Management of Horses and very hot weather

[ponynutz]

I'm yet to have the argument with my dad, but...

I hope that they'll be in during the day and out overnight with their stable doors open and a lead rope keeping them in.

I'm also going to make them horsey lollies (iced fruit Likits).

I'm not going to ride.

I'm going to use cold water and a sponge behind their ears.

I'm also going to put ice in their water buckets and they'll have a very thin bed on rubber mats.

 

[Fransurrey]

I'm not going to ride.

I'm going to use cold water and a sponge behind their ears.

I'm sponging between the legs too (front and rear). I see the forecast is now saying 40 for us, so the SI rug will have to come off. She'll have heat stroke, otherwise.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Don't fancy a 2 yr old warmblood colt then?

Err.... *thinks for a nano second*

Nope, ta!

 

[ponynutz]

I'm sponging between the legs too (front and rear). I see the forecast is now saying 40 for us, so the SI rug will have to come off. She'll have heat stroke, otherwise.

Oh gosh poor girl, hope she's okay without it - right decision though!

Also thanks for the tip, sponging's the only way (short of standing her under a permanent hosepipe) I've found to stop her overheating.

 

[Dave's Mam]

and a lead rope keeping them in.

Not sure what you mean?

 

[GSD Woman]

I don't know if this is possible but can you set up some box fans to make a breeze when the horses are in their stables? Some of the fancier places here have a misting system to help keep things cool.

 

[ponynutz]

Not sure what you mean?

Just a thing I learnt at a yard once - stable door is open and pinned back and a leadrope or bungie is tied to either end of the door (usually attached to the door hinges and then the empty bolt on the other side) creating a barrier but also more airflow.

 

[SEL]

Just a thing I learnt at a yard once - stable door is open and pinned back and a leadrope or bungie is tied to either end of the door (usually attached to the door hinges and then the empty bolt on the other side) creating a barrier but also more airflow.

And then you try to work out how a large draft horse can limbo under the arrangement and eat all your fellow livery's soaking fast fibre ??

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Cannot emphasize enough the use of proper fans in a stable. Don't just use any old cheap thing or a cheap box fan. You need a fan with an enclosed motor. They do make some specifically for stables.

 

[sunnyone]

In my part of France we're currently getting 38° in the afternoons but the local show jumping 3 day competition is going ahead. It is organised by a livery yard owned by a French/Spanish couple. The wife is a renowned equine vet.
The competition starts at 06.45 and ceases at 11.30. It then recommences at 17.30.till about 21.00 when the parties start.
The temporary stables all face north to keep the sun out and many competitors will fit up a tarpaulin over the doors to keep the flies out.
My own 3 live out with some natural shelter and a field shelter. I rarely catch the Spanish horse inside, she enjoys warmth and is the only one to need a rug when it's frosty. Only the IDX bay is even sweating!

 

[maya2008]

We are going to open up the wooded bit so the young ones can go in there - it’s usually many degrees cooler in there than anywhere else! The bigger ones hog the barn from 10am until about 6pm daily.

Would you clip fluffy yearling who still has her coat?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I certainly wouldn't clip anything, they will be at greater risk of burning IMHO than of getting too hot.
Fortunately we are on the top of the Pennines, so fall outside the red warning area. Our horses will stay out with access to their field shelter. Being retired, we can pop out to sponge down and top up water trugs frequently. We and the dogs will stay in the house, which is cool in hot weather, as much as possible.
We did once have an issue with a WelshxTB who had very poor temperature control and overheated at 32 °, we poured water over her and wrapped cold wet towels round her ears/head. She recovered well and never had another episode but I don't think we ever got to 32° again in her lifetime.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I've gone back and forth about clipping my horse. He's Spanish but always has such a dense coat and sweats easily. He'll have to go without his fly rug for a few days. He's also really rubbing at the moment but I don't know of it's from bugs, sugar in the grass, or the heat ?

I think if he's clipped he could burn if he stands on the sun naked. Or he could also get rubbed by his flywheel or be even more skin sensitive when clipped. No idea. He's Spanish and bay, bit very sensitive to everything ?‍

Lots of horses in sweet itch rugs and masks at the Icelandic horse farm nearby. I am not sure what they do when it gets so hot. They're quite hairy and allergic as well. I did see one clipped, but naked.

 

[maya2008]

She’s really quite fluffy still - other yearling has lost her winter coat completely and is fine. Black coat, black skin, coarse blades so wouldn’t get burned (and they all stay inside in the heat of the day anyway).

 

[J_sarahd]

I’m currently stressing about my horse. No shade in the field but the barn is wooden with a tin roof. Thankfully theyve got windows but even the other day, they were so stuffy. I am working all day on Monday and Tuesday so unlikely to be able to get to the yard. I guess the slight saving grace is she’s a TB so more lizard-like than the rest of the horses on the yard but even so, I’ll be worrying about her until Wednesday

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Mine will do as normal. They live out, field shelter plus natural shade. We will likely try to sponge them down where possible and ensure troughs are working etc.

 

[ponynutz]

And then you try to work out how a large draft horse can limbo under the arrangement and eat all your fellow livery's soaking fast fibre ??

