If you look at a horse, they will most likely appear dry with slick and admirable skin.
Horses’ skin is always dry, except after a bath.
So, you might be wondering whether horses even sweat?
If they do, then why have you never seen it on their body.
Whether or not this comes as a surprise to you, but horses do sweat.
Unlike cats, sweat glands in horses are on their skin to regulate their body temperature.
Sweating is especially useful for them, as they are often used for riding and racing by humans.
When Do Horses Sweat?
As the temperature rises, horses start sweating to lower their body temperature back to normal.
Horses also tend to sweat when they have health problems and body pain.
What’s more, is that they sweat when suffering from stress too.
To reduce body heat, horses first use breathing.
If that is not sufficient, the sweat glands come to work.
Horses’, unlike many animals, sweat glands are on their skin.
When other mechanisms fall short, these glands start to pump out sweat.
You may, sometimes, find a build-up of white form or lather on your horse’s skin.
It indicates that your horse was sweating and was losing electrolytes through sweat.
Along with electrolytes, water is also lost while sweating.
To put it into perspective, a horse can sweat about 4 gallons in an hour.
So it is a no-brainer to keep an ample amount of freshwater available for your horse.
It becomes more significant during hot weather or when your horse has an active routine.
On average, a horse can drink around 20 gallons of water per day.
If the horse is big and undergoes training, this number will likely go up.
Is Excessive Sweating Bad?
Under natural conditions, it is healthy for horses to sweat.
However, excessive sweating in horses can also be an indicator of health problems.
It can also make your horse weak as it will have a deficiency of electrolytes.
So, keep a watch on your horse! If you observe any anomaly, be sure to consult a veterinarian.
Can I Assist My Horse In Cooling Off?
If the weather is hot and humid or if your horse has just completed its exercise, it might need help to moderate its body temperature.
It is advised, after training, to let your horse walk until its breath comes back to a normal rhythm.
How long it may take, depends upon the fitness level of your horse, the intensity of the exercises, and how hot the day was.
You can also give a bath to your horse.
It will make the horse cool down faster and also make it feel fresh.
If the budget allows, you can also get a horse shower.
It comes with a temperature adjustor and is valuable if you intend to give a warm bath to the horse.
It also effectively cleans off sweat remains.
Conclusion
While it doesn’t appear as prominently, horses do sweat to maintain their body temperature.
You can also help your horse in cooling off their body by bathing them to make them feel fresh and clean.
