This week’s Welfare Wednesday focuses on a critical and timely topic: protecting the welfare of horses, riders, and all participants during hot weather conditions. Extreme heat can have serious impacts on performance, health, and safety, so it is essential to understand the risks and implement strategies to mitigate them.
Key Resources:
Hot Weather Policy: https://bit.ly/4247CZ9
SunSmart Policy: https://bit.ly/3DOX8mo
Understanding Hot Weather Risks
Hot weather affects everyone involved in equestrian activities, including riders, horses, spectators, officials, coaches, and strappers. Both horses and humans rely on the evaporation of sweat to cool down, but this process becomes less effective under high ambient temperature, high humidity, and low wind conditions. Monitoring these factors is essential to ensuring safety.
Measuring Thermal Load
Air temperature alone does not provide a comprehensive picture of heat risk. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is a better metric as it considers air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and cloud cover. The Bureau of Meteorology provides daily WBGT readings for regional locations via their Thermal Comfort Observations pages: https://bit.ly/40ppHj8
Individual Risk Factors
For Horses:
▪️ Travel in poorly ventilated floats
▪️ “Dry-coated” horses that cannot sweat effectively
▪️ Excitable temperament
▪️ Lack of acclimatisation to local conditions
▪️ Poor fitness or overweight
For Humans:
▪️ Young children (undeveloped sweating mechanisms)
▪️ High-intensity exercise
▪️ Illness or previous heat intolerance
▪️ Poor fitness or overweight
▪️Heavy clothing or protective gear
Managing Grounds and Facilities
On hot days:
▪️ Keep horses in shaded, well-ventilated stables.
▪️ Provide at least two wash bays with adequate water supply and pressure.
▪️ Ensure access to ice, scrapers, sponges, and towels.
▪️ Reduce participation in presentation ceremonies.
▪️ Provide shade for horses, riders, and spectators.
Adjusting Events
▪️ When WBGT readings are high, strenuous activities lasting over six minutes pose a high risk for horses. Event organisers should:
▪️ Modify schedules and reduce activity intensity.
▪️ Account for both warm-up and competition times.
Identifying and Managing Heat Stress in Horses
Signs:
▪️ Elevated temperature 30 minutes post-exercise
▪️ Rapid, shallow breathing with flared nostrils
▪️ Dehydration (check skin elasticity and mucous membrane colour)
▪️ Agitation or distress
▪️ Excessive or absent sweating
Cooling Strategies:
▪️ “Wet and Walk”: hose horses down and walk in shaded areas to promote evaporative cooling.
▪️ Use iced water sponges and allow horses to drink freely.
▪️ Ensure horses are cool and comfortable before loading into ventilated floats.
Recognising and Treating Heat Illness in Humans
▪️ Dehydration:
Symptoms: Thirst, dry mouth, dizziness, irritability.
First Aid: Rest in a cool area, drink fluids, cool down with water.
▪️ Heat Exhaustion:
Symptoms: Heavy sweating, pale skin, nausea, rapid pulse.
First Aid: Seek medical assistance, move to a cool area, remove excess clothing, apply cool water.
▪️ Heatstroke:
Symptoms: Confusion, rapid breathing, high body temperature.
First Aid: Call emergency services (000) immediately, cool the person rapidly, and monitor breathing.
▪️ Heat Cramps:
Symptoms: Muscle spasms in limbs or abdomen.
First Aid: Rest in a cool place, increase fluid intake, seek medical help if symptoms persist.
▪️ Heat Rash:
Symptoms: Itchy red spots in areas of excessive sweating.
First Aid: Move to a cooler environment, wear loose clothing, keep affected areas dry.
By understanding and addressing the risks of hot weather, we can safeguard the welfare of horses, riders, and all participants. Be proactive, stay informed, and always prioritise safety during hot weather conditions.