When a section of skin on the neck or shoulder is pinched, the skin recoil will be immediate in normally hydrated horses. Dehydration will delay skin recoil. The built up heat must be released from the horse's body through respiration and sweat. Heat loss through sweat requires moving air and evaporation. Walking a hot horse allows the air movement to continue to help evaporate heat, if left standing still, the lack of air movement could force the internal temprature to rise even higher.
Air flow is vital to remove heat off the horse's body.
The length of cool-down will depend on the amount of work, the environmental conditions and the individual horse. Horse owners who know the signs of heat stress in horses can help prevent heat stroke in their animals, so becomming aware, can reduce the chance of injury, or even worse, death. The purpose of this article is to serve as a reminder of summer dangers for pets, so that all of the fun isn't spoiled by an unsuspected emergency or illness. Most people are aware that leaving a pet in a locked car on a 100F degree day would be dangerous. Jogging is also dangerous this time of year.