Re: RC: Re: Summer Breeze

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

>A wet towel over the face & neck is fantastic if the weather is dry & you can
>cool by evaporation like out west.  If the humidity is high (here in WV it is
>95* and 98% humidity today) the towel acts as an insulator, just like water
>sponged onto the horse and left on.  The damp towel warms up and heats the
>horse.

Works the same here, where it is hot and dry.  I used one of those neck 
cooler things (not the kind with crystals) and realized on myself how 
horribly hot it made me, and trapped in the heat - really made it 
worse.  If you put something like that on a horse you must keep it wet 
(with cool water) or it's just going to do the opposite of what you 
want!  Things get hot really fast, though I'd imagine that being hot and 
wet at the same time (from humidity) would be even worse that just hot and 
wet.  Though either is not very comfortable.

>The best way to cool out is LOTS of water.  We buy a number of bags of ice to
>dump with water in a manure bucket.  We sponge the horse, sluice it off, and

I bring several two liter (soda) bottles that are frozen - filled with 
water.  They make great ice cubes (plus you don't have to buy ice that 
way), and as they melt, you can pour the ice cold water over the horse for 
cooling.

Happy Trails,

Karen
West Region



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=