Horse owners turn to sub-zero relief in triple digit heat
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Horse owners are trying to beat triple-digit heat with sub-zero technology as a lucrative cutting horse competition finishes in Fort Worth this week.
The relentless summer heat wave hit during the three-week run of the National Cutting Horse Association's Summer Spectacular, when more than 1,900 horses and 13,000 cattle move in and out of the Will Rogers Memorial Complex.
Indoor arenas have air conditioning, but in the open-air barns, evaporative coolers are set up to keep the temperature down. Hundreds of fans create a breeze across individual stalls.
Practice sessions in the outdoor shaded practice arenas often happen after dark, when the temperatures have dropped. Just like athletes, electrolytes and supplements are added to the animal's water and feed.
"These animals, most of them are better taken care of than we take care of ourselves," said Jay Winborn, executive director of the NCHA.
The heat can be taxing on the horses he said, which compete in a fast-paced sport, cutting off a cow from a small herd, then preventing it from returning by reacting to the cow's moves.
With energy and instinct at a premium, ice-cold salt water circulation spas replicate the ice baths in pro athlete locker rooms, surrounding the horse's legs and joints.
"They see a big difference in the way that they move," said Stacie Pettitt, who bought one of the spas for her own horses before expanding to a business. "Especially if they have a little bit of arthritis which is normal on a lot of these horses."
Going a step further, for the first time this year a horse-sized mobile cryotherapy trailer is at the show. Horses spend five minutes inside a chamber that uses liquid nitrogen to cool to minus-220 degrees.
Tired horses walking in from the arena Thursday, appeared to instantly relax once the hyper-cooled air surrounded them.
"Some of them will fall asleep. It's pretty funny to watch," said Sofia Borowski, a Hawaiian rider who operates FullStride Cryotherapy.
The competition finals run Friday and Saturday at the Will Rogers complex. Entry is free, with parking available for $12, and Western shopping and concessions available on-site.