I can empathize. I also do not have a good sweater but he excels at picking out the supplements I am trying to force on him. 
Joke’s on him though at least for the electrolytes which I am giving via syringe.
1 Like
Everyone who hasn’t tried acupuncture for anhidrosis yet, I highly recommend it. I observed a horse have one session and went from not sweating at all in the middle of a heat wave to some sweating. I think they followed up with one or two more sessions and he was sweating almost normally for the rest of the summer.
For maintenance, the horse should get a session or two of acupuncture right before it warms up.
2 Likes
Mine is getting acupuncture Friday morning. It’s probably going to be a one-and-done unfortunately as the vet doing it is from the other side of the state and only comes into the area every so often. But she thinks it could be beneficial and I’m willing. She also has some Chinese herbs that she says have helped a lot of horses.
My dude has been sweating lightly since finishing the EquiWinner patches and just seems more comfortable overall. He’s still not sweating enough to cool himself efficiently when ridden, so I hosed him before riding this morning and misted him with a spray bottle of cool water and Absorbine CoolDown half-way through our ride. That helped a little. He was sweatier at the end of today’s ride than the one we had a couple of days ago…good amount of sweat under his saddle pad and girth and crown piece of his bridle, somewhat damp between hinds and across his chest and lower half of his neck.
Went to check on him about 2:30 and he was in his stall (comes and goes as he pleases) under his fan, respiration good and a nice light sweat over his neck, shoulders, and even in his flank a bit.
I’m giving him two heaping scoops of One AC 2x per day and Apple-a-Day Electrolytes. The weather has been a tad “cooler” (hard to call it that), but the heat index is still near or at triple digits each afternoon. But in the 101-105 range instead of the 110-115 range. Humidity is through the roof.
I’ll report back on how the acupuncture does for him. I’m just glad he’s got SOME sweat now instead of being 100% dry like he was before.
2 Likes
Thought I’d post an update…frustrating as it is.
Horse loved his acupuncture yesterday. Got him the Chinese herbs for anhidrosis and started those yesterday PM.
Horse was good this morning even though it was already brutally humid.
By 1:00 this afternoon when I returned, he was out grazing in the 100+ heat index sun, coat pretty much dry, huffing and puffing.
Sigh.
After hosing and tucking him away under his fan with water and hay, I went straight to the store and got him a 6-pack of Guinness Extra Stout. Came back and fixed him a bucket of Unbeetable Forage Only soaked in water and a bottle of the beer. He was working on it when I left.
I’m all out of things to try at this point. He’s on One AC and has been for a few weeks getting two heaping scoops twice a day. He’s on Apple-a-Day electrolytes. He’s had the 10-day course of EquiWinner patches. He’s had acupuncture. He’s on the Chinese herbs. And now he’s getting Guinness.
If all of this doesn’t break through, I think it’s just going to take some sort of relief in this god-awful heat for him to come around.
I hate this stupid condition. I also hate this stupid weather. But I’m glad I have the ability to take care of him for at least the next few weeks before I head back to work. Next year I will not procrastinate and he will get all the things before the extreme heat hits.
1 Like
I’m right there with you. My list is about the same as yours.
Mine is doing the same thing. He got acupuncture #2 Thursday. He had some sweat today at the roots of his mane and under his tail . That’s the most sweat he’s had in two years
1 Like
Oh wow. I’m grateful that so far mine seems to reset when the weather cools down a reasonable amount. He’s been like this for probably ten years himself, and some summers are worse than others. This has been the worst one yet, hands down.
Fingers crossed that your guy continues to improve! I wish I could do acupuncture more often, but the vet that does it only comes into the area a few times a year.
I envy people their sweaty horses. I remember when it used to bother me to see a sweaty horse. “Poor thing,” I’d say. Now I’d give anything to see mine slick with sweat.
2 Likes
Agreed. Sweat may be kind of gross, but it’s good.
Feronia is not sweating right now, but it hasn’t been extremely hot, and she’s spent the last two days, during the day, in the barn with a strong fan as a companion for an injured horse, who is sedated, but not so much that she doesn’t react badly when she realizes she’s alone.
1 Like
