b'HANDLING THE HEATproducing 5 gallons of sweat in only an ntensely, a salt block alone wont suffice,travel breaks (at least once an hour in hot ihour, says Ferry. However, that excessivesays Dahlborn. Sweat contains 9 gramssummer) to offer fresh drinking water. production doesnt help cool the horseof salt per liter, and a horse can lick aboutSpraying or sponging cool water onto much, since only about 25-30% of it20 grams per day, she says. This meansthe horse can mimic and even surpass evaporates. The rest sits on the body anda salt lick prepares them for losing aboutsweats effect. Cool tap water has a much runs down the legs.half a gallon of sweat, no more.lower temperature than sweat. It will On humid days the air is alreadydraw more body heat to the surface to saturated with water, so sweat doesntWater, Dehydration, & Water Balance evaporate the water. The caveat, however, evaporate as well, says Grete H.M. Jr- Water is crucial to thermoregulation.is the water can accumulate in the horses gensen, PhD, of the Norwegian InstituteBecause of the gallons of sweat horsescoat and create a layer thats too thick to of Bioeconomy Research, in Tjtta.produce in extreme heat, its critical theyevaporate quickly, trapping body heat be-While the horse produces even morehave a constant supply of cool, cleanneath. Remove excess water with a sweat sweat (up to 7.5 gallons, says Ferry) thanwater to replenish, says Ferry. scraper to avoid this effect, says Ferry. he would in the same conditions on aWhen the equine body gets low on less humid day, the cooling process iswater, it still produces sweat, pullingVital Electrolytesless effective because the laws of physicswater from throughout the body to cre- Electrolytes are charged chemical com-interfere. Because less sweat evaporates,ate it. Eventually, as their water reservespounds that have critical roles in causing less heat dissipates from the body.deplete, horses start to dehydrate.muscles to contract, transmitting nerve Horse sweat is dense with salts, whichProviding a constant supply of freshimpulses, and completing other kinds horses lose considerable amounts ofwater might seem obvious, but it can getof cellular functions. Their electricity when they perspire, explains Mejdell. Tooverlooked at often the worst timesprovides the power needed for these help horses replenish these reserves, pro- specifically, during exercise and trans- functions to occur. vide a salt block and/or add salt to feedport, Ferry says. Horses are exposed toThe main electrolytes lost through sweat and supply unlimited fresh, clean water.much more heat in these conditions, soare chloride, sodium, and potassium. However, if a horse is sweatingits important to take regular exercise andUsually, electrolyte loss sets off a series of 12August 2020The Horse|TheHorse.com'