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 Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
   
Location: WA | In the heat at shows/races, why do people drape wet towels and/or sheets on their horses? I know they think they are cocolingn them off, but seriously, isn't that going to just make them more hot!? Why wouldn't you just hose or sponge them off? |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
 
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I use a sponge to cool their belly... If you'll notice to cool off in a pasture they'll go up to their bellies in a pond if they're hot... I just always assumed that was the fastest way to cool them off. I may be wrong.
I agree tho, I would think it would make them more hot... |
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 Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
Location: Finally horseback again.... | No it does not make them hotter.
It is the process of cooling by convection.
The wet towel is used to cool the air around the horse, thus making the body temp drop.
Much like when people put wet towels on an athlete's neck to cool them down.
The towels/sheets will actually cool longer than just rinsing a horse off. As long as it is damp.
Next time you are sweating and hot outside, take a hand towel, wet it and drape it around your neck. You will be shocked at how much cooler you are.
Edited by Canchasr1 2014-07-11 2:11 PM
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| They say a long sleve shirt will keep you cooler out in the sun, it reflects the heat. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| I wonder the same thing. But I've been told that even if you hose them off or sponge them off you need to scrape the excess water off of them because it too could raise their body temp. Not sure if there is any truth behind that or not but I do it anyways!
Edited by FlyingJT 2014-07-11 2:54 PM
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Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 12:10 PM No it does not make them hotter.
It is the process of cooling by convection.
The wet towel is used to cool the air around the horse, thus making the body temp drop.
Much like when people put wet towels on an athlete's neck to cool them down.
The towels/sheets will actually cool longer than just rinsing a horse off. As long as it is damp.
Next time you are sweating and hot outside, take a hand towel, wet it and drape it around your neck. You will be shocked at how much cooler you are.
I have put a cool towel on my neck but it only works until the water on the towel gets warm. Then I heat up. Maybe I am an odd duck. Odds are pretty high of that actually. |
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Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | FlyingJT - 2014-07-11 12:11 PM I wonder the same thing. But I've been told that even if you hose them off or sponge them off you need to scrape the excess water off of them because it too could raise their body temp. Not sure if there is any truth behind that or not.
Oh yeah, I always squeegee the extra water off. If you don't you can put your hand on their back and feel how hot they are. But I am just struggling with this towel to cool theory. Lol, it may be scientific but I can't wrap my mind around it.
As for long sleeve cooler than short sleeve, I have heard that too. I hate heat. So I do my best to just avoid it. Lol but I did enter at a local barrel race on Saturday, luckily I am running two and am done at 50. So hopefully before noon. Then my whiney butt can go home. |
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Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
Location: Finally horseback again.... | Lisantwist - 2014-07-11 2:13 PM Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 12:10 PM No it does not make them hotter.
It is the process of cooling by convection.
The wet towel is used to cool the air around the horse, thus making the body temp drop.
Much like when people put wet towels on an athlete's neck to cool them down.
The towels/sheets will actually cool longer than just rinsing a horse off. As long as it is damp.
Next time you are sweating and hot outside, take a hand towel, wet it and drape it around your neck. You will be shocked at how much cooler you are.
I have put a cool towel on my neck but it only works until the water on the towel gets warm. Then I heat up. Maybe I am an odd duck. Odds are pretty high of that actually.
LOL.
Put a fan in front of you with your towel.
It is actually the air that is supposed to be the cooling part.
This was taught to us in paramedic school years ago for cooling of heat stroke patients. |
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Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 12:16 PM Lisantwist - 2014-07-11 2:13 PM Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 12:10 PM No it does not make them hotter.
It is the process of cooling by convection.
The wet towel is used to cool the air around the horse, thus making the body temp drop.
Much like when people put wet towels on an athlete's neck to cool them down.
The towels/sheets will actually cool longer than just rinsing a horse off. As long as it is damp.
Next time you are sweating and hot outside, take a hand towel, wet it and drape it around your neck. You will be shocked at how much cooler you are.
I have put a cool towel on my neck but it only works until the water on the towel gets warm. Then I heat up. Maybe I am an odd duck. Odds are pretty high of that actually.
Put a fan in front of you with your towel.
It is actually the air that is supposed to be the cooling part.
This was taught to us in paramedic school years ago for cooling of heat stroke patients.
WELLL THEN!!!! Seeings how the heat kicks my a$%, I will definately try it. I have a race in the heat tomorrow. I just umm need a fan. Lol. I can see that working a little better. For a human. I am still struggling on the horse side of it. Maybe I am just overthinking it. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Whiteboy - 2014-07-11 2:11 PM They say a long sleve shirt will keep you cooler out in the sun, it reflects the heat.
