Top 9 things horse riders need to know about first aid for hypothermia

Updated January, 2024

When working with horses everyone understands there is a certain risk involved, but few of us ever think about the risk associated with the lifestyle we all know and love. As equestrians we expose ourselves to the elements day in and day out, blistering heat in the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter. But how often do we stop and think of the consequences of this exposure? Would you know what to do if the elements took hold and got the better of you?

We all know that as the seasons change so does the weather. Most of us will experience snow and freezing temperatures during the winter months and as such we should all know how to spot and quickly treat the problems caused by extreme cold.

1. Due to prolonged time spent outside in cold conditions equestrians are vulnerable to hypothermia, a condition where someone’s body temperature drops below 35°C (normal body temperature is around 37°C).
2. Signs and symptoms of hypothermia are easy to spot and include; shivering; cold, pale and dry skin; confusion; slow, shallow breathing; tiredness; irrational behaviour and a slow and weakening pulse.
3. What to do – if you fear someone is becoming hypothermic it is vital to get them inside as quickly as possible. Warm them up using layers of blankets and heating the room to around 25°C.
4. Feed them high energy food like chocolate and hot (non-caffeinated) drinks. Food is fuel and will help warm them from the inside.
5. Children are particularly susceptible to hypothermia because they are less able to regulate their internal temperature as a result of their body’s smaller surface area, smaller amounts of subcutaneous fat and a not-yet-fully-developed ability to shiver. They may claim to not be feeling the cold as they are naturally so active that their bodies are usually generating enough heat to keep the feeling warm. They don’t notice they are getting very very cold until it is in a state of hypothermia.
6. Riding conditions and the environment can quickly accelerate the onset of hypothermia. Beach rides are great but remember that the average sea temperature around the UK rarely goes above 17 degrees, 20 degrees lower than our normal body temperature. Prolonged cold water exposure, wind chill factors and going for a swim with your horse are all factors that should all be considered when heading to the beach.
7. If not recognised, hypothermia can quickly become life threatening and severe hypothermia is when the body temperature falls below 30°C and is often fatal. At this point casualties will be unconscious or near unconsciousness.
8. Stuck outside? If the person is outside and you are unable to bring them in you must act fast, ring 999/112 and ask for an ambulance.
9. While you wait, stay with the patient and get them off the cold floor or ground in any way possible onto a rug or mat and covered with a foil blanket. Keep talking to your casualty and monitor their pulse, breathing and responsiveness until medical help arrives. Make sure you keep warm too!

Preventing hypothermia is better than the cure – or the impact of the condition.

Be equipped for the conditions and have access to spare high energy food and warm drinks. Regardless of the season or the outside temperature, equestrians are vulnerable and as such we should all be prepared with correct first aid action and equipment.

Ensure you have the equipment in your first aid kit to deal with anyone with hypothermia. There are plenty of blankets around the yard but clean warm human only blankets are best kept in the yard store. For indoor or outdoor use, lightweight foil blankets are light to carry, clean and are designed to reflect a casualty’s body heat back onto them, thereby reducing the worsening impact of hypothermia.

Don’t forget your extremities. Hands, feet and heads lose a lot of heat and make your day miserable if they are always cold doing the morning or evening rounds. Waterproof gloves are well worth the investment especially if you need to break the ice in a water trough. Waterproof socks and warm head and neck coverings will also help keep you comfortable in all the wind and rain that winter can throw at you.

Our Equestrian Specific Accident book

Our Equestrian Incident Report Book is specifically designed for use in Equestrian settings. While lots of other sectors are increasingly moving online, we appreciate that this just isn’t practical in an equestrian setting where there is muck and dust and rain, and where a computer either wouldn’t have a wifi signal, or wouldn’t last long if it did! In many (most?!) equestrian venues, pen and paper still reign supreme, so we’ve re-thought the standard incident report book to make it as relevant and simple to use as possible.

Find out more about what’s in our equestrian specific accident book here or you can view and buy it in our online shop here.

Get confident – get trained!

Medi-K and the First Aid Training Cooperative offer a wide range of first aid courses designed especially for equestrians, yard owners and grooms of all levels which will ensure you are prepared for all weather-related situations. To find out which first aid course is best for you check out our specific equestrian first aid webpage.

Medi-K and First Aid Training Co-operative have come together to run specialist equestrian specific first aid courses. For more information about our first aid courses please contact us.