06/08/2014
Hot horse myths busted. How to properly care for your hot pony.
Is it safe to offer a Pony water when they are still hot from working?
Q: I have heard that you can't let a pony or horse drink water if he’s still hot after working because it can cause colic. I've also been told that you shouldn't hose them down when they are hot because it can cause tying up. However, I've also been told that the opposite is true, and hosing your them down, and letting him drink right after exercise is good for them. Which is right?
A: An average one thousand pound equine drinks six to ten gallons of water per day. This is a maintenance level of hydration, meaning if this equine is worked, his hydration needs will increase. For example, an equine can lose between five and eight liters of sweat an hour on a long-distance ride in hot temperatures. These large losses in the body’s water and delicate electrolyte balances mean you never want to withhold water from a thirsty pony – dehydration will cause many more problems than a threat of theoretical water-overload. In fact, dehydration and the havoc it can cause are responsible for most of the problems that have given way to the misguided directive of restricting water intake from a hot pony or horse.
The key when offering a hot pony or horse water is to offer small amounts frequently; the goal is to maintain a certain level of hydration instead of retroactively trying to fix exercise-induced dehydration later. If you are out on a trail ride for more than an hour, letting them take some gulps from a local stream during the ride is perfectly acceptable, as is letting them have, say, a third of a bucket of water upon return. Offer them another third of a bucket fifteen to thirty minutes later, after you’ve groomed and cleaned up a bit, then offer a full bucket to consume at their leisure.
Properly cooling down after a ride will also help with the recovery process. Most riders intrinsically know not to merely stall their mount whose nostrils are still flaring from a hard ride. Like any human athlete after a workout, a worked horse needs to be cooled down as well. Walk him quietly for at least five minutes. This will help return his heart rate to normal levels while maintaining circulation. A proper cool down also acts to help stretch the muscles, allowing his body to properly and efficiently metabolize wastes such as lactic acid that have built up in their muscles.
This brings us to the second part of your question regarding hosing down a hot pony or horse. It is NOT true that hosing a hot pony or horse will cause tying up, also known as exertional rhabdomyolysis, azoturia, or Monday morning sickness. This serious condition occurs for two main reasons: either the equine has an underlying myopathy such as a breed specific polysaccharide storage disease which basically causes pathologic muscle breakdown, or they have been physically overexerted beyond their limits. Simply hosing a hot horse off contributes to neither one of these scenarios. Instead, it will help lower their body temperature and remove sweat-encrusted particulate material from the skin, which can be a cause for dermatologic issues. Edited.
by~Anna O'Brien, DVM
