January 6, 2025
Posted by Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc
An equine nutritionist describes the connections between heat stroke and leaky gut in horses and what you can do to prevent these problems.
If your horse sweats and appears outwardly comfortable, he must be managing the high temperatures just fine, right? Not according to Clair Thunes, MS, PhD, equine nutrition consultant and owner of Clarity Equine Nutrition. During her presentation at the 2024 EquiSummit virtual conference, held Dec. 3-4, Thunes said horses suffering heat stress might appear outwardly unaffected. However, their gastrointestinal (GI) tracts struggle, which affects their health and performance. How Horses Manage Heat
Horses heat up not only from the sun shining on them but also the heat generated during their metabolic processes. For example, the chemical reactions muscle cells use to contract large muscle groups during exercise all produce heat. Horses’ bodies need to manage heat to stay in a thermoneutral zone.
The key way horses lose heat is through evaporation of sweat, said Thunes, “and when that doesn’t work, they rely on respiratory losses through heavy breathing...”
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/1133363/what-happens-with-the-horses-gut-in-the-heat/?lid=y40rmdteuap1
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