Is everyone managing to keep their horses cool in this heatwave?

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

As title really.

Last night I went out about 6pm and my poor traddie cob was just dripping with sweat; he's got sweet itch and so has to wear a rug - but I felt so awful, he was obviously feeling very wretched and there was nothing I could do for him basically........ he HAS to wear his hoody rug for his SI, a case of having to be cruel to be kind. Plus mare was obviously all hot and itchy; she's not got SI but is tormented by horseflies so wears a fly-rug. My poor horses

Luckily we live fairly high up, so I guess it could be a helluva lot worse for them, plus they've got plenty of shade in their field; friend & I hacked around the valley the other evening and it was noticeably more sulty and humid. We do catch a little bit of breeze here when its around!

My routine is that my two are normally out 24/7 at this time of year, apart from traddie boy who comes in whenever the midges are bad as he gets sweet itch (then mare usually comes in as well coz she frets if not). But the problem I have is that they can't come in as the stables are in a sun-spot in the blazing sun all day, and get very hot inside, and make the black hole of Calcutta seem like a fridge in comparison, so putting them in out of the sun is just not an option at the moment even though they're hanging around the gate coz want to come in.

So at the moment, I'm bringing them in first thing, i.e. from 7 a.m. till late morning when they are put in their fly rugs and go out again; there they have the option of standing under a tree if they want as they have got plenty of shade, but quite often they'll opt for going out in the bright sunshine! But its up to them what they do, their choice.

Then round about 5pm'ish I'll go out and bring them in and the last few days I've either washed them down with lavendar wash OR just put the hosepipe on them - which they've absolutely loved! Especially traddie boy, he stands there with eyes half-closed and glazed over, just lovin' it Suits me too coz I usually get as wet as they do! Last night I was a bit short of time so just hosed them down with their fly rugs ON!! The principle being that it would cool them down even more mebbe as they'd use their body heat to dry the rugs plus themselves.

Then they go out again for the night and stay out till morning. If it was a "normal" summer's heat/sun, they'd probably come in for the evening to avoid the midges, and then go out again at about 10pm, for the night.

But this heat is something else! Luckily I'm self employed and have my own place, so managing them is easy, relatively speaking.

So............ how is everyone else managing at the moment??

How do you peep's in hot countries manage to deal with this sort of heat on a daily basis???

 

[Cazza525]

As long as they've some type of shade, they'll be fine. Often in large herds, they'll stand in a gateway also, probably to get the breeze.

In hotter countries, most are brought into big barns in the day. We're not geared up for it here generally.

I do think traditionals will suffer more in this heat. Just the amount of hair! Not many traditionals in hotter climates!

 

[Wells]

Have been stressing because I haven't got any stables at the moment but my 2 seem quite happy out. The yard is being concreted but they've had to stop half way through because it's too hot for the concrete to set properly! Luckily mine don't suffer from sweet itch so I usually go & put fly rug / masks on at midday & then take them off again at about 8pm when they have their tea. They've got shade in their field which they have actually been using over the last couple of days. I feel sorry for my grey as she's due to foal next week & so doesn't have a fly rug on (not that the flys bother her that much luckily) but I can't imagine carrying a foal around in this heat is much fun!
I'm more worried about her hooves which have got dry & cracked over the last few days - is anyone else finding this?

 

[amandap]

Once again I'm very lucky to have mine at home. The three that are out at night atm go out midnightish (not dark till 11pm here) and come in 8 am to large yards with constant free choice barn access. There is a very shady/breezy yard under conifers out the back but tbh most of the time they've been in the barn.

I've noticed the flies mostly stay in the field, especially those horrid black buzzy ones, no idea why this happens. Midges of course have no such boundaries but haven't been bad as it's so dry. My SW pony hasn't been rubbing much at all this year and has no areas of missing or short mane.

 

[katherine1975]

Hi OP. My mare has a sweetitch rug on 24/7 and like you my stables get too hot in the day for them to come in. My other horse is a traditional cob and she is black so gets really hot. The horses have plenty of shade in the field but they don't seem to stand in the shade much, they are usually in the middle of the field! So I have left them to it

 

[Achinghips]

I'm hosing my big traditional twice a day to keep him cool, then luckily there's a small breeze running through the field.

 

[SO1]

My pony luckily does have shade in his field and companions and they all are in the shade by the gate and have a very particular order that they are in with heads in each others tails. I am a bit worried about him as he wears a grazing muzzle which must be hot, but I have noticed he dunks he grazing muzzle in the water trough and then it is all wet so maybe that helps keep him cool. Unfortunately as I work full time I can't bring him up to the yard during the heat of the day to hose him down.

It is cooler in the field than in the stable though as there is a bit of breeze whereas his stable is airless.

He is living out and I think if they live out and ad-lib access to grass they do tend to use the shade during the day more perhaps than horses who are on restricted turnout who are perhaps trying to make the most of their chance to eat grass.

He does have an electrolyte lick in his stable which he is normally not that fussed about but he has started taking a bit of interest in these last few days.

It looks like the hot weather is set to continue, I have had to cancel my lessons and am meant to be hacking to a dressage next Sunday but if it is this hot still will have to rethink my plans.