Endurance Horse Post-Ride Care

There is no question that horses competing in the sport of endurance are performance athletes. Traversing many miles over varying terrains at different speeds and distances can take its toll on your equine partner in a variety of ways, whether in the form of tying up, colic, dehydration, or another issue. It is imperative to closely monitor and attend to your horse after an endurance ride to encourage their recovery and catch any potential problems early on. We understand how demanding long-distance riding is on both the horse and rider, so our crew has created a guide of simple practices you can follow to care for your endurance horse after a hard training ride or competition. Taking the time to address your horse's needs post-ride will help ensure their longevity!

Cool Your Horse Down Post-Ride

After a strenuous ride, your horse's recovery process begins with cooling them down while their muscles are tired and fatigued. If a hot horse is not properly cooled, the strain on their muscles, joints, and tissues can cause injury, a pulled muscle, heat stroke, or other problems. It is particularly important to take extra precautions in hot and humid weather, which slows down your horse's natural cooling; humid conditions decrease the rate at which sweat evaporates from the skin surface, inhibiting your horse's thermoregulation.

Hosing your horse down with a continuous flow of cold water for 10 to 20 minutes is the most efficient cooling process. Start at the hooves and slowly work your way up the legs, chest, and neck. Work your way over the back and rump in hot and humid conditions; however, you might want to avoid the major haunch muscles in dry, mild climates in order to prevent the possibility of your horse tying-up. Know your horse and use your discretion, as you will find varying opinions on this matter. If in doubt, consult a vet at the endurance ride for their professional insight.

At most ride sites, you won't have access to a running hose, and more riders than just you are looking to cool their horses down. Therefore, you can use a round of buckets to keep pouring cold water over your horse. You can also use a bucket and sponge to apply cold water, scrape to remove, then apply more cold water. It is believed that removing the water warmed by your horse's sweat and putting more cold water back on cools your horse's core temperature at a faster rate.

Once your horse's muscles have relaxed a bit from the cold water therapy, continue to cool them down with easy, light exercise. Stagger between grazing, hand walking, and periodic jogs to encourage the stretching of your horse's muscles through long, slow movements. The last thing you want to do after a ride is immediately put your hot horse back in their pen or leave them standing at the trailer!

Post-Ride Hydration

Once you have been successfully vetted through the last vet check, offer your horse clean, fresh water to help replenish their fluid loss from sweating. Be aware that your horse might not want water right away; some horses may wait until they're fully cooled down to drink. You may also find that one horse prefers a long drink while another prefers periodic drinks. The vast majority of horses do not drink beyond what their stomach can handle, and it is arguably healthier for endurance horses to have immediate fresh water access following intense exercise. Your horse knows what its body needs, and a healthy equine will regulate its own water consumption.

If your horse is picky about their water sources, you may want to bring water from home with you to help them hydrate. A lot of endurance riders choose to mix up mashes or offer soaked feeds to get more water in their horses; this is also a great way to feed powdered electrolytes or other carrier supplements! No matter how you hydrate your horse, water is necessary for their metabolism (to help break down protein, carbohydrates, and fats). It is very important for endurance horses to receive water to replenish the fluids they lost during the ride, especially in hot and humid conditions that increase fluid loss. Allow your horse to drink as much as they want!

Post-Ride Liniment & Poultice

Liniments and poultices are a tool an endurance rider may choose or choose not to take advantage of. It is important to note that liniments and poultices interact differently with your horse's skin when applied. Liniments contain menthol that offers topical pain relief by stimulating your horse's nerves as a counter-irritant. Clay poultices contain smectites that draw out moisture to absorb fluids, toxins, and any other contaminants. Whether you prefer a liniment or poultice, both help cool a horse's muscles while reducing stiffness, soreness, and inflammation. Liniments may be applied locally to a certain area like the legs, or to the entire body for overall muscle recovery. Poultices are typically applied to the legs only, then wrapped for the most efficacy. Poultices can also be packed into the hoofs to offer the additional benefit of relieving any bruising or pain after a long ride. Check out our video on How to Wrap & Poultice a Horse Leg for more information!

Some endurance riders will choose to use a liniment as a bath brace right after their ride, as part of their horse's cooling process for fast-acting relief. With poultices on the legs, however, it is recommended to use them after your horse has already recovered and cooled down. Applying poultice after a hosing or icing session actually helps extend the cooling effect for a deeper therapeutic treatment. Wrapping on top of a liniment or poultice will prolong their provided benefits, but follow the manufacturer's directions; not every liniment is suitable for use under wraps!

Pre-Ride & Post-Ride Electrolytes

Especially in endurance horses, it is important to replace vital minerals that are lost from sweating (like sodium and potassium). Electrolyte supplements are specifically formulated to replenish your horse's depleted mineral levels while encouraging them to drink more water. Electrolytes should preferably be administered after your horse eats or drinks, so the ingredients can more effectively be absorbed and utilized by your horse's digestive system. Electrolyte solutions carry a small electrical charge that allows them to regulate the horse's nerves, muscles, and organs.

