Horse emergency: heat stroke
The comfort temperature of a horse is much lower than that of a human being. In fact, for a horse this is between +5 °C and about +15 to +25 °C. Therefore, a horse can quite easily get heat stroke in very hot weather. Especially closed horse trailers in summer at the show are fatal in this case. Our emergency card explains what to do in such an emergency.
Typical symptoms of heat stroke in horses are an unsteady gait or staggering. Usually the horse „pumps“ strongly, which can be seen on the flanks. Often horses sweat profusely during heat stroke and body temperature may be elevated to 42 degrees.
The first important action is to immediately move the horse into the shade and notify the veterinarian. In addition, you can apply cool compresses to the head as well as cover the entire body with damp cloths. Very important: You should not offer the horse cold water in large quantities!
