Summertime, temperatures rising and humidity high here are a few tips to help your equine cope in the heat.
In the field:
Shade -provide shade, your horse or pony will be happy to stay out 24/7 in the summer but will need somewhere to shelter from the sun. Ideally your pasture should have some natural shade eg. trees or hedges but where these aren't available a field shelter should be provided. Even if your horse is reluctant to go inside he can still seek shade from the side of the buiding.
If it's impossible to provide shade for your horse consider limited turnout, stabling during the hottest parts of the day.
Water - make sure there is an adequate supply of clean fresh water. Troughs and buckets should be checked several times a day, this includes automatic waterers as they too can go wrong. Make sure that all the horses in the pasture have access to water eg. leave at least one bucket of water per horse in different areas so that everyone can get a chance to take a drink. Buckets and troughs will also require emptying, cleaning to remove algae, and refilling with fresh water to prevent stagnation every few days.
Salt - horses need daily salt to meet their requirement for sodium and chloride and they may require more due to loss of salt through sweat in the summertime so make sure that your horse has access to a salt lick.
Flies - flies can be a real nuisance to horses in the summertime so consider the use of fly repellants and /or fly masks and sheets to help keep your horse more comfortable.
In the stable:
Water - make sure there is an adequate supply of clean fresh water. Troughs and buckets should be checked several times a day, this includes automatic waterers as they too can go wrong. Buckets and troughs require emptying, cleaning to remove algae, and refilling with fresh water daily. Automatic waterers should be cleaned regularly.
Salt - horses need daily salt to meet their requirement for sodium and chloride and they may require more due to loss of salt through sweat in the summertime so make sure that your horse has access to a salt lick. Although most commercially produced feed has added salt extra salt can also be added to feeds.
Flies - if your horse is bothered by flies in the stable consider the use of fly repellants and /or fly masks and sheets to help keep your horse more comfortable. Skipping out regularly and making sure muck heaps are well away from the stable block will help to reduce flies.
Air Flow - keep doors and windows open to allow intake of fresh outside air, if you're lucky enough to have fans installed in your stable block use them.
At work:
Try to ride during the cooler parts of the day ie. early morning or in the evening.
When working in the heat reduce the riding session and keep an eye on your horse's breathing. If his sides start to heave and nostrils flare go back to walk to cool him down.
Remember the cooling down session at the end of your ride of approx 10 minutes walking.
If your horse is very hot and sweaty after exrcise help him to cool down by hosing the neck and chest area first. Cooling the jugular vien in the neck will cool the blood going to the heart and cool the horse internally. After hosing use a sweat scraper to remove excess water.
If your horse sweats a lot during work you might consider clipping.
Electrolytes can be added to water to restore those lost through sweating.
