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Taking the time to cool your horse down after strenuous activity is something that all riders and horse owners should take seriously. Horses must not be immediately turned out, as a horse may chill with heavy perspiration.

Most strenuous activity is during riding, so be sure to start the cooling down process then. Remain on your horse and give him his head; completely loosen the reins in your hands. This will allow the horse to stretch his neck and regain his normal breathing. The air flowing through his lungs will also help as a natural coolant. Keep your horse moving forward to keep his muscles flexed, but do not push him; allow him to travel at his own pace.

Once his breathing has slowed to a normal level, you may dismount and lead your horse around for a few minutes. This will further cool down your horse. After finishing any strenuous activity, it is important to not quit all activity as the muscles will cramp or even lock up. Continue to move your horse around slowly.

Once your horse is not longer radiating heat, but still warm to the touch, you can proceed to untack him. It is now advisable to tie him up while you are busying yourself.

Using a rubber brush, rub your horse down in a circular fashion. Make each circle counter-clockwise and fairly tight in succession. Rub deeply on the heavily saturated parts of your horse's body. This will help get the blood flowing regularly again.

Do not forget to rub behind the ears, if your horse will allow it, on the insides of your horse's legs and the underside of his belly.

Use a damp soft cloth to rub down your horse's face, but be very careful on this part of the body, as their face is very sensitive.

Now depending on the conditions of the horse, and the weather outside, you may choose to rinse your horse down. This is only advisable during summer or warm months.

If you have a wash rack, simply tie your horse inside and rinse him down.

If you do not have a wash rack, have a helper hold your horse while you rinse the horse down with a garden hose. Be careful and confident when washing your horse down. If a horse has never been washed down before, take your time introducing them to the process. It is in both you and your horse's best interests to make this process as safe as possible.

Once your horse is dripping wet, begin to "scrape" them dry. To do this you need what is called a "scraper" or merely a piece of plastic that can be used to remove the excess moisture off your horse. Start at the neck of your horse, moving your way down their back. Also scrape off the side of your horse, as far down the legs as possible, and underneath their belly.

Repeat this process until the scrapper pulls no water off of your horse. Your horse will still be damp so it is advisable to tie your horse until most of the moisture has evaporated.

Now you can give your horse some water, but be sure it is 1/3 or less of a bucket of water. Any more and you could cause your horse to have stomach cramps, or even colic.

You can then turn your horse out to pasture or stall him.

If it is winter or a cooler month, you may only be able to rinse down your horse if you have him stabled in an indoor stable complete with wash rack. Otherwise you should blanket your horse immediately after you finished rubbing him down. The blanket you choose should have a sheet in it that allows for the removal of sweat. This is sometimes called a breathable rug. This also will cool your horse down, and yet keep your horse from cooling down too quickly.

Do not water more than 1/3 bucket even during the winter. The same effect can happen.

Remember to cool your horse down as it is an important part of being a responsible owner.

Learn more about this author, Meg A Wright.
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