Horse IQ

A few days ago, I shared an article with you about how giving your horse too much rest can be detrimental to his physical conditioning. While that’s very true, the opposite extreme is also something you want to avoid: over-exerting your horse. If your horse is in a constant state of exhaustion and you stress him further yet, you risk injuring him. So how do you know how much is too much exercise?

Every horse is different. What may be normal exercise for my horse, Rosie, might be way to much for one of yours. Or not enough, for that matter.

But even when you take into account the different factors of horse health and fitness, there are a few warning signs that should always get your attention.

Warning Signs of An Over-Exercised Horse

Patchy Sweating- sweating more heavily in certain places of his body and hardly any in others. If you touch a horse like this and it feels cold and clammy, he’s overtaxed.
Loss of Appetite- as I’ve mentioned before, a horse that has no interest in food is a rare…and not to be confused with normal.
Clumsy Movement- if he stumbles around after a workout like he’s somewhat disoriented, that should raise some red flags too.

Bear in mind that this is what I’ve found from my experience and also what I read in my equine veterinary manuals. But I’ve also been around long enough to know that you can’t be dogmatic on this.

If you live in a high-humidity area, for instance, all horses may feel clammy, especially at night. And I’ve certainly known some that are naturally clumsy.

A More Scientific Way To Tell
If Your Horse Has Overdone It

As I pondered my veterinary books, I found a sort-of-scientific rule of thumb to measure horse exhaustion. In order to use it, you’re going to have to measure your horse’s pulse. If you’ve got a stethoscope, great, but you really don’t need one in order to do this.

If you’ve finished exercising your horse and feel he may have gone too far, keep him still for 5 minutes. Then find the artery that crosses the jawbone with your finger (or if you have a stethoscope, place it just below your horse’s left elbow).

Count the number of pulse beats you feel in a 15 second period. Then multiply that number by 4. You’re trying to determine how many beats per minute your horse exhibits.

Unless you have an overweight horse, he should have a heart rate of 64 beats per minute or less. If he’s got 70 or more, he has overdone it.

This Will Take The Guesswork Out of It

Just to be sure, you can jog with him around his pasture (or ring area if you have one) for about 125 feet, then stop. Then wait another 30 seconds take his pulse again. Ideally, this number you get this time should be less than the first.

However, if it’s 10% or more higher, he has definitely been worked beyond his level of physical fitness. Cool him down and get him some rest. And some water.

A lot of factors go into the physical fitness level of your horse. But even so, it’s good to know when your horse is over-exerted. Now that you know the warning signs and have a scientific way to measure how exhausted he is, you have a better chance of protecting him from injury.

Yours for Better Horse Health,

Sierra Lynch