Firewell
Well-Known Member
Is anyone elses horses struggling in this heat?
On tuesday my horse went out as normal (still coming in at night to stop him getting too fat), in his normal paddock. It was 23 degress so put a fly rug and hat on. I got him in at 4.30pm, normally he is still grazing at this time and not bothered about coming in but this time he cantered up to me neighing and he couldnt wait for me to get the headcoller on.
I got him into the yard and he was in a funny mood, a bit sweaty under his fly rug and a bit hot and bothered so gave him a bath and put him to bed.
Yesterday they are spraying his field so I turned him out with my mothers horse in a different field. They know each other but don't normally go out together. I didn't put fly rug on as thought that may have made him too hot. Because he's not used to going out with a friend I put boots on and fly hat. The were happy to be out together and had a play and a gallop and then settled down. Typically the farmer then decides to move his sheep that day right past their field which may/may not have startled them.
I got there in the afternoon again about 4.30. I get them in and they are both a bit sweaty around their elbows/flanks. Hosed them off and put them to bed.
This morning my horses front legs were a bit swollen and on inspection so were my mums horses legs. I put this down to the heat and them galloping around the day before. It felt a bit cloudy and cooler this morning so turned them out again and they settled to graze right away.
I was out all day today and got them in about 5 by this time the day was boiling. They were grazing but both came trotting upto the gate when they saw me and OMG they were covered in sweat and sand where they had tried to roll. They looked a right state!
Got them in and hosed them both off for ages trying to get their body temp down. Hosed their legs for ages. Legs had gone down a lot since this morning but I could see that on my horse that one of the front legs was still slightly thicker than usual. I put witch hazel and arnica gel on their legs and put them away. They are both so tired and are both alseep at the back of their stables within seconds.
I asked one of the gardners if he had seen them gallop around and he said no, that they had just been grazing when he had looked.
So now I'm worried and I don't know what to do!! They are meant to be together for another week untill I can put my horse back in his own field. I don't think they have been winding each other up though as they both seem really calm turned out together, apart from the first day when they were a bit playful and had a blast. If we can keep them togther for the future I would like that.
I'm going to keep them in tomorrow as they obviously aren't coping with the heat but I'm worried about turning them out at night suddenly as its lots more hours in the field and the grass is really rich. I'm also worried about changing the routine around before a competition that I have on sunday. So I don't know if to ride every morning and just tuen them out for a couple of hours in the morning and bring them in before it gets too hot and then swap them round to out at night after the comp?
Then I'm worried about their legs, especially my horse. He is sound and both their legs went down today after moving about but one leg was still slightly puffy (but cool). I don't know if its the heat making them look puffy or what. I do think I remember them getting puffy last year when it was very hot but I can't quite remember!
So now I'm just freaking out as I don't know if its the heat making them sweaty or they are playing about when know one is watching I don't know. I don't know if its the heat making their legs swell or its the ground or if its them galloping. Just don't know
.
Anyone reassure me? Do you think they will be better going out for a couple hours untill next week and then being swapped to out at night in during the day? Or should I swap them over tomorrow and take a risk changing their routines when they are still being used to being turned out together and the grass is so rich?
On tuesday my horse went out as normal (still coming in at night to stop him getting too fat), in his normal paddock. It was 23 degress so put a fly rug and hat on. I got him in at 4.30pm, normally he is still grazing at this time and not bothered about coming in but this time he cantered up to me neighing and he couldnt wait for me to get the headcoller on.
I got him into the yard and he was in a funny mood, a bit sweaty under his fly rug and a bit hot and bothered so gave him a bath and put him to bed.
Yesterday they are spraying his field so I turned him out with my mothers horse in a different field. They know each other but don't normally go out together. I didn't put fly rug on as thought that may have made him too hot. Because he's not used to going out with a friend I put boots on and fly hat. The were happy to be out together and had a play and a gallop and then settled down. Typically the farmer then decides to move his sheep that day right past their field which may/may not have startled them.
I got there in the afternoon again about 4.30. I get them in and they are both a bit sweaty around their elbows/flanks. Hosed them off and put them to bed.
This morning my horses front legs were a bit swollen and on inspection so were my mums horses legs. I put this down to the heat and them galloping around the day before. It felt a bit cloudy and cooler this morning so turned them out again and they settled to graze right away.
I was out all day today and got them in about 5 by this time the day was boiling. They were grazing but both came trotting upto the gate when they saw me and OMG they were covered in sweat and sand where they had tried to roll. They looked a right state!
Got them in and hosed them both off for ages trying to get their body temp down. Hosed their legs for ages. Legs had gone down a lot since this morning but I could see that on my horse that one of the front legs was still slightly thicker than usual. I put witch hazel and arnica gel on their legs and put them away. They are both so tired and are both alseep at the back of their stables within seconds.
I asked one of the gardners if he had seen them gallop around and he said no, that they had just been grazing when he had looked.
So now I'm worried and I don't know what to do!! They are meant to be together for another week untill I can put my horse back in his own field. I don't think they have been winding each other up though as they both seem really calm turned out together, apart from the first day when they were a bit playful and had a blast. If we can keep them togther for the future I would like that.
I'm going to keep them in tomorrow as they obviously aren't coping with the heat but I'm worried about turning them out at night suddenly as its lots more hours in the field and the grass is really rich. I'm also worried about changing the routine around before a competition that I have on sunday. So I don't know if to ride every morning and just tuen them out for a couple of hours in the morning and bring them in before it gets too hot and then swap them round to out at night after the comp?
Then I'm worried about their legs, especially my horse. He is sound and both their legs went down today after moving about but one leg was still slightly puffy (but cool). I don't know if its the heat making them look puffy or what. I do think I remember them getting puffy last year when it was very hot but I can't quite remember!
So now I'm just freaking out as I don't know if its the heat making them sweaty or they are playing about when know one is watching I don't know. I don't know if its the heat making their legs swell or its the ground or if its them galloping. Just don't know
.Anyone reassure me? Do you think they will be better going out for a couple hours untill next week and then being swapped to out at night in during the day? Or should I swap them over tomorrow and take a risk changing their routines when they are still being used to being turned out together and the grass is so rich?
since the sun came out!). 
. I'm going to see how their legs are and play it be ear in the morning. It's so hard. If they are out at night I will worry and if they are out for a few hours in the morning I will worry!