Anhidrosis
What is it anyways?
“He’s a non-sweater.” This phrase can strike fear into the heart of any horse owner. Residents of Phoenix and similar climates in the United States are all too familiar with it. The weather warms up, and your horse can’t cool down.
Anhidrosis is the formal term for a horse who loses his ability to sweat in the hot, humid months of summer. Anhidrosis can be complete or partial. Complete anhidrosis can cause a horse to overheat and show signs of hyperthermia. Partial anhidrosis can be more difficult to identify.
Some signs you horse may suffer from hypohydrosis (partial anhidrosis)
- Your horse appears to take longer to cool down and return to a normal rate of respiration after exercise.
- His temperature takes longer than 30 minutes to return to normal (99.5–101.5 F) after exercise.
- You notice he seems to be lethargic or less willing to work during the summer months.
- Your horse only seems to sweat in areas where riding tack covers up his hair.
Some signs your horse may suffer from anhidrosis
- You haven’t seen your horse sweat at all
- Your horse is puffing as if he went for a romp in the turnout, though he has been standing in his stall all morning.
- A dull, dry and/or long hair coat, which does not flatten against the body during exercise.
- Elevated respiration and a willingness to leave pasture buddies to find shade
Could your horse be suffering from heat stress?
This great infographic from horsedvm.com can help you identify if he is, and what steps you can take to cool him down quickly. These tips could also help a horse suffering from a high fever.
So what causes anhidrosis? Is there a fix for it?
Anhidrosis is not completely understood. Some veterinarians suspect the cause could be due to over-stimulation of sweat glands. Too much heat could cause the horse’s body to throw in the towel. There is a large market for solutions to non-sweaters, but no tried-and-true cure. Many owners swear by One AC, an oral supplement, while others proclaim Guinness beer is the answer. The only true working solution is to pack up and move the horse to a cooler climate.
Thanks for reading! This short piece is part of a monthly series meant to give horse owners some introductory information on important health issues. Sign up for our newsletter by visiting www.pemfcowgirl.com. Maybe you’ll learn something!
