Kuldakasti\u00f0 undanfarnar vikur er b\u00e6\u00f0i \u00f3venju langt og kuldinn \u00f3venju mikill. Frosti\u00f0 hefur fari\u00f0 \u00ed undir -20\u00b0 \u00ed V\u00ed\u00f0idal \u00ed Reykjav\u00edk, st\u00e6rsta hesth\u00fasahverfi landsins. En hva\u00f0 segja v\u00edsindin? Hefur eitthva\u00f0 veri\u00f0 rannsaka\u00f0 hva\u00f0a \u00e1hrif \u00feetta hefur \u00e1 hestana okkar? Er \u00f3h\u00e6tt a\u00f0 r\u00ed\u00f0a \u00fat \u00ed \u00feessum kulda?<\/p>\n
Hestamennska<\/em> haf\u00f0i samaband vi\u00f0 Helgu Gunnarsd\u00f3ttur d\u00fdral\u00e6kni sem s\u00e9rh\u00e6fir sig \u00ed hestal\u00e6kningum. H\u00fan segir a\u00f0 ger\u00f0ar hafi veri\u00f0 ranns\u00f3knir \u00e1 vi\u00f0br\u00f6g\u00f0um hesta \u00ed kulda erlendis en engin sl\u00edk s\u00e9 til var\u00f0andi \u00edslenska hestinn. \u00cd ranns\u00f3knunum kemur fram a\u00f0 \u00feegar hitastigi\u00f0 er komi\u00f0 ni\u00f0ur \u00ed -5\u00b0 \u00fe\u00e1 n\u00e1 hrossin ekki a\u00f0 hita lofti\u00f0 \u00e1\u00f0ur en \u00fea\u00f0 er dregi\u00f0 ni\u00f0ur \u00ed st\u00f3ru og miklu lungun \u00feeirra. Loft \u00fearf a\u00f0 vera b\u00fai\u00f0 a\u00f0 n\u00e1 vissu hitastigi \u00e1\u00f0ur en \u00fea\u00f0 n\u00e6r ni\u00f0ur \u00ed lungnabl\u00f6\u00f0rurnar.<\/p>\n \u201eEf hrossin reyna \u00e1 sig \u00ed miklum kulda og anda hra\u00f0ar og n\u00e1 \u00fev\u00ed ekki a\u00f0 hita lofti\u00f0 \u00e1\u00f0ur en \u00fea\u00f0 kemur \u00ed lungun \u00fe\u00e1 bregst l\u00edkaminn vi\u00f0. Efsta lagi\u00f0 \u00e1 frumunum \u00ed \u00f6llu \u00f6ndunarkerfinu er \u00feaki\u00f0 mj\u00f6g f\u00ednum h\u00e1rum. S\u00fa starfsemi fer \u00far skor\u00f0um og framlei\u00f0sla \u00e1 hv\u00edtum bl\u00f3\u00f0kornum eykst og \u00fea\u00f0 ver\u00f0ur a\u00f0eins meiri v\u00f6kvaframlei\u00f0sla \u00ed efri hluta \u00f6ndunarf\u00e6ranna,\u201c \u00a0segir Helga. \u201e\u00deetta er meira rannsaka\u00f0 hj\u00e1 mannf\u00f3lkinu og afreks\u00ed\u00fer\u00f3ttaf\u00f3lki hefur veri\u00f0 bent \u00e1 a\u00f0 \u00feegar \u00fea\u00f0 reynir \u00e1 sig \u00ed kulda er h\u00e6tta \u00e1 \u00a0vandam\u00e1lum, eins og \u00feurrasma. Hugsanlega m\u00e1 lei\u00f0a l\u00edkum a\u00f0 \u00fev\u00ed a\u00f0 svipa\u00f0 s\u00e9 me\u00f0 hrossin, en vi\u00f0 \u00feekkjum \u00fea\u00f0 ekki n\u00f3gu vel. \u00dea\u00f0 eru ekki n\u00f3gu miki\u00f0 til af sta\u00f0festum ranns\u00f3knarni\u00f0urst\u00f6\u00f0um um \u00feetta. \u00deegar \u00e9g var vi\u00f0 st\u00f6rf erlendis s\u00e1 \u00e9g m\u00f6rg tilfelli asma hj\u00e1 horssum. Sem betur fer er ekki algengt a\u00f0 hann greinist \u00ed \u00feeim \u00edslensku. \u00a0Vi\u00f0 vitum a\u00f0 \u00edslensku hestarnir eru a\u00f0laga\u00f0ir a\u00f0 kulda, en ekki hversu miki\u00f0 \u00feeir eru a\u00f0laga\u00f0ir a\u00f0 \u00e1reynslu \u00ed svona miklum og langvarandi kulda.\u201c<\/p>\n Helga segir a\u00f0 samkv\u00e6mt ranns\u00f3knum erlendist hafa veri\u00f0 gefnar \u00fat r\u00e1\u00f0leggingar um a\u00f0 r\u00ed\u00f0a ekki \u00fat \u00feegar hitastigi\u00f0 er komi\u00f0 \u00ed -5\u00b0 e\u00f0a ni\u00f0ur fyrir \u00fea\u00f0.<\/p>\n \u201e\u00dea\u00f0 er ekki endilega r\u00e9tt a\u00f0 segja a\u00f0 hrossin megi ekki vera \u00fati e\u00f0a a\u00f0 \u00feau s\u00e9u ekki hreyf\u00f0 \u00ed \u00feessari \u00f3venjulegu kuldat\u00ed\u00f0,\u201c segir h\u00fan. \u201eVi\u00f0 ver\u00f0um a\u00f0 nota almenna skynsemi \u00fev\u00ed v\u00edsindin eru ekki alveg me\u00f0 sv\u00f6rin. \u00de\u00fa \u00fearft a\u00f0 hafa tilfinningu fyrir hestinum \u00fe\u00ednum og spyrja spurninga. H\u00f3star hann? E\u00f0a er eins og hann n\u00e1i ekki a\u00f0 uppfylla kr\u00f6fur sem \u00fe\u00fa gerir til hans \u00ed \u00feessu frosti?