How hot is too hot?

[Ashleigh02]

How hot is too hot to ride?

Ive heard lots of different people say different things and seen riding shows continue without any shade in 28 degree weather!

 

[Gallop_Away]

I think it comes down to many different factors, humidity, the horse's fitness level, whether the horse is used to being worked in higher temperatures, the level of work expected of the horse etc.

Personally for my horses 24/25° is my limit and even then I opt to ride early or late to avoid the hottest part of the day. I consider mine fairly fit.

 

[Belmont]

I withdrew from a gridwork clinic a couple of weeks ago when it was 28/29. It still ran and I was made to feel like a bit of a wally as everyone else still went! But my horse is older, not as fit as ideal and the journey was 40 minutes away. I thought if I ended up breaking down, he could be stood in the trailer oven for over an hour, just not worth the risk.
At home I wouldn't ride over 24 ish and keep it easy.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I withdrew from a gridwork clinic a couple of weeks ago when it was 28/29. It still ran and I was made to feel like a bit of a wally as everyone else still went! But my horse is older, not as fit as ideal and the journey was 40 minutes away. I thought if I ended up breaking down, he could be stood in the trailer oven for over an hour, just not worth the risk.
At home I wouldn't ride over 24 ish and keep it easy.

I think that sounds totally the right decision for your horse.

When I worked in racing yards they were ridden in whatever temperature’s although they did try and get done earlier to avoid the very hottest part of the day.
We took more care washing and cooling off. I’d often get them back out and re-wash them instead of brushing off later on.

 

[rabatsa]

For me today is too hot. However I have a pre planned groom coming out on the carriage with me so I am going to use the heat to my advantage. Todays session will be re confirming a good halt as the pony is becoming a little lax in this dept. So a short walk round some fields, halt facing home, when the pony fidgits, which is fully expected, she will be asked to trot and work hard on a couple of circles. Back to halt facing home. Rinse and repeat as often as needed until we have a good 5 minute halt. Carriage and harness taken off and walked back to the yard for wash down and turn back out.

With luck a few lessons like this over the next week and she will be back to having a rock solid halt all the time.

 

[Patterdale]

I don’t think we get weather in this country that is too hot. A 5 minute XC round carefully ridden in 30 degree heat, on a fit horse properly cooled afterwards, is not an issue.

Shows cancelling on sunny days always makes me eyeroll a little. It’s another side effect of the social media age. Back in the day you just made your own judgement, but now the shows are so terrified of trial by social media that they just cancel instead.

I ran my horse at a ODE last summer in over 30 degrees at 12.40pm. Chucked cold water over him before going into the start box, let him choose his own pace then cooled him after. Totally fine but so many didn’t run due to the social media posts of memes about the heat.

 

[Red-1]

I was going to hire an indoor to have a jump today, it is due top of the 20's so we will go for a hack instead as the indoor is a bit of a sweatbox!

I do think it is about the health of the horse and the acclimatisation though. A fit and healthy horse, acclimatised, can compete well into the 30's as long as well cared for before/after. I have evented in over 30 degrees but had a well ventilated box, fit horse etc.

Once I did withdraw XC as it was too hot, but that was as much because we had 4 hours between SJ and XC. There was no shade and she looked 'off' so was taken off, soaked, walked, soaked, walked, out back on and taken home with a breeze.

I always have a roof fan in case of traffic jams because of that day.

Personally, I feel more sorry for those with sweat box type wooden stables in full sun. Some of those are hotter than is right!

 

[Patterdale]

It’s 14 degrees and windy here today, where are all you lot

 

[smolmaus]

It’s 14 degrees and windy here today, where are all you lot

Same lol too hot is not our problem this week. Risk of falling branches or one of us becoming a kite perhaps

I personally don't criticise people for thinking "maybe not today" for whatever reason. Your horse, your confidence, your risk assessment is your own. I don't cope well in the heat myself never mind the pony so my heat warning will kick in before most peoples!

 

[Belmont]

I don’t think we get weather in this country that is too hot. A 5 minute XC round carefully ridden in 30 degree heat, on a fit horse properly cooled afterwards, is not an issue.

Shows cancelling on sunny days always makes me eyeroll a little. It’s another side effect of the social media age. Back in the day you just made your own judgement, but now the shows are so terrified of trial by social media that they just cancel instead.

