Cooling Down a Horse After a Ride

You and your horse have great ride, but you are not done yet when you dismount. Your horse is hot, blowing and probably sweating up a lather, too. You can't put him back into his stall in that condition. That would invite colic and circulation problems. Part of your ride should include not only a warm up period but a period to cool the horse down.

This will also benefit you and not only the horse. You have had a hard workout, too (although not as hard as your horse has). Your muscles need the time to cool off as well, or else you may get bad muscle cramps. Cooling off time is also a great way to get to know your horse's individual quirks better. Many horses seem to enjoy the process by relaxing, sighing, nickering or becoming more affectionate to the rider.

This makes you wonder why Standardbred harness racing horses are driven hard, given a soaking bath and then left standing in a stall with a blanket on while they're still blowing. But let's return to cooling off riding horses.

Plan In Advance

Whether you are riding in a ring or on the trails, plan at least a half-hour for cooling the horse off. You may not need the entire half-hour, but that gives you leeway to relax mentally as well as physically. The horse will pick up that you are relaxed and will relax as well. If you dash about in a great hurry, then your horse may think a predator is about and become nervous, upset and less likely to cool off.

There are no short cuts to cooling off a horse. You must sponge off any sweaty spots with lukewarm or cool water and walk him dry. Put on a sheet for summer and a blanket for winter to avoid the horse walking about wet in the cold and inviting sickness. Remember the infmous saying by Gandalf the Wizard - "Short cuts lead to long delays."

Walk Last Mile

Know how long it takes for your horse to slowly walk a mile. This is usually about five or ten minutes, depending upon the length of the horse's stride. Do not let the horse get into the habit of galloping towards the barn. This will make cooling out time a lot longer and harder than it needs to be.

A good general rule many riding instructors preach is to walk the last mile of your ride, whether on the trails or in the ring. This will help the horse dissipate heat and get the body ready for rest.

Restrict Water Intake

Your hot horse will long to drink an ice-cold bucket of water after a heavy workout. But this will shock his system and give him terrible colic that could possibly kill him. Have you ever had a cold drink or ice cream after you have worked up a sweat? In a couple of minutes, you get a piercing headache and may vomit. Unfortunately, a horse can't vomit. Both you and your horse only need three swallows of cool water every fifteen minutes.

Your horse is considered dry after the area in between his forelegs is cool to the touch. If you are not sure what that's like, feel that area before the ride. Feel it as you untack the horse and you will notice the difference.

References

"Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook." Thomas Gore, DVM, et al. Wiley Publishing; 2008.

Pony Club. "Cooling Out Overheated Horses." Claudia L. Barton, DVM. http://hm.ponyclub.org/PDFs/Cooling%20out%20Overheated%20Horses.pdf

Horse Channel.com. "Question of the Week: Correctly Cooling Out." Anna O'Brien, DVM. December 21, 2010. http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-experts/horse-vet-advice/hot-horse-water.aspx

Author's personal experience