Health

Understanding the thermoneutral zone

Did you know that horses have a very different thermoneutral zone (TNZ) to humans?

Adele Severs

Published 20 Jun 2020

It’s important not to over-rug your horse – they don’t get as cold as us!

UNDERSTANDING THE THERMONEUTRAL ZONE

Did you know that horses have a very different thermoneutral zone (TNZ) to humans?

As detailed in Pony Club Australia’s revised syllabus of instruction (C Certificate Manual), “Every living creature has a TNZ. This is a temperature range at which the body can maintain normal body temperature without expending too much energy. The TNZ of humans is approximately 25-30 degrees Celsius, but horses can maintain normal body temperature within a range of 5-25 degrees Celsius. This means that you feel cold well before a horse does, but your horse may feel hot before you do.”

Therefore, it’s very important to make sure you don’t over-rug your horse in winter!

Read the full article ‘5 Winter Problems’ in the June issue of Equestrian Life magazine here.

READ THE LATEST NEWS ARTICLES HERE 

M_Ad_out_now_55