Stay cool - unique cooling products

36 degrees and it's getting even hotter? Rather not! Our horses cope with heat less well than humans do, as horses overheat up to ten times faster than we do. The danger is particularly high on hot, humid summer days. In an interview with the New Zealand horse magazine horsetalk.nz, Prof. Dr. Lindinger, veterinarian and sports medicine specialist at the University of Guelph in Canada, explained that in such weather even seventeen minutes of moderate-intensity training can be enough to raise a horse's body temperature to a dangerous level. "In humans that takes three to ten times as long," he warns. So the rider's own sense of the heat must on no account be the yardstick for judging whether the weather is still acceptable for training or not. (Source: atm.de) Regardless of breed, horses are also sensitive to direct sunlight. If they are exposed to the blazing sun for too long in summer, the animals' brain overheats – sunstroke is a risk. Symptoms are apathy, increased sweating and staggering; sometimes circulatory failure occurs and the horses collapse.

Our cooling products - how they work

Our cooling rug and the Cooling Boots can be used quickly and easily in any yard and provide effective cooling for people and horses on hot days. The products can simply be dipped briefly into a bucket of water and wrung out – there is no need to keep them in the fridge or freezer beforehand. Through the resulting evaporative cooling, the mesh fabric lowers the horse's body temperature gently, over a large area and evenly, and the horse can be kept from overheating. It is important to mention that, physically, this evaporative effect only works well if the cooling products are put on dry or sweaty horses. There is no need to wash the horses beforehand. What exactly is the evaporative effect? For evaporation to take place, the water molecules need energy to change from the liquid to the gaseous state. The water draws this energy in the form of heat from the nearest body, which causes that body to lose heat. Actually quite simple.

The effect of the cooling products

In heatstroke, the build-up of heat in the body paralyses the blood circulation. The organs can no longer be supplied and only the brain fills excessively with blood. The result is circulatory shock. Cooling the horse's body and legs stimulates the circulation and blood flow (the latter immediately after cooling). Experimental studies have shown that removing heat affects cell metabolism, blood pressure regulation and neural control. What happens in the horse's body when it is cooled effectively? At cell level, metabolism is slowed down, so the cells need less oxygen for their functions and can be damaged less by a lack of oxygen. Blood flow, and with it the permeability of the blood vessels, is reduced, so less inflammatory tissue fluid accumulates. To a certain degree the cold has a numbing effect by reducing the transmission of pain in the nerve fibres. In summary, cooling can therefore relieve pain and help prevent inflammation in the body. At the same time, our cooling rug can also have a soothing effect on horses that have been badly bitten by insects.

What our customers say

"Many thanks to Equine-Microtec for letting me try out the Microtec Cooler rug. My horse Amarin loves the cooling effect, especially after training or after a tiring day at a show. But Amsterdam, our senior horse, also enjoys the cooling this rug provides through evaporation after a warm day in the field. In higher temperatures the rug cools more strongly, and in lower temperatures less so. The fabric is very light and pleasant on the skin. The brilliant thing about it is that the rug can be used quickly and anywhere. Simply dip it in cold water, wring it out, put it on, and the horse's air conditioning is ready. The rug can easily be combined with a neck cover. The elastic browband on the neck cover gives additional hold and is not too tight on the forehead, so it won't cause pressure points. The rug and neck cover are fastened with magnetic fastenings that hold very well and don't come undone at the slightest movement. And they have even thought of the rider. With the Microtec towel, the rider can enjoy a pleasant cool-down too. Personally, I can only warmly recommend the Microtec Cooler rug and towel. My horses relax completely in the rug and feel comfortable. Fast and gentle cooling is guaranteed."

Do you have questions about our Stay Cool products? Please get in touch and we will answer all your questions.

Your EQM Team