Equine Thermoregulation

What should horse owners be considering in the Winter months, to assist their horses with muscle contraction, heat production and thermoregulation?

Leslie Williamson, Senior lecturer

With the winter months now upon us, let’s take a peek at the importance of heat production via muscle contraction and thermoregulation.

Muscle contractions produce heat, this is incredibly important to maintaining normal body temperature. It is estimated that around 85% of all body heat is generated by muscle contractions.

One aspect of winter we can identify with is the choice of a winter rug and the ‘rating’ of warmth the rug will produce. However, whether the horse has been clipped or not, the more the horse is able to move around and naturally forage, the warmer the horse will be due to the muscle contraction and circulatory responses relating to thermoregulation and digestive processes.

When a horse is able to be worked consistently in the winter months, maintaining good muscle development and is considered fit for the activity in which it is trained, the fullness of the musculature producing heat is abundant, therefore choosing rug warmth to meet the individuals needs must be considered.

Horses that are subjected to rugs that don’t fit well &/or are overheating often display a sour demeanour due to the discomfort and inability to regulate the body’s temperature.
To avoid your horse overheating, horses in general will benefit the most from wearing their warmest rug at night and a lighter rug during the day.