Equestrian Life
Ten tips to beat the heat with horses

Camargue horses running through water - Image labelled for reuse

Not all horses will be as cool as these three over summer.

 

By Equestrian Life

1. Hydration is essential. Your horse should always have access to adequate water - if you are out at a competition and they seem reluctant to drink, you can try soaking some hay in water to provide extra hydration.

2. When horses are doing hot and sweaty work, it’s important to ensure you replace the minerals they lose through sweat with a good quality electrolyte formula.

3. Where possible, it’s best to avoid working your horse when temperatures exceed the internal environment of the body. For a horse, this is around 37.5 degrees Celsius.

4. Shade is important - ensure there is shade in the paddocks for all horses.

5. Flyveils are a good idea during the day as they protect from flies and can help to keep the sun off - however they do restrict vision at night so it’s best to remove them overnight if possible.

6. A fan is a good way to move the air around on very hot days if horses have to be stabled. This will also help to keep the flies from settling.

7. Ride in the evenings or early mornings during the cooler parts of the day.

8. Horses get sunburnt! Be sure to apply sunscreen or zinc to all white areas on the nose, or use a flymask with a protective nose flap.

9. Hose down your horse after riding to help cool him quickly.

10. It’s a good idea to learn to recognise the signs of heat stress. Equisearch has an excellent article on this topic here.

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