bathing in warm water. Additionally, if you use a horse shower, your horse won’t ever have to take a chilly bath again!
Horse Sweat
It’s a positive sign when a horse perspires after working out. You may infer from it that the horse’s system is functioning normally. Make sure your horse always has access to fresh water to maintain the health of their sweat system. Even if you are showing or going on a trail ride, make sure to offer your horse water throughout the day, at least once an hour. Give your horse water right away; do not wait until you are back at the barn or trailer.
If your horse is sweating excessively (whether or not they are exercising), try to keep your horse on its feet and walking, if at all possible and call a veterinarian immediately. A medical evaluation is necessary if you have excessive perspiration as a result of a disease or condition.
It is always a good idea to give your horse a bath or wash them off with warm to cool water (depending upon the air temperature). Your horse will be clean and comfortable after using a horse shower to wash away sweat, dirt, and grime.
