Pigs and Mud

Many people don't know this, but pigs don't sweat. There's been many times when I've told someone this (*cough cough* Chris) and they have responded with the phrase "sweating like a pig". I don't know where this saying comes from, but it is entirely inaccurate. Pigs have very little sweat glands. So while they might, on the off chance, sweat, it's definitely not going to be enough to actually help with cooling down.

So, my reason for bringing this up? My brother's pigs have been at the fair for the last 2 weeks or so, and today they were brought home. All nice and clean; they were almost cute! We unloaded them off the trailer and put them into their pens. Since they hadn't been in the pens for the last couple of weeks, we haven't been maintaining their mud puddles. And since pigs can't sweat, these poor piggies were hot and tired! So after I wired the pens closed I got the water hose out and let them have it. It was one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen!

It almost makes me sad to see what cute personalities pigs have. I started spraying water under the first pigs shelter in her pen, and she started going crazy! Jumping around under the water and plopping down into it and rolling around. I sprayed under there for a good 10 minutes or so I'm sure. She was having a blast, and finally, after she was good and muddy again (I think she's cuter cleaner :P), she just sat down under the spray. Just plopped her (big) booty down and just sat there with her eyes only slightly open. It was the cutest thing ever. I sprayed the water a little longer for her because she was enjoying it so much. The other pig enjoyed the mud and water as well, but he reaction wasn't as cute as hers.

So, we had two pink piggies earlier, and now we have two brown ones again. But at least they're nice and cool! And now that you've read this, you might be thinking well, if I'm not sweating like a pig, what am I sweating like? Well, assuming that you use that phrase when you're sweating profusely, you're most likely sweating like a horse! Now those things can sweat! If you decide to ride bare-back, you might just want to throw on a blanket too if it's hot outside!... unless you want to learn the hard way like I did...