# Foaming in between the legs



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

When that happens to my horses it's usually the hind legs up by their rump and it's simply sweat - like the way a horse will lather up on their necks when hot and worked.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

Yer I thought it was, but a lady yesterday said it ment they were working well or something and I didn't see how that would work.


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## Zimalia (May 8, 2011)

As your horse gets into better condition, they stop foaming "lathering" and it will be simply sweat.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Working well or not, most horses with lather up down there when they work up a good sweat. I think the only exception would be a horse that was too thin or had horrible conformation and their butt didn't rub together.


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## raywonk (Jan 9, 2011)

Sonds hinky to me. My horse can be working porly and work up a sweat or working like a rock star. He has but issues anyway. I tell him it is ok I have hip issues.


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## GeminiJumper (Jun 12, 2008)

Just means they're sweating.

Probably what that lady was talking about that it meant they were working well, although not in the same spot lol, is when a horse foams at the mouth with the bit. Usually means the horse has a relaxed jaw, is mouthing the bit, and is taking the contact.


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## Arksly (Mar 13, 2010)

Zimalia said:


> As your horse gets into better condition, they stop foaming "lathering" and it will be simply sweat.


 
The foam is from something rubbing up against the sweaty part. I.e. the reins against the neck.

I was always told that it means they are using the muscles in their hind end more so it sweats more there.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Yup, it's just that the horse is working/sweating, and with the legs rubbing together, the sweat lathers/foams up. The same can happen on the neck if the horse is sweating and the reins rub on the neck. It's just like when we wash our hands. We put soap on them but when we rub them together, they lather up.


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## Zimalia (May 8, 2011)

Arksly said:


> The foam is from something rubbing up against the sweaty part. I.e. the reins against the neck.
> 
> I was always told that it means they are using the muscles in their hind end more so it sweats more there.


And once you get your horse into better condition, the lather stops, and it's just water sweat.


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## Arksly (Mar 13, 2010)

Zimalia said:


> And once you get your horse into better condition, the lather stops, and it's just water sweat.


I don't understand how that works though. Sweat is still sweat. All of the horses that I've known that are fit (due to intensive training) with lather when they sweat. Even if you just take your hand and rub it against a sweaty part on their body.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Zimalia said:


> And once you get your horse into better condition, the lather stops, and it's just water sweat.


 When they get in beter condition, they may sweat less. If they sweat enough, they will still lather or foam.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Zimalia said:


> And once you get your horse into better condition, the lather stops, and it's just water sweat.


I'm afraid that isn't true. Proof is the winner of the Kentucky Derby. If you watch him at the end of the race, he was lathered up where the reins contacted his neck. Heavy sweat turns to lather and it's nothing to be concerned about unless he is overly lathered for doing very little work - then it's a matter of being out of condition.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Zimalia said:


> And once you get your horse into better condition, the lather stops, and it's just water sweat.


Simply not true.

Watch any professional horse event (racing, eventing, reining, etc). Where the horses are at the peak of condition and simply doing their job.

They still lather.


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## Zimalia (May 8, 2011)

Guys, it IS true. Once your horse is in excellent fit working condition, they don't lather. 

While I had my stallion at the trainers for cutting training, we'd be loping for 2 to 3 hours at a time, He'd be wet, but NO lather. Once your horse in in excellent condition, they don't lather. They sweat just a wet water sweat.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Zimalia, you can say it is as many times as you like, it does not make it true.

A very fit horse might sweat less, which will maybe lead to less lather affect in those cases. But being in shape does not equal no lather.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Well I guess Animal Kingdom must be out of shape


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Zimalia said:


> Guys, it IS true. Once your horse is in excellent fit working condition, they don't lather.
> 
> While I had my stallion at the trainers for cutting training, we'd be loping for 2 to 3 hours at a time, He'd be wet, but NO lather. Once your horse in in excellent condition, they don't lather. They sweat just a wet water sweat.


It isn't a hard and fast rule, of course, as the examples that Iride and Always mentioned are obviously in top condition, but I have experienced it to be _relatively_ true that a horse who is used to sweating takes more to leather than a horse who isn't used to sweating. I read that it's something to do with dirty buildup in the pores contributing to lather, and sweating clears those dirty pores out. 

Friction is just going to make lather no matter what; reins against the neck, breastcollar against the chest, or between the hind legs. Mixing air in makes froth in sweat, no matter how great of condition the horse is in. :wink:


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

iridehorses said:


> Well I guess Animal Kingdom must be out of shape


Obviously.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Zimalia said:


> And once you get your horse into better condition, the lather stops, and it's just water sweat.


