AQHA Magazine January / February 2022 | Page 35

PG . 33

N ’ T ENOUGH

increased heart and respiratory rate and altered behaviour which can progress from dull / listless to panicky or manic as the condition becomes more serious ( Table 1 .). It should be noted that these signs could also be present in other disease conditions .
Horses displaying signs of mild heat stress may not be obviously affected , so it is important to be aware of the common symptoms as they will often progress to more severe . Individual horses cope differently with hot or humid weather conditions so it is important to know what is normal for your horse so you can spot any changes as soon as they occur .
Table 1 . Signs of dehydration , heat stress , heat stroke and exhaustion .
On summer days , it can be difficult to distinguish normal fatigue and sweatiness from dangerous heat stress in horses . Here ’ s what to look for and how to safeguard your horse ’ s well-being . Profuse sweating Less sweating or patchy sweating ( may indicate anhydrosis or ‘ puffs ’)
Thick , sticky sweat Hot skin - may become cold if the circulation shuts down Skin pinch test - insensitive technique for mild dehydration High heart rate Heart climbs after work stops Increased respiration rate ( normal is 4 - 16 breaths per minute ) Panting respiration - can occur with ‘ puffs ’ Flared nostrils Breathing rate higher than heart rate Poor heart and respiratory rate recovery after exercise stops Rapid heart rate that matches breathing rate - ‘ thumps ’ Sunken / caved-in flanks Reduced Gut sounds High body temperature > 40 ° C Profuse sweating + high body temperature but skin feels cool Prolonged capillary refill time - press the gum and note time to recolour Excessive salivation Sunken eyes
AQHA JANUARY / FEBRUARY ISSUE 2022