Endurance horses are primarily in need of the following electrolytes to maintain their body function: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chlorides. An endurance horse is more prone to becoming deficient in sodium and chloride due to intense, extended exercise. When your horse's electrolytes are imbalanced, their nerves are more sensitive and irritated, making them prone to metabolic issues like thumps. Work with your veterinarian to help determine the electrolyte needs of your specific endurance horse.

Each horse's electrolyte needs are unique to them, as some require more metabolic help than others. In general, endurance horses are given electrolytes about a week leading up to the ride to preload. During the endurance ride, electrolytes are administered about every 10 to 20 miles depending on the weather conditions and the rate at which your horse is sweating (which determines the amount and frequency of supplementation). You can offer your horse water dosed with a powdered electrolyte after your endurance ride to ensure they're hydrating while improving electrolyte levels. An electrolyte program continued for a few days after the ride may help your horse have a quicker recovery.

If your horse is given electrolytes without a healthy water intake, the high mineral levels in their blood can cause metabolic issues. It is possible to overdose your horse with electrolytes! Work with your veterinarian or equine nutritionist to help maintain a healthy electrolyte balance in your endurance horse.

Therapeutic Hoof Boots

Most endurance horses are shod or use performance riding hoof boots for support during challenging rides. For the barefoot competition horse, a rider might choose to elevate their horse's heels after the ride with therapeutic hoof boots, which improve blood circulation and take pressure off of the tendons. You can also conveniently use these hoof boots during long hauls in the trailer to and from your endurance rides to absorb the concussion felt by bumps on the road.

If your horse pulls a shoe, gets bruised, or becomes lame, a therapeutic hoof boot is also an ideal spare tire to have in your trailer tool kit. If you are unsure how to size for hoof boots, check out our guide on How to Choose Horse Hoof Boots. Your endurance horse just exerted a great amount of energy, and it is important to allow them the opportunity to rest their tired muscles for their recovery!

Q: Does body clipping cool horses down faster?

A: Yes! A horse with a shorter, clipped coat is more efficient at cooling themselves down in warm weather or after intense activity. Clipping reduces sweating, which allows the horse to regulate their body temperature by better dissipating sweat. Many endurance riders choose to give their horse a trace clip to increase the speed at which their horses cool down and dry after exercise without sacrificing their horse's natural thermoregulation. For more information on body clipping, the different kinds of clips, and how to body clip, check out our Complete Guide to Body Clipping Horses.

Q: How long does it take a horse to recover from exercise and how long should I let my horse rest?

A: You will find a lot of opinions on how long a horse needs to rest and recover after an endurance ride, as the amount of time is dependent upon a variety of factors. How many miles did you ride, and how strenuous was the ride? Is your horse expressing signs of discomfort? Most endurance riders choose to let their horses rest overnight after a ride, then they trailer back home the next day. In the trailer, your horse's tendons and ligaments absorb a significant amount of motion to dampen the movements; staying balanced is essentially a workout, and your horse will feel like they walked a mile for every mile driven! You should regularly palpate your horse's legs to familiarize yourself with what is normal pre- and post-ride. If you feel any heat, swelling, or tenderness, treat your horse accordingly and give them more rest time.

Once you've arrived back home, turnout time is helpful for your horse's overall recovery due to the increased circulation from walking around a pasture or paddock. Long, slow hand walking or an easygoing, short-mounted ride can help loosen your horse's muscles to lessen any stiffness. The general rule for endurance horses is one day off for every 10 trail miles; however, other riders choose a set amount of rest time for a set distance (such as 1 week off after a 25-mile ride). Depending on the ride and the condition of the horse, resting for a few days or weeks is typically long enough to unload without compromising tissue strength and quality. Some competition horses bounce back quicker than others, so closely monitor your horse to learn what they can and cannot tolerate.

Q: Can I use a sweat wrap after my endurance ride?

A: No! Sweat wraps are not intended to be used immediately after exercise because they increase heat and circulation to a problem area. After a ride, a horse's tendons and ligaments are slightly swollen, tender, and warm. Increasing heat to the legs with a sweat wrap when they're already too warm from exercise can really damage your horse's delicate tendons and ligaments! If there is an issue (like a sprain) that you're trying to bring more blood circulation to in order to reduce swelling, do not do so with a sweat wrap directly after your ride. First start with cold therapy methods like hosing to reduce inflammation and tissue damage. Then, re-evaluate and consult with a veterinarian to determine whether your horse needs a sweat wrap treatment.

Just like we take care of ourselves after intense exercise to prevent injury, we need to do the same for our horses to ensure their longevity. Endurance horses especially undergo a significant amount of physical stress due to the intensive nature of the sport. As equine athletes, it is important to follow a few simple care steps to help your endurance horse's performance after your ride. Issues like soreness, tying up, and heat exhaustion can arise without proper care! We hope this guide has offered some tips you will take into your next endurance ride, so you can have more peace of mind while helping your horse recover. Should you have any questions, contact our customer service team at 1-800-620-9145 or info@ridingwarehouse.com for help. Happy riding!