Fun in the Sun!

Hello again!

Looking at me calendar, I realized that today, June 21st, is the official start of summer. You may be saying - "What's the big deal?" - but as an old police horse, I can tell you that working in the summer heat can take a lot out of you. Many people spend their summers working with their horses in the show ring, at the racetrack, or riding the trails. Heat stress is a big concern to both equine athletes and their owners.

We have some natural ways of cooling off during exercise that you may be familiar with. First off, we sweat (a lot)! When sweat evaporates off horses' skin, it releases energy and helps to lower surface temperature; it's the same way you keep cool while playing on a warm, sunny day. During exercise, our hearts are also pumping a lot of blood. Much of that blood is redirected to the capillaries and blood vessels just under our skin. That's why when you see a horse finishing up some hard work it looks like there is a spidery web of veins underneath the hair. Because the surface of a horse's body is cooler than its body core, the blood flowing just under the skin cools off faster. Horses also will breathe faster because some heat can be dissipated when they exhale, and we inhale nice, cool air to keep our muscles working.

You may think that all this stuff I'm saying is just hot air because it sounds like how you keep cool during the summer, but it really has been scientifically proven! It's another way that horses and humans are connected.

If you worry that your horse is overheating, the first thing you can do is move it out of the sun and into the shade. You can also hose off your horse's legs and body with cold water. This will cool off the blood flowing just below the skin, which will then help cool off the body core. To prevent dehydration, allow your horse to have several small drinks of water, but be careful - too much cold water too fast can give us a belly ache! Electrolytes (elek-tro-lites) are also a good idea; you can find more information about those by visiting the Healthcare and Nutrition page on Equine Science 4 Kids!

All this typing has caused me to break out in a sweat! I think I'll find a nice, shady spot to cool off!

I'm Headline News!

Hi Friends!

I picked up the newspaper today and it was like looking in the mirror! Two of my favorite New Jersey newspapers featured yours truly in an article about Equine Science 4 Kids! If you did not have a chance to grab a copy of the paper, you can click here to read the article.

I am glad they chose to feature me during the Month of the Horse! All this talk about June being the Month of the Horse got me to thinking, "Why does New Jersey have a month dedicated to horses?" Of course, I know why horses are so great, but what made the folks in Trenton decide to celebrate horses every June?

It turns out that a couple of kids made it happen! That's right, it all started when a fifth and eighth grader convinced the state legislature to declare the horse the official state animal in 1977. Boy they made a good call with that one!

Did you know that the horse is even featured on the state seal, representing power and strength? Since horses have such a strong history in the Garden State, and because horses improve the economy and quality of life for the people of New Jersey, we have been celebrating the Month of the Horse since 1998!

Here are some interesting facts about the horse industry in New Jersey from my friends at the Equine Science Center:

• The horse industry contributes over $1 billion annually to the economy in New Jersey! That could buy a lot of apples and carrots!
• 13,000 people work in the New Jersey horse industry! That includes trainers, veterinarians, and the owner of your local feed or tack store, among many others.
• 176,000 acres are used to house horses in New Jersey! In other words, one fifth of all the agricultural land in the Garden State is related to horses. I sure am grateful for all the farmers out there raising hay and grain for us to eat (46,000 acres worth), we can't survive on hot dogs alone! I also love seeing my horse friends running and playing in nice, open, and green pastures all throughout the state!
• 42,500 horses live in the Garden State! Hunterdon, Monmouth, and Burlington counties have the greatest number of horse farms and stables.

Between my excitement over that awesome article and crunching all those numbers about horses in New Jersey, this old boy is getting a little sleepy! I think I'll sign off and take a nap in the sun!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Horses on Treadmills?!

Have you ever seen a horse running on a treadmill? I'm just checking in to let you know that there is a new video starring my friend Frankie performing a Graded Exercise Test (GXT) on the Equine Science 4 Kids site. The video shows the work done by both horses and humans at the Equine Science Center. Click here to watch.

I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend, I know I did! There are some new pictures of me featured here on my blog. Be sure to check them out to see one of the odd things I like to eat! Don't forget, you can always email me at LordNelson@njaes.rutgers.edu.

That's all for now, but stay tuned as we continue to celebrate the Month of the Horse!