Heat, Horses & Anhidrosis: A Summer Nightmare

September 1, 2022/Guest Author

Publisher Foreword

In researching equine issues with heat, I contacted the University of Florida for any information they could offer regarding the current crisis of unprecedented rise in temps.

After all, this is the Sunshine State! A  tourist attraction especially in winter, the Florida sun has been a marketing tool for decades. However, with climate change and record-breaking temps, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Moderation is key, right?

However, there are other states suffering just as much – even more –  from record heat. Of course, nothing stays the same, especially with the weather. Texas, Utah, Nevada, and other states may have record-breaking heat now, yet in a matter of weeks, the issue may be ice and snow. 

No matter where the sun takes rei(g)n, extreme heat, with the resulting drought or humidity creates problems for horses and the people who own them. 

As a result of my request to UF, I received an article published at UF/IFAS about Anhidrosis (or in layman’s terms, non-sweating) in horses, indicating I might find it of interest regarding the subject of horses and heat.  

Was I interested? Absolutely!  I also own a horse that would not sweat! A battle that two years later still makes me shudder as I am never sure we have won the fight.

Blond girl cleaning brown horse with sweat scraper tool on white wall

The reasons for non-sweating horses are still unknown, and though data regarding certain breeds have been produced and factors identified, there is no definite treatment defined for this condition. As the article states, there are many anecdotal remedies, but nothing is proven.

One treatment suggested by a friend was the advice of an old-school veterinarian – to give a horse beer, especially dark ale or stout. I bought a six-pack of Guinness; while I was tempted only to share, I abstained, and my horse consumed his rations of beer-soaked feed with relish. But it did not work. Other methods were tried and he began to sweat a little…but there was no clear-cut protocol.

I owned the horse for 4 years before I found out he had only been in Florida for two months before being sold to me. Originally from Tennessee, he never fully acclimated to the Florida summers.

 So with Jasper in mind, I  extend special thanks to the University of Florida and those who are working on causes of, and a cure for, Anhidrosis. I also thank them for their generosity in sharing their publications with our readers as an educational source for horse owners – no matter where you and your horse reside.

Reposted with permission.

Anhidrosis in the Horse (Non-Sweaters)—What Do We Know? ¹

Laura Patterson-Rosa, Martha F. Mallicote, Robert J. MacKay, and Samantha A. Brooks ²

Anhidrosis refers to a temporary or complete loss of the ability to sweat (Breuhaus 2009). In horses, it is character- ized by the reduced or lack of sweat response to increased body temperature. This is a poorly understood condition with a varying prevalence in the horse population. In Florida, one study found that 6%–25% of Thoroughbreds were diagnosed with anhidrosis at least once in their careers (Johnson et al. 2010). For non-racing horses, the incidence of anhidrosis varies between 2% and 11% of the horse population (Johnson et al. 2010). Although the condition is a particular concern in warm climates, horses in any environment can experience anhidrotic bouts during travel or a summer heatwave (MacKay et al. 2015). Owners may notice a partial or complete loss of sweat response, rapid breathing (tachypnea), elevated body temperature (hyper- thermia), reduced appetite (anorexia), decreased water intake, hair loss (alopecia), dull hair coat, and depression. Severe cases result in collapse due to overheating, leading to convulsions, and without timely intervention, death.

Anhidrotic horses suffer considerably during work and warm seasons, do not perform well athletically, and have a reduced quality of life (Jenkinson et al. 2006). These horses need intensive medical management and restricted physical activity in warm weather. They often must retire early from breeding or competition.

Healthy horses have a remarkably effective cooling system. Their sweat glands, which are distributed over most of the body surface, have the ability to move large volumes of water. In order to disperse excess body heat, the horse relies mostly on sweat evaporation. Still, the equine heat regulatory system can be overwhelmed, resulting in critical overheating. Environmental temperatures exceeding 77°F (25°C) combined with 70%–90% relative humidity will begin to compromise heat loss through sweating, leading to an increase in body temperature. Without the sweat response, traveling a distance of roughly 2 miles at the gallop is estimated to increase the core temperature of a horse by 11°F.

Overtraining and/or electrolyte imbalance can lead to ex- haustion of cooling mechanisms and a temporary reduction in the ability to sweat. Drugs such as antihistamines and macrolide antibiotics can also lead to temporary anhidrosis, but this condition usually resolves in a matter of days or weeks once the drug is withheld (Stieler et al. 2015). In contrast, chronic idiopathic anhidrosis (CIA) occurs for more than one consecutive summer season and does not resolve despite changes in housing, diet, and exercise sched- ule (Johnson et al. 2010). An intradermal sweat test (with terbutaline) known as QITST can be used by veterinarians for quantification of the sweating capacity of horses. It can also aid in diagnosis of CIA (MacKay 2008). However, the factors that distinguish acute but reversible anhidrosis from a permanent loss of sweating ability are still unknown, and the underlying cause of chronic idiopathic anhidrosis remains unclear (Hubert and Beadle 2002).

