Horse shivering after bath in hot weather!

[TGreenhut]

My sister and I got a horse a few weeks ago, back when it was cold and rainy weather all the time. We had issues with her severely shaking after getting wet from the rain in 50/60 degree weather, but we never thought we'd have issues with her shivering in hot weather.

Today it is 93 F degrees and she was obviously miserable in the heat. We rinsed her down really well with the hose, then removed some excess water with a squeegy. We left her and she stayed in the shade of the barn (although its still hot in there). When we returned to check on her, she was shivering like crazy, just like she did when she was wet and cold in the rain! Her shivering looks like ripples and waves underneath her skin.

Should we be worried? Is there something that needs to be done?

Thanks so much.

 

[chubbydog811]

She might just be a "thin skinned" horse. What breed is she?

My Thoroughbred is the same way - we live up in NH...Before we got him, he raced in Boston, but got shipped to Florida in the winter. He shakes if he gets wet in anything under 70-80 degrees. Also, standing in the shade even on a really hot day can still be chilly for a thin skinned horse. If I hose my guy in the summer, I make sure he goes back in his paddock so he can dry off in the sun.

Just a thought

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Are you sure she's shivering and not twitching because of flies?

 

[TGreenhut]

Thanks chubbydog811. All we know is that she is part Arabian, but not full. The thing is, she is obviously miserable in this heat. Like right now, she just stands listlessly and I can see her belly moving strangely, like as if she is breathing way too hard, but she has not been working at all. It seems like she is easily too hot and easily too cold!

aggieterpkatie, I'm positive that she's shaking, not just twitching to get the flies off.

 

[chubbydog811]

That's surprising that an Arab would have issues with hot/cold- but who knows what her other part is too. My Arabs always held up pretty well in extreme weather, but they were full blood Arabs (I want to say russian? I'm not up on my Arab blood lines)
Best bet would be to just not hose her down unless she is dying from the heat...See if that helps. I usually don't hose them during the day unless it is over 90* and humid (this is without working them), even then, sometimes I just bring them in the barn while the sun is directly over head and put them back out when there is shade. Give her a bit, could just be nerves too if she just moved in.

Other than that, not sure what to tell you!

 

[TGreenhut]

That sounds like some good advice! And yeah this is only one of her many issues that she currently has, so I'm hoping that you're right and its just nerves from the new move!
Thanks again!

 

[mydakota]

Does she have heaves? Does she make any sounds when she breathes hard like that?

Something sounds NQR to me. Arabs handle heat very well. You mentioned other issues. What are they? Could they be related?

 

[chubbydog811]

I'm curious on the "other issues" as well...Without the whole picture, it could be something worse other than just being thin skinned.
Also, how old is the horse?