01/21/2022
How cold is too cold to ride?
Let’s start with your horse’s respiratory tract. The horse’s respiratory tract is designed to warm and humidify air by the time air reaches the lungs. Intense exercise (anything more than a walk) speeds up and deepens breaths so that air is not as warm or humid when it reaches the lungs which can cause damage to the lower respiratory tracts. It has been discovered in multiple studies that respiratory tracts in horses can become damaged by breathing cold air starting around 23 degrees Fahrenheit, damage to lower respiratory tracts was found 48 hours after exercise, including elevated white blood cell counts and inflammatory proteins as well as narrowing of the tracts.
Moving on to your horse’s cardiovascular system (heart). The cardiovascular system react to cold by increasing the blood pressure and heart rate. It also reduces the amount of blood that flows closest to the skin in order to preserve core body temperature. The reduced blood flow to the skin can lead to frostbite. This lack of blood leads to the eventual freezing and death of skin tissue in the affected areas. Again, it is probably wise to reduce the intensity of your ride so that your horse’s heart does not have to work so hard.
And last but not least your horse’s muscles and joints. Muscles take longer to warm up in the cold weather and arthritic joints may ache and need more time to loosen up. During exercise in the cold, your horse’s muscles require more energy at a faster rate in order for them to function as they would under less extreme conditions. The cold temperature effects the temperature of your horse’s muscles greatly affecting the muscles’ ability to contract. This can leave muscles more vulnerable to fatigue and strains, as cold muscles are less elastic and don’t absorb shock or impact as well as warm muscles. Cold muscles are also less responsive to signals from the nervous system so movements are less coordinated.
So in conclusion it is best to avoid exercise (trotting, cantering and jumping) when temperatures are under 20 degrees F, stick with walking and make sure to properly cool your horse down.
