Sure, the Olympics are exciting to watch, but this year they’re providing myriad equine research opportunities. During the Equine Industry Summit, held in Lexington, Ky. at the end of April, Dr. Catherine Kohn, VMD, of The Ohio State University, noted that while horses’ bodies can cool from heat, they don’t recover well from humidity. She told the audience that the Hong Kong Olympics will serve as a living laboratory for hydration/humidity studies in equine athletes.

During the test event in Hong Kong, veterinarians studied the effects and recovery of 17 horses. All the horses recovered well, but the study group found that, in extreme conditions, common mistakes in cooling horses are: 1) not using enough water; 2) failure to cover the entire body with water; 3) not allowing short periods of walking to cool the horse down.

What’s the take home value? Even if you’re not competing in elite events in high heat and humidity, cool out your horse properly after summer exercise. The proper steps include:

1. Walk your horse under saddle, then loosen his girth and hand walk him until his respiration returns to normal. This allows the lactic acid buildup to dissipate and prevents “tying up.”
   
   

2. If he’s very hot, cool him down with a head-to-toe cool water hose down followed by scraping off the excess water (which can serve to trap the heat if not removed). Walk him slowly until he dries.
   
   

3. Allow him to drink.
   
   

4. Place horses in a clean, well-bedded stall with a fan on them until they are completely dry. Check the horses periodically to be sure they don't reheat. Rectal temperature should be 102 F or less.