The lather is from CONTACT - the reins on the neck, the breastcollar on their chest, back legs touching, etc. It has nothing to do with the fitness level of the horse.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

My mare used to a lather a lot when I first got her, but doesn't do it as much any more.
I'm sure the lather is due to a combination of things, the reins rubbing, the physical condition of the horse, the extent of the work out, and emotional state (nerves, excitement)


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## Zimalia (May 8, 2011)

Ok, I will buy that it is from the contact with the reins. In cutting, you have no contact with the reins. 

But, you notice, the horse is wet, not all lathered all over.

Unfit horses lather a great deal more than a fit in condition horse. It's a fact. 

It is not unusual to lope a cutting horse hours at a time. You won't see a speck of lather on them. They will be wet with sweat, but no lather.


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

No one said lather all over. Even the OP was referring to between the legs. Stick to the topic and don't over exaggerate. I've seen plenty of horses larger between the legs who are in amazing shape. Yes, they'll drip sweat all over, but they still lather between their hind legs, just to a different degree than an out of shape horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

You are missing one of the main reasons for heavy lather on a horse. It has to do with a diet high in calcium. Horses that consume a higher % of alfalfa in their diet usually get 2-3 times the calcium they need and this creates a heavier lather.

this is one of the main reason that endurance riders avoid feeding a high % of alfalfa to their endurance horses. A thin watery sweat helps to disapate body heat much more effectively than a heavy lather sweat. Endurance horses that need to sustain an 8 hour performance in which it is critical they disapate heat from the muscles. Most performance horses have a 2 minute cutting run, a 16 second barrel run. So they are not concerned about long term heat management nor about long term muscle twitch.

But endurance riders like to give alfalfa during the race, because the extra calcium helps with the muscle triggers that cause the muscles to twitch. Calcium is stored in the bones of the body, But the retrieval of that calcium is way too slow during a 50 mile endurance race, So feeding calcium rich food just before and during the race helps the horses perform better. But since they have not been eating it all week long, they don't get the heavy lather.

Performance horses, such as the Kentucky Derby horses mentioned above, are often fed a diet high in alfalfa because it contain more calories than a diet of straight grass and the calories are needed for a horse under a heavy work out routine.

Do some searches on nutritional needs of distance horses and you can find plenty of dicusssion about the difference in diets and what they produce.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Interesting, Painted, it accounts for a lot of misunderstanding.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Zimalia said:


> Ok, I will buy that it is from the contact with the reins. In cutting, you have no contact with the reins.
> 
> But, you notice, the horse is wet, not all lathered all over.
> 
> ...


We are talking rein contact with the horse, not the rider.

Please remember a cutter doesn't work the herd for hours at a time. You work a 2-3 head and then typically the horse gets a break.

When you lope out horse that stays in frame, where is the contact? Reins are draped, you lope left, and then you lope right. 

But it doesn't matter the discipline, horses lather with contact. It's a physics and chemistry.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Butt sweat is good sweat. It don't sweat if it ain't working, so your horse has indeed been working off his hind end. It's a good thing.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

MyBoyPuck said:


> It don't sweat if it ain't working, so your horse has indeed been working off his hind end.


I agree with the first part of that sentence but not the second. Having lather on his hind end is not an indication of working off his rear - it's simply sweat from moving.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

If it's localized sweat, it shows that body part is doing a good part of the work. If it were just from moving, he'd be sweaty all over. My horse always has more butt sweat if he's been working in the proper frame versus running around out in fields goofing off.


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

MyBoyPuck said:


> If it's localized sweat, it shows that body part is doing a good part of the work. If it were just from moving, he'd be sweaty all over. My horse always has more butt sweat if he's been working in the proper frame versus running around out in fields goofing off.


Same with my goof. We used to only sweat along the chest and shoulders. Which was back when he pulled heavy on his forehand. His tush rarely lathered up. Now that he's working right, we get sweaty butt all the time and less sweaty chest. 

Good post about the different food requirements. Certainly makes sense. 

Unless your horse has not been working regularly, sweat between the hind legs isn't bad. However if your horse is unconditioned, you may be pushing him too far if he's really lathered/sweat running down his legs.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

That actually makes sense.

Like even a couple of weeks ago Buzz was not sweating in between the legs he only started to last couple of rides and now that Mudpaint mention sweating on the shoulders, he wasn't actually sweating much there at all.

What about where the girth goes?
Is it normal for it to lather there as well?


