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          Training horses in summer: what effect does heat have on performance?

          Monday, July 9, 2018

          Training a horse in summer can be very complicated to manage. How can you continue to work efficiently without jeopardizing your horse's health and comfort?

          - by Dr. Justine Guillaume, whom we thank 🙂 -

          "Why does my horse's heart rate increase in hot weather?"

          You may have noticed that heat has a direct impact on your horse's heart rate. There may be a discrepancy between the effort made and the heart rate data, and this is easily explained.

          The heart rate is influenced by the nervous (parasympathetic and sympathetic) and endocrine systems and is subject to external variations. When moving from the resting phase to the movement phase and then to exercise, the body's physiological adaptation phenomena bring all the cardiovascular and respiratory processes from a stable state to a state corresponding to the requirements of the exercise level. Thus, as soon as the intensity of the exercise increases, all the processes are brought to a higher level. The heart rate is of course affected.

          These physiological phenomena will become more pronounced depending on various environmental factors, known as exogenous factors. Here we will only talk about temperature and humidity. However, other exogenous factors can also affect heart rate, such as altitude for example.

          Atmospheric temperature :

          A rise in outside temperature will lead to an increase in heart rate at rest and during sub-maximal exercise, in order to compensate for the rise in internal temperature. Your horse's body will activate heat exchange mechanisms. This will help maintain a constant body temperature (37.5° C - 38 °C).

          In hot weather, the heart rate can increase by 10 to 15 beats per minute, even at rest. This is due to an increase in cutaneous blood flow (cutaneous vasodilation). The body then increases the rate at which it evacuates heat to reduce the thermal load.

          To pump more blood, the heart will increase its flow (cardiac output = systolic ejection volume X frequency) to better irrigate the skin exchange zones. The transfer of heat to the exterior occurs through several phenomena such as sweating or evaporation. Sweating (transpiration) is the most important mechanism for regulating internal temperature. To remove heat effectively, this sweat must be able to evaporate.

          Humidity:

          When the humidity is too high, evaporative cooling of the body becomes limited. This is because the air is saturated and can no longer accept humidity. The quantity of sweat becomes very large, producing a trickle or scum.

          This additional stress (humidity) will accentuate the necessary internal thermal regulation and cardio-respiratory phenomena with an acceleration of the heart rate.
          A phase of intense sweating can lead to dehydration if the water losses are not regularly compensated.

          When the phenomena are combined (high outside temperature and humidity), the cardiac reaction will be even stronger.

          Thus, when the conditions of equilibrium are broken (very high heat and physical activity or heat and very intense physical activity), the brain, in order to avoid endangering the body, will choose to protect vital functions and reduce the intensity of the exercise and/or stop the exercise.

          In hot and/or humid weather, it is therefore difficult to determine, during exercise, which part of the cardiac drift (increase in heart rate) is related to the increase in heat exchange, and which is induced by the intensity of the exercise.

          "Does my horse recover as well in summer? »

          After a demanding effort, for example a hill while trotting, the heart rate will have more difficulty coming down. The same will be true during a session, where with the accumulated fatigue, the heart rate will tend to remain high even for a moderate effort. In hot weather, the horse, like the human being, will also have difficulty multiplying intensive and maximal efforts.

          -> Our advice: increase your recovery time between exercises in the same session. But also the recovery time after a session. You need to wait until your horse's heart rate drops below around 120 bpm.

          "Should I maintain my training if it's a heat wave? »

          Consider limiting the intensity, or even cancelling a session, when temperatures are scorching (over 35°) so as not to endanger your horse's health and yours. Sunstroke, for example, can cause marked fatigue for several days.

          In conclusion : It's important to remember that every horse is different, and that they don't all respond equally to these constraints. Adaptation mechanisms depend on environmental conditions, but also on genetics, physical condition, geographical area and acclimatization phenomena (reactions 犀利士 physiological adaptation reactions triggered by more or less prolonged exposure to heat, humidity or altitude).

          So don't compare but get to know your horse better!

           

          About the author...

          Dr. Justine Guillaume

          Ph.D Equine Nutrition &
          Exercise Physiology
          Physical trainer

          http://www.pommier-nutrition.com/nos-prestations

          Justine Guillaume has been a rider and horse owner for 20 years. She has a doctorate in nutrition for the horse athlete and wishes to combine the physiology of the horse's effort, nutrition and performance in order to rationalise and objectify training.

          Today, she is assistant manager and in charge of scientific and technical affairs at Pommier Nutrition, manufacturer and distributor of complementary feeds for horses, and has developed an entity called Equine Performance Solutions, which consists of support in terms of physical preparation for horses.

          For her, physical preparation isn't just about massages and wellness treatments. It's much more than that! Above all, it's about preparing the body to perform while preserving its physical integrity. It's a complementary activity, which the trainer must use to get to know his athletes better and find out whether his training is effective. Above all, it's about evaluating the horse and its physical qualities, using stress tests to determine whether training is effective and the horse is progressing, or whether it's over-trained or under-trained...

          " The new connected tools allow access to a small part of their 'inside', a mine of information! " - Dr. J. Guillaume

          See you soon for a new article!

          The Seaver team 😉