COOL IT!

If your horse develops heat exhaustion, you’ll need to act quickly to save his life. Call a veterinarian right away, but even as you’re doing that, you can take a number of steps to start bringing your horse’s body temperature down. All but one of the actions listed here are good steps to take until the veterinarian arrives. Which one of the following actions should you avoid? a. move the horse into the shade b. douse him with the coldest water available c. administer an electrolyte paste d. press ice against his head and throat e. encourage him to drink

Answer: c. administer an electrolyte paste. A horse who has already reached the point of heat exhaustion is metabolically stressed, and forcing him to swallow electrolytes may stress his system even more. Instead, focus on helping him cool down. Move the horse into any available shade, and douse him with the coldest water you have available: Drench the horse, scrape him dry and repeat—waiting for the water to evaporate won’t work fast enough. If you have ice or cold packs on hand, press them against the major blood vessels that run close to the surface under the horse’s throat— you’ll help to cool the blood flowing to his brain. You can offer him a bucket of water containing dissolved electrolytes, as long as you provide a bucket of plain water as well.