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Discussion on Effects of altitude change on horses
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Monday, Apr 26, 2004 - 10:14 pm:
We live in Texas and are thinking of taking our horses to Colorado to ride this summer. Several people have suggested to us that the change in altitude from Texas's low altitude to approximately 7500 feet could be dangerous for horses. We had planned to take three days each way for travel and a day of rest before riding in Colorado. Any information that you could give us on this subject would be appreciated.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 - 9:58 am:
Yes your horses might experience decreased performance and will be easier to stress with only a few days adjustment. As a result you should take it easier than at home and monitor your horses more carefully. Another thing to consider is the cooler dryer air is a plus for your horses metabolism so the resulting effect you will see is the balance of the pluses and minuses. I would consider calling a equine veterinarian in the area you plan to ride to get his experiences with horses coming to the area from low altitudes and let us know what he says.
DrO
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 - 10:28 am:
Barbara,
I assume you are about sea level there in Texas? If so, that is a big change and it would take some time for you and your horses to acclimate to the high altitude.
We take horses into the Sierras often, for us that is a change from about 2,400ft to 7000-9000ft. I haven’t had any illness from camping at high altitude but they get winded very easily, but then so do I! I provided them plenty of electrolytes, water and as much hay as they want. Maybe Dr.O will have some suggestions to help them adjust.
My younger gelding that can trot 10 miles and hardly be breathing hard at home is reduced to a panting whipped puppy walking ten miles at 8,000ft. Unless you will be spending the entire summer at the high altitude don’t expect too much from your horses. Of course the better conditioned they are at home the better they will do when you get to camp. We generally stick to 3-5 mile strolls through the pines and enjoy the scenery.
Bring back lots of pictures! 
Good day,
Alden
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 - 11:52 am:
Thank you very much for your helpful comments. I do have a call in to an equine vet in Colorado, but have not yet received a call. I will share her comments when I do.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 - 6:14 pm:
I might add another suggestion or two; the sun is very stong "at altitude" so be sure to wear sun screen, and if you have horses with white noses, put some on them too.
Also, the air is very dry and both you and the horses need to drink as much water as possible. (Wine, beer, coffee and soda don't count for either of you!)
Last suggestion, the weather in both the Sierra's (where I lived at 8000' for over 12 yrs.) and the rockies is very unpredictable. On one memorable sierra's ride I went from about 90 degrees F., to 50 in about 15 mins., and from bright sun to rain, hail, thunder and snow! So, be prepared. Nights are quite cool, so if you and the horses are used to Texas heat, be sure and take blankets for the horses and warm jackets for you.
Have a lot of fun!!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004 - 8:09 am:
Actually some electrolytes may be contraindicated as they contain bicarb and one of the metabolic derangements during the adaption period to high altitudes is alkalosis. Unless the horse is sweating heavily the other electrolytes are not indicated.
The biggest problem is one of oxygenating the tissues and the body responds by producing more RBC's. This generally takes about a month.
DrO
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Monday, May 3, 2004 - 12:21 pm:
DrO, Would it be better just offering straight salt?
I gave them the electrolytes mainly to replace the free choice salt they normally get when at home.
Do you have any articles on this subject? We plan on moving to Wyoming or Montana and guiding with horses so I'd better study up some more. You lost me with the "alkalosis" thing  .
Good day,
Alden
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - 12:40 am:
Thanks for the additional comments. I still haven't heard from the Colorado vet,so will contact my local vet as well as one in Steamboat to see if I can find any additional information. I have only been able to find one article on the Internet regarding this topic. There is apparently a study about to start or currently underway but information appears pretty limited on the topic.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - 7:00 am:
Alden, continuing to offer what they get at home makes perfect sense. If heavy sweating dictates the need for extra electrolytes, just avoid those with bicarbonate in them.
DrO
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2004 - 10:52 pm:
I spoke today with an equine vet who lives in Golden, Colorado. She said that she would not anticipate any problem with the trip, especially if we took several days to get there and didn't work the horses too hard when we first arrived. She said that it did take them several days to acclimate but that there was really nothing that you could or should do in advance. She told me that she used to live in Odessa, Texas and when they moved transported her horses in one 13 hour trip without stopping. Her horses experienced no problems at all. Thanks again for the comments. If we are able to make the trip, I'll let you know how it goes. We are pretty excited about it; it's a beautiful area in both summer and winter.
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Thursday, May 6, 2004 - 10:06 am:
Okay, I'm interested. Where in Colorado are you going? I lived there for a year and would love to go back.
Holly
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Thursday, May 6, 2004 - 9:36 pm:
We are going to Steamboat. We have a ski condo there and go often in the winter, but don't get there often enough in the summer. We'll be riding on a 1000 acre ranch, that is adjacent to thousands more acres of National Forest Land. We're really looking forward to it.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, May 6, 2004 - 10:18 pm:
Barbara-O.K., now you've probably got most of us jealous! That's such beautiful country!! So many Aspen and at the right time of year, lots of wild flowers, too. You're going to have a beautiful time! Enjoy yourselves. Your horses will love the change also. It will be very exciting for them. Better tell them in advance about all the deer, elk, etc. they might see. And, beware of the mountain thunderstorms.
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Friday, May 7, 2004 - 3:39 pm:
Thanks, Sara. They are pretty used to deer, cows, etc., but the elk might be a surprise for them. There is apparently a large elk herd on the ranch where we will be riding. I am used to the rapid changes in temperature that can occur there, so we will try to be prepared for that. By July it is usually over 100 degrees for days at a time, so we are really looking forward to it. Assuming we get to go as planned, I'll let everyone know how the horses respond.
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 6:14 am:
I just looked at my last e-mail and noticed that I left something out! I meant that it was usually over 100 degrees for days at a time here in Texas, not in Colorado. Hope that makes more sense!
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Member:
Donna
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Posted on Friday, Jun 4, 2004 - 3:48 pm:
I lived in Colorado in a town called Conifer for 20 some years, and needless to say I had horses. I think the have an easier time getting used to the altitude than people do. When we had friends bring their horses iwth them the horses did fine, it was always the people who had a problem.. The area you going is truley beautiful as was the area I used to live in, which was back in the time before it got over crowded with too many people. That was the reason we moved to sw Missouri to get away from the over population in Colorado. Enjoy your trip and just take it easy on yourself and horses and you shouldn't have any problems
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Member:
Fla1942
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Posted on Monday, Jul 19, 2004 - 3:32 pm:
Just thought I would let you know that we made the trip to Colorado with no problems at all and had a fantastic time. The horses did not appear to have any problems with the altitude at all. We rode every day for 3-7 hours at a time. The weather was beautiful and we saw elk, deer, antelope and lots of birds. The horses were unfazed by everything except, a time or two, when some very large grouse flushed out practically below their feet. We plan to make the trip again next year. Thanks to everyone for their comments.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004 - 7:40 am:
Thanks Barbara,
Now that you have brought this up I have had a few pony cross clients making the trip to a high elevation that have been wondering about this and I will pass along your experiences.
DrO
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