I wear my husband's long sleve fishing shirts in the summer. I am much cooler than with the sun on my skin. I have some towels that are made for cooling down, they really work. |
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Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | rodeomom3 - 2014-07-11 2:23 PM Whiteboy - 2014-07-11 2:11 PM They say a long sleve shirt will keep you cooler out in the sun, it reflects the heat. I wear my husband's long sleve fishing shirts in the summer. I am much cooler than with the sun on my skin. I have some towels that are made for cooling down, they really work.
What kind of towels? For horses? Where did you get them I may have to try them! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 209
| I have been told by several vets that if you hose your horse off to cool them down you need to squeegee/scrape all excess water off and get as much water off to cool them down. Here is an interesting article from the vets at the U of MN
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/care/managing-horses... |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 2:16 PM Lisantwist - 2014-07-11 2:13 PM Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 12:10 PM No it does not make them hotter.
It is the process of cooling by convection.
The wet towel is used to cool the air around the horse, thus making the body temp drop.
Much like when people put wet towels on an athlete's neck to cool them down.
The towels/sheets will actually cool longer than just rinsing a horse off. As long as it is damp.
Next time you are sweating and hot outside, take a hand towel, wet it and drape it around your neck. You will be shocked at how much cooler you are.
I have put a cool towel on my neck but it only works until the water on the towel gets warm. Then I heat up. Maybe I am an odd duck. Odds are pretty high of that actually.
Put a fan in front of you with your towel.
It is actually the air that is supposed to be the cooling part.
This was taught to us in paramedic school years ago for cooling of heat stroke patients.
I'm not a paramedic, but I also learned this method. I purposely keep several towels in my trailer because someone at a jackpot always ends up over heating. Its a great way to get a person and a horse cooled down. The key is to get them out of the sun, keep that towel, moist, not soaking wet, and hope for a breeze or put them in front of a fan. |
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 Regular
Posts: 92
Location: here there and everywhere! | IRunOnFaith - 2014-07-11 3:27 AM
rodeomom3 - 2014-07-11 2:23 PM Whiteboy - 2014-07-11 2:11 PM They say a long sleve shirt will keep you cooler out in the sun, it reflects the heat. I wear my husband's long sleve fishing shirts in the summer. I am much cooler than with the sun on my skin. I have some towels that are made for cooling down, they really work.
I believe they are talking about this company
http://www.coldflex.com/
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 Horsey Gene Carrier
Posts: 1888
Location: LaBelle, Florida | I live in SW Fla and work in a greenhouse. After I myself, experience a mild heat stroke, I realized, I'm not a good sweater. After I had my child, my internal thermostat was messed up even worse.
I start feeling nausea (one of the symptoms), when I get too hot and not drinking a lot.
Wet towell, hankie, around the neck, let cool water run over my wrist and drinking plenty of water puts a stop to the nausea.
I learned when I was riding endurance horses, that wetting the neck and chest of the horse is the quickest way to cool them. Either squeegie the excess water off or reapply water to those areas. Excess water will hold the heat, once you squeegie it off, then evavoration can be effective at cooling the body (like sweating does).
Leaving a wet towel on works similiar, however since it stays cooler longer than just water, you don't have to squeegie. Maybe re wet after a bit and wring out, then reapply.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Lost in the corn of Iowa. | Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 2:16 PM Lisantwist - 2014-07-11 2:13 PM Canchasr1 - 2014-07-11 12:10 PM No it does not make them hotter.
It is the process of cooling by convection.
The wet towel is used to cool the air around the horse, thus making the body temp drop.
Much like when people put wet towels on an athlete's neck to cool them down.
The towels/sheets will actually cool longer than just rinsing a horse off. As long as it is damp.
Next time you are sweating and hot outside, take a hand towel, wet it and drape it around your neck. You will be shocked at how much cooler you are.
I have put a cool towel on my neck but it only works until the water on the towel gets warm. Then I heat up. Maybe I am an odd duck. Odds are pretty high of that actually.
Put a fan in front of you with your towel.
It is actually the air that is supposed to be the cooling part.
This was taught to us in paramedic school years ago for cooling of heat stroke patients.
To add to this, what I was taught, in college and also use this in the ER, was not only the nape of the neck but the feet, the wrists and the top of the head will help to cool you down. If you put your feet or hands up to your ankles or wrists in a bucket of cool water then it helps. I'm not saying I'm right. But just adding to help to stay cool on these hotter days. |
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