Hot Weather Horse Keeping Hacks
Haygain #SteamTeamers share their strategies for keeping horses healthy and happy in the sizzling season.
Post Work-Out
Courtney Carson – International Grooms Assn.“
When it’s really hot, the best thing you can do is get off your horse, get their tack off, and begin cooling immediately.
Continuously apply cold water or water with ice in it. After you’ve begun bringing down your horse’s body temperature, then you can add in walking to help bring down their respiratory rate.
Veronica Swales – Veronica Swales Performance Horses in Texas
A big thing for us on hot days after thier work-out is giving them paste electrolytes made by Ultra Cruz. And, fresh water always in front of them.
Asia Vedder – Santa Barbara, California
“Getting plenty of cool water on as soon as they finish work is key. This is more helpful than walking, in my opinion. I will also put a fan on them in the cross-ties to help cool out.”
Hydration
Aisa Vedder – Santa Barbara, California
“All our horses are on electrolytes, or salt, for the retired horses. In heat, or cold, I will increase this to encourage drinking. I also always soak their feed as a way to get more water in them. This has the added advantage of helping to decrease the risk of choke. We have quite a few horses that like to dunk their hay, so they add extra water that way.”
(FYI, Haygain Steamed Hay has up to 3X the moisture content of dry hay.)
“We have the 5-gallon electric waterers, both in stalls and pastures. They get scrubbed 3 times a week year round. In summer weather, water can quickly get scummy and cause horses to stop drinking, so it is very important to keep the water clean.”
JJ Gallagher – groom to globe-galloping Irish jumping rider Conor Swail
“Give plenty of electrolytes. We use TRM Electrolytes. A syringe of that if it’s very warm.”
Courtney Carson – International Grooms Assn.
“You can do a pinch test to see if your horse is getting dehydrated. Pick a small amount of skin, usually on the neck, and pinch/pull. If the skin goes back quickly, your horse is hydrated enough. If the skin is slow to retract you may want to investigate how to rehydrate your horse.”
Bug Beaters
Nicole Timm – Winterhaven Stables in Wisconsin
“Shoofly boots are a must! They are the best fly boots on the market and last a whole season without clinging to their legs and making their tendons hold heat in.
And lightweight fly sheets. At our farm, horses have to wear a full fly set-up to not get eaten alive by our lake flies. My go-tos are either the Weatherbeeta Ripshield fly sheet or the Rambo Protector with a belly guard!”
Asia Vedder – Asia Vedder Eventing in California
“All our horses go out in fly masks and fly spray. Some also get fly sheets, although not all will wear them. I also use Spalding Labs for fly control. This includes fly predators, as well as a variety of fly traps geared towards what ways we have in our area. We clean the pastures daily.
“Keeping the barn and cross-ties clean and free from manure, dust and hoof trimmings is key for fly control. Dumping muck buckets daily, fixing dripping water, not having standing water, and keeping the manure dump pile well away from the barn, will also help.”
Keeping Cool
Veronica Swales – Veronica Swales Performance Horses in Texas
“Fans always are always on their stalls, and a Portacool at each end of our alley to keep it cool.”
Asia Vedder – Asia Vedder Eventing in California
“We have fans in the stalls that get turned on in the heat of the summer. We also have shade screens for the horses in their pastures to allow for a break from the sun.”
JJ Gallagher – groom to globe-trotting Irish jumping rider Conor Swail
“Keep the fans going, try not to have them in the sun for too long, and get the riding done as early as possible when it’s hot, and plenty of cold hosing.”
Courtney Carson – International Grooms Assn.
“Body clipping in the summer- this is helpful if your horse grows a thick coat, struggles in the heat, or will be ridden in the middle of the day. It’s not harmful to them or their coats.”
Here’s to happy, healthy horses through the hot summer months!
