Peaceful Ridge Rescue
Summer Newsletter (July 2018)
Another Year Half Over
Thank you for everyone who attended our Gala. It was a success and we have a ton of smaller fundraisers planned for the rest of the year so please stay tuned.
Horses Need Salt
Horse of the Month
Thunder
Rescues are supposed to be half-ways homes for horses, not permanent. Please take Thunder to your place and give him the life he deserves.
If you are interested in Thunder, please call Laura at 954-290-2395.
Is My Horse Too Hot?
Summer is tough on our equine friends. Here are a few pointers to help tell if your horse is overheating.
Heat Stress
To determine the risk of heat stress, add the air temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) and the humidity. If the number is near 140 or above, reduce exercise, especially in high humidity. If the total exceeds 180, refrain from exercise.
Temp. + Hum. < 120
Normal cooling mechanisms are sufficient if the horse is not obese or has a long hair coat.
Temp. + Hum. > 140
Horse relies mostly on sweating to dissipate body heat
Temp. + Hum.> 150
If humidity contributes to more than half, sweating becomes compromised
Temp. + Hum.> 180
Heat stress may occur, no natural means for the body to rid heat and internal temperature may continue to rise.
Table 1: Veterinary Manual for the Performance Horse (Loving, 1993.)
Check vital signs
Check your horse's temperature, pulse and respiration when he is calm, cool and in good health. Put the information with his veterinary records, to be used for comparison if the horse is overheated or seems ill.
Temperature
Normal temperature for a horse is 99 to 100.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures above 104F could indicate life-threatening illness.
Pulse
A horse's pulse can be taken by placing ends of fingers against an artery on the lower jaw midway between the angle of the jaw and front teeth, or inside the foreleg, just in front of the elbow. To determine the number of heartbeats per minute, count for 15 seconds and multiply by four. A normal resting horse has a heart rate of 35-40 beats per minute. A rate above 80 should be considered serious in most non-exercising horses. Heart rates that stay above 60 in a horse that is calm can be a sign of trouble.
Respiration
The horse should spend equal time breathing in and breathing out. Respiration can be counted by watching the horse's nostrils, watching the horse's torso at the end of the rib cage, or by listening to the trachea (windpipe) in the neck. As with the heart rate, count for 15 seconds and multiply by four. A normal adult horse at rest breathes eight to 20 times per minute (sources vary on exact number). High respiratory rates indicate pain, excitement, elevated temperature and/or a wide variety of possible infections.
Tasteful Thoughts Fundraiser
Saturday, Aug 11th, 12pm-2pm at Tasteful Thoughts in Cooper City in the Timberlake Plaza.
Tickets are $25 per person and purchased at the door. Space is limited. Please RSVP.
See you there!
Saturday, Aug 11, 2018, 12:00 PM
8692 Griffin Road, Cooper City, FL 33328
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Contact Us
Email: DonationsPRR@gmail.com
Website: www.peacefulridgerescue.org
Phone: 9542406080
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeacefulRidgeRescue/