In or Out dilemma

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JoJo_

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I cannot decide what to do with my horse on hot days like this. Her field has no shelter as its just a big field sectioned into 1 acre paddocks. And her stable is in a big american barn which has windows in the roof. Its great for keeping the barn light but when it is this hot the sun just beats down through the windows and straight onto her stable. It becomes so hot and stuffy especially when there isnt much wind like this weekend. So when I leave her in to keep her out of the direct sunlight she doesnt look happy all hot in her stable but when she is out in her field I worry its not nice for her to not have any shade :(

Which is best?

I put suncream on her nose as she burns and she has a fly mask on but she sweats a bit in the fly rug and the flies arent too bad today so I have left that off.
 
Why do you use a fly rug? Unless she has sweetitch, which is caused by a reaction to midges not flies, it is unnecessary. She will certainly be cooler without it. Horses are designed to sweat in hot weather, just like humans, to keep cool.
 
Having treated a horse for COPD brought on by overheating/heatstroke 2 days ago I would say turn out with good supply of water. The horse I treated had recently been changed routine from in at night to in by day due to lack of shade in his stable. Just standing in his stable I found it stifling - a wooden stable in a small american barn - a converted type with low roof.
I would definitely turnout and leave off the fly rug.
 
It may be hot outside but the air will be fresher, so agree, turn out. Make sure there is a good supply of water (which of course you do:D)
 
I hate to see horses outside in extreme heat (or wind or rain) without any shelter at all. If not everyone is bringing their horses in could you borrow a different stable without the sun beating down through the roof maybe?

Or could you make some kind of temporary shelter in her field out of straw bales or similar perhaps?
 
I'm also at a yard with a barn with lots of rooflights, and yes it does mean it's warm, but I much rather have them in in the day slightly warm as you only have to try and stand out in the sun to see how horrible it is. Plus the roof isn't low so it really doesn't get too bad anyway. I can't last an hour outside without sitting in the shade for a while with the sun beating down. So I'd much prefer them to be in a slightly warm barn than blazing sun on their backs.

Also agree re. fly rugs, they really are overused! And make so many horses uncomfortable.
 
At our yard, my girl has her own individual paddock, but there is no shade at all. Most people favour bringing them in during the day and turning out at night - our stables are in a big, high roof barn with open sides - it really is lovely and cool in there during the day. However, my problem is that she refuses to be caught during the day, even if the other fields are empty (!) so I have been leaving her out 24/7. Obviously she has plenty of water, and the way I look at it is that it's her choice to be out!

I'm sure your horse will be fine - defo leave off the fly rug though (I hate them with a passion!) and use fly spray instead. :)
 
Hmm mixed responses! No she doesnt suffer with sweet itch and its not a sweet itch rug that she wears. Just a mesh fly rug but it does make her sweat in this heat around the shoulder area when the anti rub material is. I use it on her because she does tend to pace the field when the flies are bad. But the horse flies arent about yet so she's not being bitten much.

The barn does have a high roof. This is the only pic that you can kinda see how big the barn is and the skylight. Her stable is south facing so gets the sun shining through on it. She always has access to water. Today she stayed out and seemed happy enough when I just went to feed her in the field but tomorrow i'll see how she does coming in.
 
I would cake her in sun cream (like you do) and turn her out, with lots and lots of water. Take her in after a couple of hours or so to give her a little bit of 'relief' and then turn her out again. However, if she does show signs of unhappiness, then of course bring her in. The weather's so tricky at the moment!! xx
 
We don't have any shade in our paddock. They are turned out as normal at about 6am and then in this heat are bought in again about midday for the afternoon. They go out again for a couple of hours while we muck out and its a bit cooler. So far they have wanted to come in when we want them too as I think they appreciate being out of the direct sun and flies. Fly rugs and masks go on for the first turnout as the midges are very hungry early in the morning and drive them mad even though none of them suffer from sweetich. The later turnout they just have masks on. By early evening there is a nice cool breeze over the fields despite the heat.
 
Ooops forgot to post the pic I referred to in my last post!

March2010056.jpg
 
I'm in a similar situation allthough my stable is not in an american barn. My mare is a thin skinned dutch warmblood with a big white blaze, pink nose and 3 white socks. Her paddock has natural hedging along one side which only affords shade in the evening. She has to wear a fly rug as she is so sensitive to fly bites ( and we seem to have them from april untill october) and her pink nose and heels get burned by the sun so I plaster her in sudocream which seems to be the best sun block and she also has a full face mask on with ears and nose flap.

I would very much like to stand her in during the day but her stable heats up like an oven from about midday and stays like that untill 6 or 7 pm. So she stays out but to be honest she seems to cope very well. She does sweat up a bit under the rug,( but it's only a very light one and the temperatures of the last few days have been exceptional ) and as long as she has her mask on she seems happy to stand out in the middle of the filed grazing or snoozing!

I wouldn't worry too much about your horse if she seems happy but as previously suggested if you are really worried see if you can use a less stuffy stable. Horses eh, if it's not one thing it's another!!
 
Wow, your yard looks amazing!!!! A lot nicer than the one I'm at, that's for sure. The roof is a lot higher than the one I'm at too, and yes I can see it prob gets warm in there with all the rooflights but the roof is so high it can't get like an oven, plus I can see there is lots of boarding to let air in/out. I'd def bring in in the day still :)
 
My pony lives out he has lots of shade in his field as he has access to a copse and a wooded area and the field also has several large trees round the edge.

Got to the yard and it was blazing hot and nearly all of the herd were in the middle of field in the bright sun eating grass rather than in the shade but they do have the choice.

It is difficult but at least outside if there is a breeze they get to feel the benefit whereas inside they don't get that.

I think it will depend on what sort of horse you have - the black ones seem to get quite a bit hotter than the lighter ones and maybe the hotblooded arabs and TB's cope better with the heat than the hairy natives.
 
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