Dehydration check

DEHYDRATION occurs when more water and salts are lost than are taken in. The result is that the horse does not have enough fluid in his body to maintain normal physiological conditions. Causes of dehydration can include:

  • Fast energetic work
  • Prolonged sweating
  • Heat exhaustion
  • Long journeys
  • Excessive heat
  • Diarrhoea

    • Signs of dehydration can include:

  • The horse is disinclined to graze or eat
  • Lethargy
  • Weak pulse
  • Muscle quiver
  • Thick patch sweat
  • Loss of normal colour (salmon pink) from the membranes of the gums and eyes.

    • TEST

    Here are some quick and simple ways to check if your horse is dehydrated.

    1. Pinch test

    Pick up a fold of skin from the horses neck between finger and thumb. Release the fold and count in seconds how long it takes for the skin to return to normal. If it does not return to normal within five seconds, the horse is dehydrated to some extent.

    2. Gum test

    Press gently on the gum near your horse’s upper teeth. The skin will turn pink or white as you press. Release and watch as the colour returns, it should return quickly. If it takes longer than two seconds for the colour to return, it is likely that your horse is suffering from dehydration.

    Ragwort fork

    A ragwort fork can be bought from most tack shops or feed merchants, they are also readily available online. The fork has been specifically developed to remove this pernicious weed quickly and easily, without the use of chemicals, they remove the whole plant including the roots, reducing the possibility for re-growth.

    Simply place the fork near to the plant, put your foot on the fork bar and press down into the root of the plant then dig it out.