22/01/2025
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With the heat we have been experiencing I am sure as horse owners we always want to understand how our horses cope in the heat.
An article written by Lidwien Verdegaal a lecturer from University of Adelaide, Australia and Jane Williams, PhD, associate professor and head of research in the equine department at Hartpury University, explain it so well.
'Extreme heat can put horses at risk of developing heat stress or stroke, particularly those exercised in hot and humid weather. However, an appropriate post-exercise cooldown can prevent heat-related illness from occurring in your horse.
Horses have a ‘poor engine’ since their muscle energy metabolism is not very efficient. Approximately 80% of the produced energy is released as metabolic heat.
When horses generate more metabolic heat during exercise, the body activates heat loss mechanisms to keep core temperature within the thermoneutral zone (the range of ambient temperature in which an animal’s normal metabolism can maintain an essentially constant body temperature without extra effort). Blood transports the extra heat to the skin surface, where sweat helps it evaporate. Factors such as ambient temperature, high humidity, poor barn ventilation, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, excessive work, transportation, and obesity can challenge this balance of heat loss/gain and cause horses to overheat.
Sweat is a mixture of water, electrolytes, and proteins—specifically latherin (the substance that makes sweat foam or lather). Horses produce sweat in response to homeostatic changes as a thermoregulatory mechanism.
When horses sweat a lot, they risk becoming dehydrated. Water balance in the horse’s body is controlled by hormone and electrolyte concentrations, which is why dehydration and electrolyte losses are linked. Key to this is sodium; when sodium levels are high in the blood, antidiuretic hormone reduces water losses to conserve water and address this balance.'
As we know salt is made up of Sodium (40%) Chloride (60%). So by supplementing with salt you replace valuable sodium. Recommended daily supplementation during summer is 40g a day, which is 2 tablespoons.
