Menu
Where do horses like to hang out the most when it's hot and the sun is blazing? Right in the sun or in the shade? This is something a team of Polish researchers have conducted a small study on, and the results are somewhat surprising.
The study, which included 12 adult horses, was carried out on a paddock without feed or water in July, where the temperature was 32 degrees. Half of the paddock was shaded by tall trees, while the other half was in direct sun. In one corner of the sunny part of the paddock, a type of sprinkler system with cool water was set up, which the horses could choose to walk through. All horses were accustomed to all parts of the paddock prior to the study.
The study was conducted by putting the horses into the paddock for 45 minutes. During this period they could move freely and choose whether they wanted to stay in the sun, shade, or at the sprinkler system. The horses were equipped with a heart rate monitor to follow their heart rate and changes in heart rate. The latter provides an indication of the horse's emotional state. In addition, the body temperature was measured before and after time in the paddock.
Overall, the horses as a group showed no preferences when it came to staying in a specific place on the paddock. But when looking at individual horses there was a difference. Some horses indeed showed a strong preference for a specific location on the paddock.
During the stay in the paddock, none of the horses showed signs of overheating. However, the variation in heart rate showed that the horses were most relaxed in the sun, and not in the shade, as one might initially think.
Sweat is the horse's primary means of regulating body temperature. And on hot summer days, horses can sweat, even if they don't move much. The sweat is not always visible, as it often evaporates before one has a chance to notice it.
Read also: 5 alternative ways to cool your horse down in the summer heat
Janczarek, I., A. Stachurska, I. Wilk, A. Wisniewska, M. Rozanska-Boczula, B. Kaczmarek, J. Luszczynski, and W. Kedzierski. 2021. Horse preferences for isolation, shade or mist curtain in the paddock under heat conditions: Cardiac and behavioural response analysis. Animals 11:993.
