sweating too much

I noticed something with my mare tonight that has worried me somewhat. We had a ride today but it didnt end up being a long one at all because I got chatting with one of the ladies at my paddock and ran out of riding time. I unsaddled her, gave her a quick hose down as it was pretty warm today (about 31C). I gave her some hay while I pottered around poop scooping and getting their hard feeds ready.

I fed, put their light rugs on, filled their waters and went to leave. I went over to say goodbye as I always do and put my hand under her neck rug. She was wet with sweat. It was in dusk at this point and it had cooled down considerably. Her neck and armpits where wet. Her back and belly were fine. Her flanks were dripping with sweat and her back legs were the worst of all. It was running down her legs from just under her hoo-hoo she wasnt even sweating that much when I got off her. In fact she really wasnt sweating at all as basically we had only walked, had a minute or so of trotting before I stopped and started chatting and then I walked her around for a few minutes before I took her back to her yard.

I took her cool coats off and out a sweat rug on her but im worried because of the EI thing going on here. She is eating like normal, drinking and walking around ok. I listened to her belly and hears grumbles from all part of her intestines so ruled out colic (even though I pretty much figured it wasnt that).

Im pretty worried about it. She doesnt usually sweat a lot and she usually has her cool coats on through the day, unless its really hot, and she doesnt sweat at all under them. Sometimes maybe there is a little around her flanks but never much at all.

Any ideas or should I call a vet or should I stop panicking lol

I don't cover my horses ever. Was the humidity really high? I know if the temp is sort of warm and the humidity is way up there the horses have a hard time cooling and the sweat doesn't evaporate.
Just a thought

its common practice in australia because of all the flies etc also I have to cover her otherwise the midges bite her and she will get the sweet itch again :)

It was humid but not really by the time we left. She was quite cool when I put them on. Just weird cause the humidity has been worse before but she's fine under the cool rugs. Im off to see her now and hopefully she is ok :)

Thanks vida :)

Never thought about the bugs, I guess that's one of the few good things about snow and cold weather :P There are so many things that could cause the sweating. Hope she is doing better today and it was just an isolated thing.

Well I just got home and she seems fine this morning. There is no sweating anymore and she seems completely normal. Im still monitoring her but im too concerned now. In any case, the vet is coming later in the week to see someone elses horses so I may just get him to give her a quick once over. I do worry so :)

The bugs are a big issue here which is one of the reasons for the rugs. And, birds poop on her all the time and she seems to have mild skin reactions to the bird poop. Plus, im making sure she is ready for showing once the horse flu ban is lifted and want to keep her coat all schmick and nice now its getting that way. Plus, the wb is very bossy and sometimes bites her on the bum so having the rugs there help prevent bite marks and in turn, scars. And finally, she would get bleached in the sun and im doing my best to darken her colouring.

So yeah, theres a thousand reasons for the rugs lol I do make sure though that she has the proper rugs made for summer.

Sorry had to giggle at the bird poop :P I would have a little problem with that myself. Yuck!

hehehe yeah :) its worse when they get in right in her mane

We don't really have a big problem with the bugs up here in Alaska, but the stinkin ravens always sit on the horses, and I am pretty sure pull out their mane/tail hair. They hop from one horse butt to the other, and run around on the ground around them, and sit on their fences. I have no idea what attracts them to the horses, but it is so weird. When we lived about 300 mile south of here in Wasilla, Alaska, we never encountered the bird thing, so this is new to me. I think those birds are crazy :)


Look closely at the bay's butt.

yeah there is a horse at my paddock who has lost a lot of hair to the crows/ravens. Apparently birds sit on them to pick the insects and bugs or something off them but I think they sit there to torment the poor horses :)

Is that your horses friend sitting up there on him? :)

We must not have ravens. I have never seen anything sitting on the back of the horses except us. I think I would have to start doing some target practice with the bb gun.