re: second sweats

[K S Swigart <katswig@deltanet.com>]

On Tue, 8 Dec 1998, Marie M McRae wrote:

> possibility.   I consider second sweating a normal occurance in the north
> on a horse with a winter coat when the weather is less than frigid.  I
> blanket with wool which will pull the moisture up and off the horse til
> she is dry.
> 
> Anyone out there have a better scientific explanation of the phenomenon?

Slightly more of an explanation....a "second sweat" can happen when the
horse cools faster on the outisde than on the inside.  So you dry off the
first sweat (the one on the outside) with a wool blanket to absorbe
moisture and cool ambient temperature to reduce surface temperature of the
horse, but it is still "over heated" at the core.  As that heat moves to
the surface the horse sweats to cool off.

I consider a second sweat to pretty much be an indication that you didn't
fully cool the horse before putting it away :).

kat
Orange County, Calif.