\u201c<\/p>\n Hestamennskan er or\u00f0in fj\u00f6lbreyttari en \u00e1\u00f0ur var. Rei\u00f0skemmur eru v\u00ed\u00f0a og \u00fe\u00e1 birtist annar vinkill. Margir vilja b\u00e6\u00f0i geta \u00fej\u00e1lfa\u00f0 hestana s\u00edna inni og \u00fati, en l\u00edklega er ekki skynsamlegt a\u00f0 r\u00ed\u00f0a r\u00f6ku\u00f0u hrossunum \u00fati n\u00fana.<\/p>\n \u201e\u00c9g er hlynnt \u00fev\u00ed a\u00f0 hross, sem er ri\u00f0i\u00f0 miki\u00f0 inni, s\u00e9u r\u00f6ku\u00f0 \u00fev\u00ed a\u00f0 hitinn sem \u00feau framlei\u00f0a ver\u00f0ur a\u00f0 geta gufa\u00f0 upp. Ef \u00feau eru mj\u00f6g lo\u00f0in n\u00e6r ekki a\u00f0 gufa upp af \u00feeim inni. \u00dea\u00f0 eru til ranns\u00f3knir sem benda til \u00feess a\u00f0 ef reynt er \u00e1 hross inni sem eru mj\u00f6g lo\u00f0in eru \u00feau me\u00f0 mun hra\u00f0ari hjartsl\u00e1tt. \u00deau eru \u00fev\u00ed undir meira \u00e1lagi en r\u00f6ku\u00f0u hrossin.<\/p>\n M\u00f6rgum \u00feykir gaman a\u00f0 r\u00ed\u00f0a \u00fat \u00ed \u00feessu g\u00f3\u00f0a f\u00e6ri, en f\u00f3lk \u00fearf a\u00f0 hafa tilfinningu fyrir hva\u00f0 m\u00e1 bj\u00f3\u00f0a hrossunum. Ef til vill g\u00e6tum vi\u00f0 fari\u00f0 eftir \u00feessum erlendu lei\u00f0beiningum og leggja ekki miki\u00f0 \u00e1 hestinn ef komi\u00f0 er ni\u00f0ur \u00ed -5\u00b0. Au\u00f0vita\u00f0 eru hestar misjafnir og \u00ed mismikilli \u00fej\u00e1lfun. Margir eru a\u00f0 taka inn um \u00feessar mundir og hestarnir \u00fev\u00ed ekki komnir \u00ed neina \u00fej\u00e1lfun, \u00feeir eru enn \u00fe\u00e1 a\u00f0 heyjast og venjast breyttri f\u00f3\u00f0run. A\u00f0 r\u00ed\u00f0a \u00feeim \u00ed \u00feessum kulda er \u00fev\u00ed auka \u00e1lag. Hj\u00e1 \u00f6\u00f0rum byrjar t\u00edmabili\u00f0 fyrr, til d\u00e6mis \u00feeim sem \u00fej\u00e1lfa fyrir keppni, sem byrjar snemma \u00e1rs n\u00fana. \u00dea\u00f0 er breyting fr\u00e1 \u00fev\u00ed sem \u00e1\u00f0ur var og hj\u00e1 vissum h\u00f3pi hestamanna liggur meira \u00e1 a\u00f0 \u00fej\u00e1lfa hrossin \u00e1 \u00feessum \u00e1rst\u00edma.<\/p>\n Hj\u00e1 almennum hestam\u00f6nnum sem eru kannski n\u00fdb\u00fanir a\u00f0 heyja og j\u00e1rna hesta s\u00edna held \u00e9g a\u00f0 \u00e1st\u00e6\u00f0a s\u00e9 til \u00feess a\u00f0 taka \u00fev\u00ed frekar r\u00f3lega \u00ed \u00feessu frosti vegna \u00f6ndunarf\u00e6ranna, r\u00ed\u00f0a h\u00e6gt, helst \u00e1 feti \u00feannig a\u00f0 hesturinn n\u00e1i a\u00f0 hitna \u00ed r\u00f3legheitum og \u00f6ndunin n\u00e1i a\u00f0 fylgja getu hans \u00ed kuldanum \u00feannig a\u00f0 hann ver\u00f0i minna m\u00f3\u00f0ur. Hestar eru me\u00f0 mj\u00f6g st\u00f3r lungu og \u00f6flug loftskipti og \u00fev\u00ed skiptir miklu m\u00e1li a\u00f0 \u00feeir n\u00e1i a\u00f0 hita upp lofti\u00f0 \u00e1\u00f0ur en \u00fea\u00f0 fer ofan \u00ed lungu. Hestar sem hafa svitna\u00f0 eiga ekki standa \u00fati \u00ed kuldanum eftir rei\u00f0t\u00farinn. \u00deetta er svona almenn skynsemi.\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fyrir \u00e1hugasama. Ne\u00f0st \u00e1 s\u00ed\u00f0unni sem opnast me\u00f0 \u00feessum tengli er h\u00e6gt a\u00f0 komast inn \u00e1 margar fleiri greinar um efni\u00f0.<\/p>\n