Although horses competing in hot, tropical climates are at higher risk of these conditions, both chronic and acute anhidrosis are frequently recognized in many non-tropical regions, especially temperate climates with a sudden onset of hot and humid summers. Even if removed from the

hot and humid climate, many anhidrotic horses never regain the ability to sweat normally. With a global rise in temperatures, this condition is likely to become more widespread in the future.

Numerous “treatments” are advertised for this condition. Most are based on speculation, anecdotal reports, and at best, uncontrolled and unreplicated studies conducted in a small set of horses (MacKay et al. 2015). Some attempted therapies include dietary supplements, electrolytes, methyl-dopa, clenbuterol, and thyroid supplementation. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbal supplements are also popular, but were shown to be ineffective long-term in at least one report (Mallicote et al. 2013). To date, no treatment for anhidrosis has passed even the minimal standard for evidence-based medicine.

Environmental factors such as overtraining, failure to acclimate after travel to a hotter climate, electrolyte imbalance, and dehydration can trigger an acute anhidrotic episode (MacKay et al. 2015). However, CIA defies these trigger factors. A UF/IFAS study revealed that, at the individual level, the risk for anhidrosis varies significantly by breed, with Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods at higher risk. Johnson, MacKay, and Hernandez (2010) also observed that the odds of manifesting anhidrosis are 21.7 times higher in horses with a family history of the condition. These findings strongly support the theory that there is a hereditary/ genetic component contributing to anhidrosis in horses.

The heritable component of CIA disease suggests that we might limit the disease through genetic selection. Further research will inform efforts to develop preventive strategies, targeted treatments, and tools for early diagnosis/detec- tion. It will also immediately permit selective breeding to eliminate hereditary risk factors. Novel treatments could help to alleviate symptoms in currently affected horses and improve the animals’ quality of life. An understanding of the cause is key to the development of an effective treatment.

  1. This document is AN362, one of a series of the Department of Animal Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date October 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

  2. Laura Patterson-Rosa, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Animal Sciences; Martha F. Mallicote, clinical associate professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine; Robert J. MacKay, professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Samantha A. Brooks, associate professor, Department of Animal Sciences; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

References

  • Bovell, D. L., S. L. Lindsay, A. D. Corbett, and C. Steel. 2006. “Immunolocalization of Aquaporin-5 Expression in Sweat Gland Cells from Normal and Anhidrotic Horses.” Veterinary Dermatology 17:17–23. https://doi. org/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2005.00498.x

  • Breuhaus, B. A. 2009. “Thyroid Function in Anhidrotic Horses.” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 23: 168–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2008.0217.x

  • Corbin, L. J., S. C. Blott, J. E. Swinburne, C. Sibbons, L. Y. Fox-Clipsham, M. Helwegen, T. D. H. Parkin, J. R. Newton,

  • L. R. Bramlage, and C. W. McIlwraith. 2012. “A Genome- Wide Association Study of Osteochondritis Dissecans in the Thoroughbred.” Mammalian Genome 23: 294–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-011-9363-1

  • Hubert, J. D., and R. E. Beadle. 2002. “Equine Anhidrosis.” Veterinary Clinics of North America—Equine Practice 18: 355–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-0739(02)00016-0

  • Jenkinson, D. M., H. Y. Elder, and D. L. Bovell. 2006. “Equine Sweating and Anhidrosis—Part 1—Equine Sweating.” Veterinary Dermatology 17: 361–392. https://doi. org/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2006.00545.x

  • Johnson, E. B., R. J. MacKay, and J. A. Hernandez. 2010. “An Epidemiologic Study of Anhidrosis in Horses in Florida.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 236: 1091–1097. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.236.10.1091

  • MacKay, R. J. 2008. “Quantitative Intradermal Terbutaline Sweat Test in Horses.” Equine Veterinary Journal 40: 518–520. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516408X322409

  • MacKay, R. J., M. Mallicote, J. A. Hernandez, W. F. Craft, and J. A. Conway. 2015. “A Review of Anhidrosis in Horses.” Equine Veterinary Education 27: 192–199. https:// doi.org/10.1111/eve.12220

  • Makvandi-Nejad, S., G. E. Hoffman, J. J. Allen, E. Chu, E. Gu, A. M. Chandler, A. I. Loredo, R. R. Bellone, J. G. Mezey,

  • S. A. Brooks, and N. B. Sutter. 2012. “Four Loci Explain 83% of Size Variation in the Horse.” PLOS ONE 7: e39929. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039929

  • Mallicote, M. F., C. I. Medina, H. Xie, J. Zilberschtein, S. Atria, M. Manzie, J. Hernandez, and R. J. MacKay. 2013. Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Used for Treatment of Anhidrosis. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

  • Signer-Hasler, H., C. Flury, B. Haase, D. Burger, H. Simianer, T. Leeb, and S. Rieder. 2012. “A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Loci Influencing Height and Other Conformation Traits in Horses.” PLOS ONE 7: e37282. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0037282

  • Stieler, A. L., L. C. Sanchez, M. F. Mallicote, B. B. Marta- bano, J. A. Burrow, and R. J. MacKay. 2015. “Macrolide- Induced Hyperthermia in Foals: Role of Impaired Sweat Responses.” Equine Veterinary Journal. 48(5): 590–594 https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12481

 The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.

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