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Re: [RC] White Sweat - Sisu West Ranch"...out a white foamy sweat ..."Yes, Mr. Ivers, foamy sweat is caused by soap. Soap is the common name for surfactant. Surfactant is a short way of saying "surface active agent". The skin on mamals is kept supple by a number of oily materials secreted by the animal. Supplimenting them is the basis of a large and successful cosmetics industry in our country. Many of these oily materials are molecules with an oily, or fatty end (hydrophobic) and a polar or water loving (hydrophilic) end. The result is that when a horse sweats some of these surfactants go into the interface between air and water and with a little mechanical agitation foam is formed. The theory I have heard is that a horse that is in condition has sweat more often somore of the surfactants have been already flushed from the skin. It is also possible that fewer surfactant molecules are produced in a fit horse and more in a nervous horse. It really does not matter, even though foamy sweat is associated with unfit horses there are other more useful ways of determining how fit a horse is. Ed Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower Road Victor, MT 59875 (406) 642-9640 ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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