I've never seen any horse do it yet but I wouldn't leave them unoccupied ?

There's always this option https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142415806451?chn=ps&var=442206158358&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1v25KQMChSLOruM_vrxipzw38&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=442206158358_142415806451&targetid=1647205089800&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=1007266&poi=&campaignid=17206177401&mkgroupid=136851690655&rlsatarget=pla-1647205089800&abcId=9300866&merchantid=115580917&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Lr1dt6vO3J_WIUxHhRIWJqvNf_&gclid=CjwKCAjww8mWBhABEiwAl6-2RXUGPBvL0FQMqPTxIPUthD45aWtCYl3WXCOsmuv8xlsCNzb5z7DlCxoCrk4QAvD_BwE

 

[Caol Ila]

It will be 27 at worst here, which is sufferable. Poor Hermosa is out 24/7 and has no shade in her field. One of the things I don't like about her current set-up.

Fin will be fine. His field has lots of shade, and he's in during the day anyway. His stable is always a couple degrees cooler than the air temperature.

 

[planete]

I sponged cold water over Woody after our long-reining ramble around our shady roads early this morning and he then had a humongous roll in the dustiest patch he could find. Got up looking like a chocolate truffle.

 

[honetpot]

I am torn, I have no shade in my main field, but there is a breeze and they go to the least sheltered, but breezy place to eat. The other field has access to large open barn, so in theory that should be better for them, but they only use it in the early morning, and as somewhere to poop, never in the heat of the day. I just make sure the troughs are full, and the poop is not too dry.

 

[GSD Woman]

There's always this option https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142415806451?chn=ps&var=442206158358&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1v25KQMChSLOruM_vrxipzw38&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=442206158358_142415806451&targetid=1647205089800&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=1007266&poi=&campaignid=17206177401&mkgroupid=136851690655&rlsatarget=pla-1647205089800&abcId=9300866&merchantid=115580917&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Lr1dt6vO3J_WIUxHhRIWJqvNf_&gclid=CjwKCAjww8mWBhABEiwAl6-2RXUGPBvL0FQMqPTxIPUthD45aWtCYl3WXCOsmuv8xlsCNzb5z7DlCxoCrk4QAvD_BwE

I had one of those for the thoroughbred mare that leased. She was a nervous sort and needed all of the breeze she could get during the summer.

 

[milliepops]

Well, the thermometer was showing 29 degrees today and the field gang spent all day sunning themselves until a bot fly showed up ? they seemed very comfortable. So I'm hopeful that they'll be alright when the temp ramps up as they have shady areas to use throughout the day and at least here we are forecast to continue with a light breeze.

 

[windand rain]

Have hosed down and put soaking wet fly rugs on the dark ponies the greys are naked but plan to wash them tomorrow to rid some of the grease. Will retrench the two in flyrugs

 

[Tiddlypom]

Immersing a fly rug in water then putting on the horse worked well here yesterday. It retains the wet. I tried leaving the IDx out without her fly rug, but she soon got hot and bothered by flies. My new-this-season Rambo Flybusters with vamoose have been doing a great job, the vamoose treatment really deters the flies. Didn't really know how good a job they did til I left the rug off one horse for a couple of hours .

 

[Midlifecrisis]

It’s grey and been raining this morning …that wasn’t forecast. We ve no shelter in the field so when it gets sunny I ll bring in..hose off and turn out early evening. Luckily the girls drink plenty and have sloppy salty feeds as a rule. I have to say whenever I look into fields with natural shelter I don’t see horses using it..they all stand in the sun….

 

[NinjaPony]

Trying without a fly rug and lots of fly spray today as it’s so hot… fingers crossed he won’t get too bitten! Thought I’d better try it today rather than tomorrow…

He’s been hosed off and left in his stable, and will go out again at lunchtime. I’m going to leave him out until 7ish and see how he is.

It’s quite scary tbh, I wasn’t alive for the 76 heatwave, these are the hottest temperatures I’ve ever experienced (tomorrow anyway) and my pony is 22 with EMS, Cushings and arthritis. Normally he copes well with hot weather but this is unprecedented.

 

[GreyDot]

Wish we could leave ours in ou of the sun, but we have wooden stables which are in full sun during the afternoon and they were hot and stuffy yesterday when it was only 23c. Their field has lots of old trees in it for shade, though, and their water trough is aways in the shade. They are coming in for the morning and then out again by 2pm otherwise they will bake. At least outside they can move around, have a roll and take advantage of the slight breeze.

 

[SO1]

Only tiny bit of shade in field and wooden stables and I have Covid so can't go to yard to do regular hosing down.

YO plan is to get up early and turnout early and then bring in early and hope for the best. I am hoping they will hose/sponge the horses down regularly. I am worried about my old boy he doesn't do well in the heat. He was clipped about 5 weeks ago to help keep him cool but we have temperatures of 40C and he is not a big drinker.

 

[Laafet]

I've updated my Beat the Heat tutorial. I am lucky to have a nice big airy brick stable or my indoor pen to choose from. What I don't understand is why its peaking so late in the day. It always used to be around lunchtime.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Air pollution prevents heat clearing.