Re: RC: Heat and Humidity

[Truman Prevatt <truman.prevatt@netsrq.com>]

I'll let someone who is more up on the history of the Arabian breed
comment, but I believe they have spent many a year adapting to the
desert heat.  The problem with the heat + humidity index is if it were
really true we couldn't run a ride in the SE without losing many
horses.  But we do run a lot of rides and our horses do quite well.  

In fact down here in FL we go out and condition in the summer months
when the sunrrise temps are 70 and the humidity is 100%  We are careful
and monitor the horse, but we do condition with no ill effect.  

I don't think there is any hard fast rule.  In general each horse is
different and the basic conditioning program the horse undergoes
determines to a great extent how he can handle extreme conditions.  A
horse that lives and trains on the East coast riding in a hot/humid East
coast ride will handle the conditions much better than a horse from the
semi-arid West would. 

BTW my Arab gets downright cold in our mild FL winters.  I don't think
he would like having to live at 15 degs for very long.

Truman

Lynette Helgeson wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone,
> There is a very good article in the July issue in Equus called
> "Keeping Cool." The article says, (and I quote,) "that horses
> are better at keeping themselves warm then cooling themselves
> off. Temperatures that seem delightful to you may be downright
> uncomfortable for your horse. That's because humans evolved in
> subtropical climates; our energy-neutral range - the
> temperatures at which we feel most comfortable - falls between
> 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. But the horse who hails from more
> northerly climates, has an energy-neutral range of 15 to 60
> degrees and a body uniquely adapted to generate and store heat."
> 
> It also states that," The downside of all this wintertime
> efficiency is that, in summer, your horse's metabolism has to
> work much harder to cool his body off."
> 
> The article has a formula to work off of. You add air
> temperature (Fahrenheit) and humidity and subtract wind speed to
> get the current rating. (For example, 80 degrees + 50 percent
> humidity - 10 mph wind speed = 120.)
> 
> If the total is less then 130, your horse isn't in danger of
> overheating.
> 
> If the total is around 150, you may want to forgo or cut back
> the exercise, esp. if humidity makes up more than half of the
> total.
> 
> If the sum is more than 180, don't work your horse at all.
> 
> A good article that I learned a lot from. Well worth the
> reading.
> 
> Lynette
> In North Dakota where we have been having temperatures in the
> 90's F, with 80% humidity, and thunderstorms with winds up to 90
> miles an hour during the night.
> 
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-- 
Truman Prevatt
Mystic “The Horse from Hell” Storm 
Buck's Mystic Karma
Rocket a.k.a. Mr. Misty
Jordy a.k.a. Bridger (when he is good)
Danson Flame - hey dad I'm well now and ready to go!

Brooksville, FL


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