By Kathy Smith 

Hot and humid weather can place significant strain on exercising horses, especially during intense work such as racing, endurance riding, or eventing. Because horses generate large amounts of heat during exercise and have relatively limited ability to dissipate it, researchers have increasingly explored whether cooling horses before exercise can help reduce heat stress and improve safety. 

Recent studies suggest that pre-cooling can indeed help horses cope better with heat. Pre-cooling refers to cooling the horse prior to exercise, usually through cold-water rinsing, showers, fans, or ice-water application. The goal is to lower body and skin temperature before work begins, giving the horse a greater “margin” before reaching potentially dangerous temperatures. 

A 2024 study involving Thoroughbred racehorses, published in the Journal of Equine Science, found that horses cooled with a 10-minute shower before exercise in hot conditions experienced smaller increases in body temperature and less body-weight loss from sweating compared to untreated horses. Importantly, the cooling did not negatively affect performance. Researchers concluded that pre-cooling “mitigates reductions in body weight and increases in body temperature without affecting performance.”

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Another study examining elite eventing horses found that cold-water rinsing before exercise reduced both rectal and skin temperatures during training. The researchers suggested that pre-cooling could increase the horse’s capacity for heat storage and potentially improve equine welfare during competition. 

These findings are important because overheating can lead to fatigue, dehydration, poor recovery, and in severe cases, exertional heat illness. Horses are particularly vulnerable because their large muscle mass produces tremendous metabolic heat during exercise. In hot or humid conditions, sweat evaporation becomes less efficient, making it harder for horses to cool themselves naturally. 

Common pre-cooling methods include: 

• Cold-water hosing or rinsing 
• Fans combined with water application 
• Ice towels on the neck and chest 
• Standing horses in shade with airflow before exercise 

Researchers emphasize that pre-cooling should complement—not replace—good conditioning, proper hydration, electrolyte management, and gradual heat acclimation. Individual horses may also respond differently to cooling strategies, so monitoring each horse carefully remains essential. 

As climate conditions become warmer and more unpredictable, pre-cooling is increasingly viewed as a practical and effective tool for reducing heat strain and protecting equine welfare during exercise. 

Related: The Right Way to Warm Up Your Horse

Related: The Science of Sweat: Supplementing Electrolytes for Better Equine Health and Performance

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Photo: AnnaElizabeth Photography