AVS-4160 Lecture 25: Equine Exercise Physiology 11172016
29 Nov 2016
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The horse has sweat glands all over its body, however the majority are located on the: neck, back, chest, between hind legs. The maximum rate at which a horse can lose fluids is 15l/hour. When hauling a horse a long way, it can lose 50-100 pounds: it is common in the halter horse industry to run a couple of bags of saline after travelling for a large show. Electrolyte depletion causes: diarrhea, colic, diaphragmatic flutter, contractile problems with muscles. Over time, human sweat becomes more hypotonic (more water, less electrolytes): horse"s does not, horses are not designed to exercise for a long time, both horses and humans become more hypotonic with fitness. A horse will want to drink if it is more than 3% dehydrated. A dehydrated horse is prone to colic. A hot horse that drinks cold water may experience cramps: letting a hot horse drink cold water is preferable to letting the horse become dehydrated.