I agree to some extent, but I think the travelling has to be considered. Unless you have means to keep the horse area cool, I don't think it's fair to travel 30mins + each way to compete in 30 degrees, no matter how fit the horse. If the trailer is sat in the sun, it quickly heats up. I stood in mine for a minute when I was making a decision on the clinic and I wasn't comfortable, so I know my horse definitely wouldn't be either.

 

[Hallo2012]

I don’t think we get weather in this country that is too hot. A 5 minute XC round carefully ridden in 30 degree heat, on a fit horse properly cooled afterwards, is not an issue.

Shows cancelling on sunny days always makes me eyeroll a little. It’s another side effect of the social media age. Back in the day you just made your own judgement, but now the shows are so terrified of trial by social media that they just cancel instead.

I ran my horse at a ODE last summer in over 30 degrees at 12.40pm. Chucked cold water over him before going into the start box, let him choose his own pace then cooled him after. Totally fine but so many didn’t run due to the social media posts of memes about the heat.

agree 100%

the trouble is that people give up as soon as its "too hot/too cold/too wet/too windy" so the horses ARENT acclimatised and then it becomes an issue.

i rode mine all through the last *heatwave*(was it 26 deg???summat like that? a few weeks ago?) and he was absolutely fine. The same as i will ride in a blowing snow storm in jan and guess what-fine again.

if you as the rider dont fancy it fine,just say that but DONT make it some huge welfare issue to beat up other people with.......

 

[Hallo2012]

I agree to some extent, but I think the travelling has to be considered. Unless you have means to keep the horse area cool, I don't think it's fair to travel 30mins + each way to compete in 30 degrees, no matter how fit the horse. If the trailer is sat in the sun, it quickly heats up. I stood in mine for a minute when I was making a decision on the clinic and I wasn't comfortable, so I know my horse definitely wouldn't be either.

everyone can buy rechargeable fans tho? the bigger ones like makita will make a massive difference moving air round and if you hose off before loading and keep fans on it would be fine for a fit, healthy horse.

again people(not you specifically) get way too much on their high horse judging people about the travel aspect when nearly everyone i know uses fans in summer now as after 3 very hot summers they are prepared.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

When I was working at the RS back in the 60's we went out whatever the weather. Hot, cold wet, just about anything. I can remember taking a day ride out one August, part of a Riding Holiday for kids, probably 68 and it was so hot the other girl taking it and myself stripped to our bras. Amazingly I don't remember burning but did get a cracking tan. These days I take shelter in a house with all curtains drawn and fans on.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I'm generally known locally as 'bonkers' as I'll ride in all sorts of weather, inc high winds etc. I just dont do thick fog, nor sheet ice.

However, now my competing days are pretty well set aside (at least this year), I try not to ride in the heat but prefer to go early, that's my choice.
If I'm doing camps or fun rides then I will move home riding times later, or add a second work out so we can both be adjusted to hotter climates.

 

[ihatework]

Of course it’s not too hot to ride, assuming you have a healthy horse

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

If I get up and feel like the last thing I want to do is go for a run in the sun then I won't ride. If it's alright then I will but will taper worlkload as necessary to the weather.

 

[YourValentine]

It depends on what they are used to if you normally never ride in the heat, and then suddenly ask them to compete at mid day when it's 28C or something they will probably struggle. If you normally do some work in the warmth, they are fit and healthy, they should be fine. Obviously travel distances are a factor, and ideally you'd travel in the cool of the morning and return in the evening.

On the flip side if they are used to it, with proper cooling and maybe a shortened warm up they will be fine. I had one of the best hunter trial rounds of my life in 38C heat, in Aus. Horse, was 100% up for it having a blast and would have happily gone again. I however, was drenched with sweat, had to peel the back protector off, and hosed my self as much as the horse off...
This was only 15min down the road, so travelling in the heat was ok.
Competing in Aus I have hung around, in shade, hours after I finished waiting for it to cool off a bit before heading home.

 

[Abacus]

Agree that it depends on the horse and acclimatisation but generally I ride whatever the weather and none of mine struggle in the heat. It also depends on what you want to achieve that day: if you want to school intensely and feel that you can’t cope with it then it probably won’t be productive (in most cases I would think the horse would cope better than the rider with warmth - they are out in it more). Last year when it was truly baking I preferred to ride early but it was more about me than them.

