Regular transportation is a common part of the competition horse’s life and can cause water and salts to be lost through sweat.
Standing in a trailer or lorry is not at all the same as standing in a box. One research study showed that horses’ energy expenditure during travelling was equivalent to that needed for walking. Rough and winding roads (or poor driving!) will require continuous adjustments by the horse in order to maintain his balance. This burns energy and can result in a very tired horse at the end of a long trip.
Horses with a nervous disposition or those with little travel experience generally stop drinking. These horses will expend more energy and be more fatigued after a trip than the old campaigner.
Research has shown that horses can lose approximately 0.5 per cent of their bodyweight every hour they travel, which is equivalent to 2.5kg for a 500kg horse. Much of this loss of fluid is due to sweating, and when compounded with the physical tension of constantly balancing themselves, can lead to severe dehydration. Lack of fluid in the gut can lead to impaction, and low fluid levels in the body may cause a horse to tie up or suffer from other muscle problems.
In hotter conditions the horse’s losses through sweat will be even greater. If the horse does not drink on the lorry or does not like the new water at the competition site, then its water intake will be considerably reduced and dehydration started before it even begins to perform. If not corrected, these may develop into serious complications for the horse with the added stress of continuing the performance.
Even a mildly dehydrated horse can have diminished performance by up to 30%. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), even a 2% loss of total body weight due to dehydration can result in cardiovascular strain. In severe cases, inadequate monitoring of hydration levels can prove fatal.
The problem is compounded two-fold.
First off, horses are more susceptible to dehydration than other animals. They have significant muscle mass and generate a tremendous amount of muscle heat and will sweat profusely, especially when travelling in warm temperatures.
Secondly, horses that become dehydrated because of travelling may not drink despite a drop in body fluids because body water and body salts are lost equally in sweat. Because there is no build-up in concentration of salts in their bodies, the horse’s thirst sensors fail to recognise this loss of water. Even though the horse is clearly dehydrated, he will not drink.
Hydration is very easy to balance in humans but is not that easy to balance on a horse. Every one of you who has taken your horse in a trailer or lorry and tried to get them to drink away from home, knows the problem all to well! We’ve all been there – horses can be difficult. We tend to take water for granted but horses need water above all else to survive. Dehydration is one of the more serious problems that can occur when horses are travelling and it is important to make an effort to prevent it from occurring. Even the slightest dehydration affects the horse adversely and prevention is the best medicine.
Author: Lucinda Stapleton
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