Viewers ‘petrified’ after finding out what horse sweat looks like

The internet is a funny old place. One minute you're researching something for a college assignment, the next you're having a little browse through TikTok and all of a sudden, you're hit with the bizarre reality of horse sweat.

Okay, so that last one is a little bit niche, but it's true that a video is doing the rounds on social media revealing what horse sweat actually looks like, and if you're not in equestrian circles, you might get a bit of a shock.

A clip shared by the X account @natureisamazing shows what happened to a horse after it was briefly separated from its paddock friend, causing the animal to sweat with anxiety.

I learned horse sweat is foamy waaaay too late in life.. petrified pic.twitter.com/5oJn45B8cp

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) September 26, 2024

In the clip, the person peels back the horse's turnout rug to reveal what appears to be a thick lather of soap on its fur. But while the substance looks like it's come straight out of bottle of shower gel, it's actually a form of horse sweat.

Alongside the clip, the account wrote: "I learned horse sweat is foamy waaaay too late in life.. Petrified."

During times of stress or over exertion, much like humans, horses produce sweat. However, thanks to a protein called latherin, which reduces the surface tension of water, horse sweat can appear white and foamy, which actually helps the moisture move away from the animal's skin towards its fur.

Although the sweat is less than pretty to look at if you're not used to being around horses, it's actually a pretty cool biological tool which helps equestrian animals to cool down significantly quicker - necessary given the amount of exertion necessary for a working horse.

But while horse sweat maintains an important function, it also contains a whole load of useful electrolytes, including sodium, chloride and potassium, as well as small amounts of magnesium and calcium. These are all essential for muscle function, nerve transmission and balancing fluids, which means it's best to avoid excessive sweating where possible to avoid the animals becoming deficient in any of these much-needed electrolytes.

That's why it's super important to make sure horses are kept hydrated, as up to 75 percent of their body weight is actually made up of water.

Everyday really is a school day when it comes to social media, so now the next time you see a horse covered in 'foam' you'll know exactly what is going on.