Hot weather advice: how to cool a horse down quickly

water off your horse will not help to cool it down. It is far more effective to leave the water on the horse says David.
Conduction removes heat significantly faster than evaporation he explains. When you scrape the water off your horse you reduce the capacity for conductive heat transfer. Leave the water on your horse on hot days and it will help it to stay cooler for longer.
Recovery signs to look for
Spraying horses with the hose briefly or pouring a bucket of water over them before they get turned out will help to keep the horse cool for a while on a hot day through evaporation but it is not effective at cooling a hot horse quickly. David says to keep cooling until you start to see recovery signs in your horse.
The best way to tell if your horse has lowered its temperature is to check if his breathing has returned to a normal rate he says. You can also check his other vital signs such as heart rate and temperature using a thermometer although rectal temperature often lags behind other signs of recovery. This is why it is important to know what your horses normal vitals are so you know when they are higher or lower than usual.
As David explains there are no downsides to cooling a horse in this way so you cant overwater.
Obviously if your horse starts shivering youve possibly made him a bit too cold but you cant really overcool he says. As part of your cooling process its also important to allow the horse to drink. They will have a strong will to drink as soon as they have finished exercise. Dont offer them really cold below 10C or really warm water above 35C horses prefer to drink water at around 25C. It wont hurt them to drink cold or warm water its just that they prefer to drink normal temperature water and will drink more of it.
Signs of heat stress in horses
Heatstroke can happen in horses and high temperatures and hot weather are key triggers. Symptoms to look out for in your horse include
Restlessnesslethargy
Rapid pulse and breathing
Increased sweating
Excessive salivation
Redness of the tongue and oral area
High body temperature
Erratic heart beat
Muscle spasms
Stumbling gait and in extreme situations collapse
If you see these signs or are in any doubt call your vet immediately.
Most horses will cope fine with our hot weather in the UK but older horses young