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

Usually you will see lather in areas of constant friction... Girth and saddle pad are common for any horse, especially if your tack or horse has any dirt/residue on it. We usually lather a shade of pink because of the clay dirt and the fact that my beast is an absolute mudwamp.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Well....I've bathed enough racehorses, and been at the track for years enough to say that horses in top condition still lather. _

_Where the lines were in contact with their neck, where the hobble hangers move over their front, sides and butt, and where the bridle sometimes rubs on their face. _

_No matter what, sweating is good for a horse. It is when they don't sweat is the issue._


_It could also be that Red has developed more muscle in his backend, and his "cheeks" weren't able to rub before._


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

MudPaint said:


> However if your horse is unconditioned, you may be pushing him too far if he's really lathered/sweat running down his legs.


Or it is a really freaking hot day with high humidity and everyone is sweating just standing still. I hate those days.


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## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

RedTree said:


> Buzz has only really started to do this.
> I have been told it's a good thing but was wondering if someone could elaberlate on why it is?
> 
> Thanks


Because they sweat the most (and foam is sweat) where the muscles are working the most. So in this case horse is using their butt - which is a good thing.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Sweat in either a horse or human is all about heat transfer. Horse sweat to get ride of heat. The evaporation of moisture ( sweat) has a cooling effect, just like on our bodies. As the sweat oozes out of the pores it carries heat with it. Once on the surface ( skin) it evaporates and provides further cooling.

Heavier bulkier muscles will produce more sweat than lighter muscles. Also areas with more surface area ( more skin) will cool faster than areas that have limited surface area. 

So one of the first areas to show sweat is between the legs on the rear of a horse. The outside of the hips have a lot of exposed skin that helps cool the outer part of the muscle. But the innerpart has very little skin, So it produces more sweat faster than any other part of the body.

The back of the horse under the saddle produces a lot of moisture, Because the saddle blankets prevent the evaporation of the sweat. Notice how a horse at liberty rarely sweats on his back, But a horse with a saddle is always wet under the saddle. Thats because the saddle and blanket trap heat and the body works hard to get ride of it.

So we have a large muscle mass in the hip area, that has limited skin surface between the legs, coupled with the rubing motion that produces a lathery sweat. Especially if they are dirty or have a diet high in certain elements.


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## Spirit11 (Apr 18, 2011)

MudPaint said:


> Same with my goof. We used to only sweat along the chest and shoulders. Which was back when he pulled heavy on his forehand. His tush rarely lathered up. Now that he's working right, we get sweaty butt all the time and less sweaty chest.
> 
> Good post about the different food requirements. Certainly makes sense.
> 
> Unless your horse has not been working regularly, sweat between the hind legs isn't bad. However if your horse is unconditioned, you may be pushing him too far if he's really lathered/sweat running down his legs.


 
How can you tell if you are pushing a horse too far? My rescue girl Spirit went two years without riding, and over the past 3 weeks I've worked with her and started riding her. The vet yesterday said she's in great shape, beside her teeth which are super worn and a few missing, perfect weight, she just old, in her 30s he confirmed. None of her joints click when she walks or anything, and she used to be a driving horse. Shes a small light boned Morgan. Im a small women also. Me and her both like to GO when we ride. Theres an open 100 acre field we ride in and we run like crazy, which is a blast, for both of us, shes so much happier now in the pasture. Shes always really sweaty when we get back to the barn. Should I be worried about her working too hard? We go riding for a couple hours about every other day. She's not breathing super hard or anything when we get back, and I walked her and brush her good and everything after the ride, shes just really sweaty.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Learn how to take P&Rs on your horse. If she dosn't recovery in 10 minutes after you exercise her, You are pushing her to hard. Keep an eye on her hydration and gut sounds to make sure she is staying hydrated.

Other than that, you will just have to watch her. if she is showing signs of discomfort, it's probably arthritis and you need to slow down the work outs. Watch for filling in her legs after a work out. The older the horse the more prone they are to stocking up in their legs. Trot her on a longe line in a circle right and left after your work outs. Its more difficult for a horse to trot a circle and not display signs of lameness or stiffness.

Consider a 50 year old former college athlete, he can't perform at the same level he did when he was 21 years old. But I bet he still enjoys a good game. Just not trying to keep up with younger athletes. Your horse is no different.


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## Spirit11 (Apr 18, 2011)

Ok, thanks Painted Horse. I had one of the more exprienced people at the barn look at her when we were done today. They laughed at me and said that Spirit will let me know if its too much, and from the looks of it she still had a lot more energy to burn. I feel a lot better now. I watched her in the pasture with the other horses after our ride and she wasn't stiff at all, and didn't guzzle water or anything. They said the same thing that everyone on heres been saying, that the sweating is normal, even a pro athlete still sweats when working out.


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Or it is a really freaking hot day with high humidity and everyone is sweating just standing still. I hate those days.


Ugh... me too. Those are the days you give up and go for a swim.


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