Howard Hamilton
I RECENTLY came across a most interesting article on the importance of keeping horses comfortable in hot weather. I thought I would share some of these ideas with interested horsemen especially at this time when we are entering the hottest of our summer months.
The ability to sweat is the main way horses regulate their body temperatures, and proper cooling out after exercise is an important part of keeping racehorses healthy. Keeping horses cool and comfortable before competition is also crucial in order for them to perform at their highest level.
Ventilation is most important, not just in keeping horses cool and comfortable, but most importantly for disease control. Good ventilation helps prevent disease and dust problems. Even a fan blowing down the shedrow will keep air moving and reduce stress on the horses. Misters are often used not only to cool down the horses but also to keep the dust down.
The stables at Calder have built- in exhaust fans and each stall has an overhead fan (22 inches) pointing down at the horse to keep air circulating and to move air from the back of the stall to the front. An interesting addition which some trainers have introduced is keeping a salt block in each stall. Others, having recognised the importance of replacing electrolytes lost in sweating, mix three parts of sodium chloride (Salt) with one part potassium chloride and add one tablespoon of this mixture to one gallon of water. This is kept constantly in the stalls.
At Lone Star Park in Texas, misters and fans are placed above each stall to help keep horses cool just before racing.
PRIOR TO A RACE
An interesting observance is how you deal with the horse just prior to racing. The key is to have them healthy and hydrated going into the race. Some trainers bathe their horses with ice water just before they go to the track to race. Others use net cooler blankets soaked in ice water. This is thrown over the horse just before they go up to the paddock. The main issue here is making sure the horse is not hydrated going into a race. The important thing is to take your horse to the paddock as calm and relaxed at you can.
AFTER THE RACE
A vital period for a race horse is the cooling out period following competition. After a race, a horse needs a minimum of 45 minutes to cool out completely and have his heart rate return to normal. The standard method of cooling out is to keep the horse walking until he is no longer sweating and his respiration has dropped to a normal rate. During this time, the horse is offered cool water to drink. He is then bathed and returned to his stall only after he has cooled out completely. Keeping the horse moving is very important when cooling out a horse.
It is common to see people pouring cool water over a horse's head to help him cool down. It is not the most effective technique. The best method is to run cool water from a hose between the horse's back legs up in the groin area for up to 20 minutes. The largest and the greatest blood supply that you can access are between the horse's back legs.
Most horses are breathing so hard after racing that they will have little interest in drinking during the first five minutes or so. Yet voluntary drinking during the early recovery stage after exercise is critical for replacing the water and electrolytes lost through sweat. The horses should be allowed to drink all he wants but not all at one time. No more than one gallon at a time should be offered and this should be water at room temperature. Re-hydration has been known to be more rapid and complete if the water given contains electrolytes (refer a mixture detailed above). This salt mixture in the water is especially beneficial to horses on Salix/Lasix.
The replacement of electrolytes is an important aspect of animal husbandry. Feeding electrolytes daily in the grain ration or administering them orally in a tablet form are other methods which can be introduced to ensure the important replenishment of electrolytes in sweating. You do not have to worry about giving too many electrolytes because horses will eliminate excessive amounts through urination.
I trust these tips will prove useful to trainers and grooms. I will certainly be insisting that my horses have an ice bath before racing and that there are adequate supplies of electrolytes either in their water or grain ration. Let us hope that we will have cool, comfortable, healthy and hydrated horses going into their races. Punters can be assured that the horses of Hamark Farms will provide them with that competitive betting edge.
Howard L. Hamilton C.D, J.P., is a former chairman of Caymanas Track Limited. He is president of Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders' Association. He can be contacted at howham@
cwjamaica.com
