We all love summertime- the weather makes it great for swimming, going out on the lake, and anything you may like to do outside. However, the summer heat can cause some stress and health concerns for your horse. It’s important to make sure your horse is prepared for the heat that summer brings.
Shade
Your horse needs shade to get out of the sun. Natural protection can include trees, but it can also be helpful if you have a run-in shelter for your horse. Shade is even more important for horses that get sunburnt easily.
Fans
In any horse facility, you most likely will see fans in the barn. Fans are a great way to keep your horse cool. Some fans do cost a lot, but even using a small simple box fan can work. Some people put small box fans in a hay net and hang them on the stall door. An easy way to know if your horse is hot is if you see a lot of sweat on their body. I like to use a fan when it’s around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it keeps my horse comfortable and prevents her from overheating.
Bathing
A great way to cool your horse down is to bathe it. It’s a win-win, your horse gets cooled down and in return, you get a clean horse! A lot of horse owners use a water hose attachment like the Equi-Blaster that allows you to put soap in a tube and saves time when bathing. It cuts your bathing time in half, and is easy and convenient to use.
Hydration
A crucial necessity in the summer months is keeping your horse hydrated. Usually, as the temperatures rise, your horse will drink more water than they would in the cooler temperatures. Some people put frozen jugs of water in their horses’ water troughs to keep the water cold. If you give your horse salt, you can also put that by your horses’ water bucket to encourage drinking. To check if your horse is dehydrated, just pinch the skin and if it bounces back that means that your horse is hydrated. If it doesn’t bounce back, then your horse is dehydrated.
Electrolytes
If your horse gets worked heavily during hot temperatures, then you may need to give electrolytes. There are many options out there on the market for electrolytes- they can come in pellets, paste, and powder form. Electrolytes help encourage your horse to drink also.
Cooling Therapy Sheets
Cooling therapy blankets are a handy tool for cooling your horse down after a hard workout. You simply activate a cooling blanket by soaking it in water and putting it on your horse. This will reduce your horses’ body temperature. You can also use a cooling therapy blanket in the winter to wick away moisture if your horse does heavy work in the cold. A lot of people love the new Cooling Therapy Blanket that was released on Ranch Dress’n earlier this year.
You can also use code EQUESTRIAN23 at Ranch Dress’n to get a discount! (Code does not apply to saddles)
Riding
When riding in the summer months, you want to ride at the coolest time of the day. It’s best to ride early in the morning before it gets hot or ride in the evening when the sun is going down. If the temperature and humidity add up to over 150, it is best to not ride your horse.
Go swimming with your horse
Want to go on a trail ride in hot weather? Why not make a fun trip out of it?! You can go to a body of water nearest to you and go swimming with your horse! It will cool both of you down and make for a fun day! Just make sure the body of water is safe and doesn’t expose your horse to getting hurt.
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