Do you love horses?
Have you ever wondered why they foam at the mouth when they sweat?
This post will answer your question and more about these majestic animals.
Why do horses foam when they sweat?
Just like humans, horses sweat to control their body temperature. But unlike humans who have hair, horses have a coat that is waterproof and doesn’t allow the sweat to evaporate.
So they have for their own a protein called latherin that helps the heat escape.
How does this latherin substance work for horses?
Latherin is a substance that helps sweat from the horse’s skin to its hair.
It does this by making the sweat spread and wet the horse’s hair. This cools them down when they start sweating and it also stops their body from getting too hot. People don’t need this protein because they don’t have a thick layer of waterproof hair on their skin.
Horses, on the other hand, need to be able to cool down quickly when they are running from predators. So horses might have evolved to use latherin as a way to do that.
Latherin is like soap. When you rub your hands together with soap, the water becomes foamy. Latherin behaves in the same way and when the horses rub sweat, it also becomes foamy.
Foam is the result of latherin which happens when rubbing occurs. Rubbing will agitate the sweat and create air bubbles. Latherin stabilizes them so they don’t pop. The mass of these air bubbles is what we see as foam on a horse’s fur after they’ve been sweating.
Scientists believe that latherin is in horses’ saliva. This is why they foam from their mouths, and it may have been part of an overall thermoregulation system for the equine.
Human allergies and latherin
Some people are allergic to horses. When they get near the horse, their body will react.
Some of the allergens that can cause this reaction are latherin and Equ c 4. Latherin is a protein that is found in the saliva and dander of horses and it has been shown to be an allergy trigger by researchers.
But we need more studies before we know for sure how important it is in causing allergies.
The importance of cleaning the sweat for your equines
Excess sweating in a horse is bad because the sweat will stay on the skin and it will be soaked up by the epidermis. Excess sweat can make the horse’s hair fall out.
Dried sweat and dirt can make your horse itchy. This is because the dirt is irritating the horse’s skin. The itchiness might show on your horse’s face or ears, which they don’t want to be touched in these areas.
When you clean the sweat from your horse make sure to pay close attention to areas under the tail and mane, and the area where they rub, like where the reins rub, where they wear a saddle or even their inner thighs.
If possible you should also rinse them because that is the best way to remove all of their sweat. If not then make sure that after they have sweated you curry and brush their coat.
Lost electrolytes and how to help your horse get them back
Horses sweat has a lot of electrolytes.
These are minerals that help to make up for water or salt when the horse is thirsty. They also play an important role in many biological processes such as muscles and heartbeats.
If a horse loses electrolytes through sweating, it can get sick. They might have dehydration or diarrhea and their muscles could start to hurt and their heart could beat in an irregular way.
This is why it is important for them to drink things that give them the electrolytes that they lost.
You need to feed your horse. When they sweat, the salt and other minerals are gone. But there are lots of food that contain them. So if you feed your horse, it will be enough for them to get better.
If a horse sweats for a long time and does not have the opportunity to replenish the minerals, it will get tired.
And then they will not be able to do what they need to do. Give them an electrolyte supplement so that their body can keep going.
My horse doesn’t sweat, help?
If a horse does not sweat, it will be in danger. If the horse cannot cool down, then it can get sick and die. Horses can get anhidrosis, which is when they do not sweat and it is very dangerous.
If you think that your horse has anhidrosis, then you should call a veterinarian. He will do a sweat test to see if the horse has anhidrosis.
He might also check how heavy the workload is. If it is heavy, then he will ask for more information about what you are doing with the horse and how long it takes for the animal to recover from work.
If your horse does not sweat, make sure you exercise him in the morning when it is cooler. When he is done exercising, wash him to get rid of the heat. Also, keep him in a cool place so that he doesn’t get overheated.
FAQ’s
Why do horses lather when they sweat?
Horses get lather on their skin when they sweat. Horses sweat to cool off because it is hot. There is a special protein in horses called latherin that makes the horse’s hair wet so the water can evaporate and keep the horse cool.
What does it mean when a horse is foaming?
A horse that is foaming at the mouth means that they are happy to be riding. This is a normal response for horses. Horses may have foam around their mouths when they are being ridden.
Why do racehorses sweat white foam?
When a horse sweats, it can be white and foamy. This happens when the horse has worked hard or when it is in hot weather. The clear sweat means that the body is cooling itself off well.
What is the white stuff on horses’ legs in cross country?
It is a type of grease. It is on the horse’s legs to help them slide over a fence without getting hurt.
What does it mean when a horse is lathered?
It means that the horse is relaxed enough to salivate and chew on the bit while being ridden.
Some riders at competitions spray a bit with a flavor that will encourage salivation, which I think is cheating. If the horse naturally salivates, then your contact with it should be comfortable and elastic.
What is horse sweat made of?
Mostly water, but it also has dissolved minerals called electrolytes. Sweat can carry away the heat from your skin.
Conclusion
Horses sweat to cool themselves down. This is why they foam when working hard and their heart rate increases as a result of the increased blood flow through the body.
