Natural Horse Care - Anhydrosis aka "The Puffs" and Drought Feeding Ideas

By: © Victoria Ferguson

With most of NSW and Queensland back in drought and heatwave conditions across the continent, many horses are at risk of developing Anhydrosis aka The Puffs.  And many horse owners and managers may be looking for some ideas for drought feeding. 

ANHYDROSIS

A horse suffering from Anhydrosis and Queensland Itch

This is a very serious condition where the horse is unable to sweat normally, which means it is unable to cool its body, maintain hydration or properly excrete metabolic toxins. Characteristically anhydrotic horses will pant like a dog and can become quite distressed. The hair will stand up, the skin will become dry and frequently itchy skin conditions will result. Often they don’t drink enough water.

The condition often occurs when horses are moved from the more temperate southern climates to the hot and humid areas in the north, especially Northern Australia and the Asian countries. However horses which have been successfully moved north can develop the condition if they are over-stressed during hot conditions. In these climates, horses with anhydrosis can usually be worked in the winter months. Some horses eventually acclimatize in the summer while others do not and have to return south to cooler climates.

There are degrees of anhydrosis. There are plenty of horses in the more temperate climates who do not sweat freely and who also do not drink enough. These would be prime candidates for full blown puffs if they were to move into hotter and more humid climates.

In  heatwave conditions, even with low humidity, horses are at risk of developing Anhydrosis regardless of where they are geographically.  To prevent this do not work horses, ensure they have access to shade and plenty of cool, clean water and monitor them regularly. Remove grains from rations and increase hay.

To promote better water intake Aloe Vera Juice can be syringed directly into the mouth, say 100 ml twice a day for a 500 kg horse,  or added to the feed for maintenance. 

Herbal treatments for this condition are very successful in some horses but to a lesser degree in others.  Some horses may resolve entirely while others always require treatment during the build up and throughout the wet season.

A combination of herbs to stimulate the sweat glands in the skin, adrenal glands and kidneys and water consumption are required. Diaphoretic herbs such as Balm, Yarrow, Fenugreek combined with a kidney/skin herb such as Burdock and some adrenal balancing herbs and carminatives usually is effective. Flower essences for stress and shock are added such as Rescue Remedy and Star of Bethlehem.

Careful attention to diet and training play an essential role in managing the problem.  For example competing in very hot weather is a bad idea.

To rug or not to rug in heatwave conditions is controversial.  The skin of the horse can function better without rugs that is for sure.  The main problem is that these days it is difficult to find rugs made from natural materials which allow the horse’s skin to breathe.  Good shade trees are the answer.

Case History:

Judy  from Darwin, needed help with Bucky who had developed the puffs. This 13 year old 9.2 hand Shetland gelding had been in the Darwin area for years and Judy had owned him for a year and used him for combined driving. He had also developed dry itchy skin which is often associated with anhydrosis, was not drinking well and had a heavy coat. As the humidity was extreme he was clipped to give him an extra helping hand.  To cut a very long and complicated story short Bucky was a difficult case.  After two alterations of mixture he was finally sweating, not puffing, drinking well and not itchy.  The condition was managed but certainly not cured. A total revision of his herbal prescription to try to improve him further worked well. Bucky was then maintained on his usual natural diet and during a big competition trip to Queensland “had never sweated as much in his life”. 

Ask Victoria:

Q: I think my born and bred Queenslander 12 year old gelding had an attack of anhydrosis recently! He hasn't shown any signs prior to this or since. Is this possible ie: for a horse to get it once? I had worked him late in the afternoon on an average hot Queensland day and when I took the (western) saddle off there was not a touch of sweat on him and he was panting heavily (even though we had only done normal work). He normally has a very even sweat mark from the western saddle pad. I hosed him and gave him a drink and after a while he settled down. I was in despair thinking he was going to get it all the time but he hasn't shown any symptoms and has sweated normally since. Have you heard of this before?

A: I feel sure your boy did have an anhydrotic attack and the risk of it setting in comes if they have repeated exposure, the trick is not to let it happen again. So be very careful in what conditions you work this horse.

DROUGHT FEEDING

linseeds

In times of drought, trying to find cheap fillers to augment hay rations and keep horses’ guts moving in a healthy way is a challenge. 

One answer is Millet and Linseed Porridge which will provide protein, mucilage and oil, and helps to move sand & gravel through and keep the gut  hydrated.  It is not expensive but it is time consuming to make. 

A measure of 2 cups White French Millet to 1 cup of Whole Linseeds is boiled with 8 cups of boiling water which becomes a glutinous porridge. It burns easily and boils over easily so needs watching & stirring occasionally for the hour it takes to cook. This amount is sufficient to feed a 500 kg horse per day in drought conditions. The volume of a metric cup is 250 ml for measuring the seeds and water.  The cooked porridge can be added to chaff and/or bran or fed straight plus hay.  Most horses find this porridge very palatable. 

The team at Horsezone is excited to bring you informative articles from Victoria Ferguson Dip.Herb.Med., herbalist, horsewoman and author of The Complete Horse Herbal  www.thecountryherbalist.com.au