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Study: Horses Living In Herds Recover From Exercise More Rapidly

Horses tend to bounce back faster after hard work when they're turned out with buddies rather than kept in stalls.

Drs. Malin Connysson, Marie Rhodin and Anna Jansson, all with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, used eight Standardbred horses to determine the effects of housing on post-exercise recovery.

The horses were kept in small herds or isolated in box stalls for 21 days, then they were switched to the other housing method. On days seven and 14, they underwent an exercise test. The researchers collected blood before, during and multiple times after the exercise test.

The results showed that after exercise, horses that were stalled and alone ate less than horses living in a herd outdoors. In addition, the horse's plasma non-esterified fatty acids decreased more quickly in the horses living in a herd. These acids indicate the horse's post-exercise recovery rate.

The scientists concluded that horses living outside in groups recovered from exercise more rapidly; outdoor living also positively impacted the horse's appetite and energy levels.

Read the study here.

Chill Out: How To Effectively Cool Out A Hot Horse

The most effective way to cool a hot horse has been almost as hotly debated as whether or not horses should be blanketed: Some people believe that a horse should be hosed and then immediately scraped so as much water leaves his coat as possible; others think you should hose and leave the water to dry on its own.

Cool water is an effective way to cool down a hot horse after it has exercised. Heat will move from the hot horse to the cool water until a similar temperature between body and water is reached. Research has shown that scraping the water off a horse once it has been hosed doesn't affect the horse's body temperature during or after hosing.

The key to successfully cooling the horse down is to provide a continuous flow of water over the horse's major blood vessels and back. Horses dissipate heat through their skin; the cool water flowing over them draws heat away from the horse and removes it, which is why water running over a hot horse will feel warm as it flows over his body. Water that travels over a completely cooled-out horse will be cool to the touch when it runs off his body.

Read more about caring for horses during warm weather at the University of Minnesota Extension.

The post Chill Out: How To Effectively Cool Out A Hot Horse appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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