 

[Fransurrey]

It used to be 25 oC for me. Both me and the pony were just miserable in anything above that. My cob seems to have amazing heat tolerance, though and we have done a couple of rides in the recent heatwave at 30 degrees that I wouldn't have attempted with my Exmoor. One was an endurance 20 Km ride, with lots of open areas, but the other was mostly shade. I just plot the routes to pass a drinking point (the endurance route does have checkpoints with water, but we passed a trough, too) and carry him a halfway banana in a running backpack (and a bottle of electrolytes for me!). He does get a nice shower when we get back (as do I, by default...).

 

[j1ffy]

I'm often surprised at what is defined as a 'heatwave' - I'm sure that when I was younger it was only if the temps were over 30 degrees, but now a pleasant 25 degrees seems to be viewed as 'hot'. A horse's thermoneutral zone (i.e. temperatures at which they need to expend minimal energy to maintain core temperature) is 5-25 degrees. Above that they may need to do more to cool themselves down but for the vast majority of horses it's not a problem.

I don't think twice until it's well over 30 degrees, but may be skewed from a few years of living and riding in Hong Kong where it didn't drop below 28 degrees / 90% humidity at night let alone during the day! Competitions stopped in July and started again in late August so we all just got on with it. Obviously horses and riders were acclimatised but there were never any issues that I saw, even my horse with anhidrosis coped with proper washing off and care.

 

[KJ94]

I heard from someone sometimes the humidity plays a bigger part and a warmer day with lower humidity is better than a slightly cooler day with high humidity as the water in the air prevents sweat evaporating which prevents the horse cooling down as efficiently, I have no clue how accurate that is or if it’s correct or not so happy to be corrected!

 

[conkers]

I find it odd that there is a very active campaign not to walk your dog in the middle of the day when temperatures are hot and yet it is somehow OK to work a horse hard in similar conditions. For me, similar rules apply.

 

[YourValentine]

I find it odd that there is a very active campaign not to walk your dog in the middle of the day when temperatures are hot and yet it is somehow OK to work a horse hard in similar conditions. For me, similar rules apply.

The dog walking is linked to them burning there feet on hot ground, and as they don't sweat, just pant, they don't thermoregulate as well.
Also most dog breeds don't get a summer coat like horses, and aren't adapted to hot weather.

 

[Hallo2012]

The dog walking is linked to them burning there feet on hot ground, and as they don't sweat, just pant, they don't thermoregulate as well.
Also most dog breeds don't get a summer coat like horses, and aren't adapted to hot weather.

spot on!

 

[Pippity]

My horse copes better with heat than I do, possibly linked to her being PSSM. So while I did make the effort to ride in the cooler parts of the day when it was hot a few weeks back, that was more for my comfort than hers!

That said, I don't push her when it's hot. We stick to our regular work, and I'm always prepared to stop if she starts to feel the heat.

As with most things with horses, I don't think you can have a hard and fast rule. It all comes down to knowing your horse, knowing what it's capable of, and listening to what it's telling you.

 

[southerncomfort]

I've been out for a 2 hour hack this morning on my black Fell pony.

He is young and fit, we kept to walk and I got off and walked the last mile. We did our usual route in reverse so that we were up in the hills enjoying a lovely breeze for the last part.

Came home and showered him off. It was around 23° and he was absolutely fine.

My bigger worry at the moment is keeping his weight down and avoiding laminitis.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I think it's very personal.

I'm still riding as normal as I'm good in the heat and my native is fit and copes well too.

If he was less fit, less good in the heat or I struggled I'd be tweaking what we do to a more or lesser degree as necessary.

I often do ride in the cooler parts in the day but just because that's how it pans out around work etc and not to avoid the heat per se..

 

[cold_feet]

I ride Endurance and I don’t think I’ve known an event in the uk cancelled due to heat, and they ride up to 160km (I’ve never done more than 64km, and changed class a few weeks back when it was hot to a lesser distance as my horse is older now). Water, water, water - lots of it. To cool down and to drink at plenty of points on route and especially at the end.

 

[Surbie]

I don't ride when it's over 24/25C. My horse doesn't enjoy it and neither do I. I also find my mobility reduces as the day goes on when it's hot and I'm on a yard where water use is limited. For all these things I get up earlier and ride when it's cooler, get all my jobs done, the rest of the day is nice and clear and it then doesn't matter if I'm a bit hobbly in the evening.

 

[Auslander]

Alf thinks it's too hot for elderly gentlemen to go for a plod round the block.
Alf was not given any choice in the matter (and he loved it once he was out!)