The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will commence on July 27th in London, England, and end on August 12th. The games will be the 30th Olympiad, and the third time London hosted the world event during its modern history. The equestrian competitions will take place at Greenwich Park, one of the oldest Royal Parks in London and the largest single green space in the south east area of the city. There are six main events scheduled to take place at Greenwich Park: individual dressage, team dressage, individual jumping, team jumping, individual eventing and team eventing.
The venue chosen for the equestrian events was first developed during the 15th century, and handed over to the British Crown in 1427 as a gift to Henry VI. The land was used for hunting and hawking by the Royal family for hundreds of years, but not before being enclosed in 1433. Today the 180 acres of forest and grassland includes structures such as Greenwich Castle, the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Vanbrugh Castle, Blackheath and Ranger’s House. Greenwich Park is an ideal location for such ancient sports as equestrian jumping and dressage. There are incredible examples of medieval architecture and landscaping for athletes, organizers and fans to enjoy along with watching the competitions.
There are disadvantages to using historical surroundings for these types of events; most importantly is the lack of ambient control. London may have a reputation for being wet, but in July and August the average temperature can reach between 22 and 32 degrees Celsius (70 to 90 F). Now take into account the fact that horses feel the heat of summer ten times faster than humans. According to Professor Michael Lindinger of the University of Guelph, it only takes 17 minutes of moderate exercise in a hot environment for a horse’s temperature to increase to dangerous, even fatal, levels.
The normal body temperature for a healthy horse is anywhere from 37 to 41 C (98.6 to 105.8 F). When exercise or ambient heat causes their body temperature to rise just two degrees, proteins within the muscle begin to cook. The higher the number goes, even in small increments, the more damage is done. First there is slowing of heart rate and blood pressure, then colic, and eventually renal failure. Obviously the natural biology of the horse provides an instinctive method of cooling the body, sweat. However, for such a large body it takes an incredible amount of sweat to cool it. Even in a relatively cool environment, a horse can sweat up to 20 liters (five gallons) per hour and 30 liters (eight gallons) per hour on a hot day.
When we sweat, 50% of the liquid evaporates and cools our body down. For horses, there is such a large quantity of sweat being produced that only about 30% of it evaporates and in turn has a cooling effect. The rest just pours off. Additionally, the sweat from horses is four times more concentrated with salt than ours. Losing that many electrolytes through sweating on an hourly basis can be fatal. Thus, rehydrating a dehydrated horse means using more than just water. Ideally a solution of electrolyte-rich water will keep the horse hydrated and replace vital nutrients. So, we have a beautiful and powerful creature that gets hotter faster, secretes a massive amount of bodily fluids per hour and is in constant need of electrolyte rich hydration.
Considering these facts, it is absolutely imperative the stables for the equestrian Olympic teams (and any horse stable for that matter) have a successful method of cooling for their horses. Up until recently the most frequently used method of cooling horses was restricted to using fans. Water for cooling was avoided because it led to wet hay, and wet hay led to mold. We now know environmental cooling is the best method for keeping horses comfortable, and ideally in a manner that can allow the animals to move about freely. The Olympic equestrian team has chosen a state of the art misting fan system that not only cools the horses most effectively; it has been customized to accommodate the unique features of the venue.
Misting fans work on the principal of water moving past air at an incredibly high rate of speed in the form of a mist that evaporates almost immediately upon release from the high pressure nozzle. The evaporating droplets of water have an instantaneous cooling effect on the immediate environment, without leaving puddles or getting the surroundings wet. Since misting systems are so pliable in design, they can be used in a multitude of ways. For example, the Olympic equestrian team can dress and saddle their horses under misting fans without everything and everyone getting wet, or cool the horses down after a rigorous event. After all, a horse that is isolated from the heat of summer most certainly performs with greater success.
The Olympic Games are always an important event. Although, it does seem as though having the equestrian competitions placed in Greenwich Park, where there is already such a long history of horsemanship, seems to demand a greater focus on the majestic power and beauty of the horse. Yet even amid that power there is a gentleness of spirit, and as we have learned here, a delicate constitution which must be attended with great care.
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