In order to lessen stress and maintain your horse’s health and wellbeing during hot weather, you must give them extra care during the Summer months. Summertime is a typical season for heat-related problems, but unexpectedly warm weather can exacerbate overheating, particularly in horses that are out of shape and that have long, thick coats. Here are some tips to keep your horse cool and comfortable during hot weather.
Keeping pets cool
1 Make cold drinking water available
Always provide clean, cool water available to your horse. An adult horse in a cool climate can drink up to 37 litres of water per day, depending on their feed. When working or in warm weather, they’ll drink a lot more! To prevent the consequences of heat stress, give a hot horse a few swallows of cool, fresh water every few minutes. To make the water even cooler on the extremely hot days, put ice blocks into their drinking water. In order to prevent algae and germs from forming, clean water buckets and tanks more frequently during hot weather.
2 Keep riding and exercising at a minimum
Any horse can experience heat stress, but older, obese, and unfit horses are more likely to experience it. Young foals are especially susceptible to heat exhaustion and dehydration. It is better to skip a ride during very hot temperatures and the hottest time of the day. If you have a covered arena or indoor arena, ride inside during the heat of the day. However, if you must ride a horse outside in hot, muggy weather or you are in a region where such conditions are frequent, it’s important to ride during the early mornings or early evenings, to allow your horse to take frequent rests and to not push your horse above their fitness level.
3 Provide your horse with lots of shade
Your horses will benefit from protection from the sun provided by nearby trees or buildings. Horses are susceptible to sunburn, and allowing them to rest in the shade will keep their skin from becoming burnt. If your horse has pink skin around his nose and under eyes, you can apply certain sunscreens to your horse’s exposed skin to prevent him from getting sunburned. If you are keeping your horse in a stable to escape the sun, consider installing barn fans to keep the air cool.
4 Add electrolytes to your horse’s drinking water
If your horses have been perspiring a lot or you anticipate them perspiring a lot, think about giving them electrolytes. If electrolytes are added to drinking water, provide plain water as well. Electrolytes might taste bitter to some horses, causing them to drink less. Only use electrolytes that has been designed for horses.
5 Transport horses in the early morning
If you need to transport your horse somewhere, start driving as early as you can to avoid doing so in the heat and lessen the chance that you’ll be caught in traffic during the hottest part of the day. In order to maintain a flow of fresh air through the horsebox, make sure all the necessary windows are open. When you arrive, make sure the roof vent is fully open, but also think about whether the horses would be more comfortable outside in the shade or standing on the truck or trailer out of the sun.
6 Spray your horse with cool water
The easiest way to quickly cool down a horse is to stand him in the shade and spray lots of cold water over their body. Let the water flow off or evaporate naturally without scraping off the extra liquid. Follow the above tips for a happy, healthy Summer with your beloved horse!
