[RC] Cold Weather Riding and Cooling - Tamara Taylor
I thought this may be of interest to the RC members in cold climates. It is
from "Conditioning Sport Horses" by Hilary M. Clayton, DVM (Sport Horse
Publications, 1991). Just goes to show that riding in cold weather isn't a
hazardous as some people may think...
"Competitions are seldom held under extremely cold conditions, but horses may
continue to be exercised when weather is cold. Compared with horses exercising
at normal temperatures, horses undergoing strenuous exercise at -25 C (-13 F)
have no significant changes in heart rate, lactate production, blood gas
tensions, gait, or lung tissue morphology. The only difference is a reduction
in the respiratory rate at all stages of exercise and recovery, due to the
effect of cold temperatures in facilitating heat dissipation."
The book makes it sound like exercising at warmer temperatures is riskier due
to the possibility of overheating the horse.
Tamara
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