Riding during the heat wave…

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motherof2beasts!

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What do you guys do in this heat when you work full time. I’d like to ride in morning when cooler but can’t as I start at 7.30 and walk the dog on my morning yard run. Fat cob has been ridden daily but remains fat. I feel guilty if I don’t ride. equally don’t enjoy wearing a hat and sweltering and neither does cob in the name of fat fighting …. Rode this Eve and remain the colour of a lobster.

Think I’m just battling myself comfort vs remaining on track
 
Jenko109!!!! wow that's seriously keen, that's the middle of the night 😆
Mine will most likely just have a few days off, he too is the size of a small house but detests flies and gets so sweay, he's also a head shaker so can't handle bright light. If I wake up super early I may go early, however my dogs will be taking priority as I have to live with them! Horse is happy not to do anything, younger dog isn't.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Jenko109!!!! wow that's seriously keen, that's the middle of the night 😆
Mine will most likely just have a few days off, he too is the size of a small house but detests flies and gets so sweay, he's also a head shaker so can't handle bright light. If I wake up super early I may go early, however my dogs will be taking priority as I have to live with them! Horse is happy not to do anything, younger dog isn't.
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Same and my fat one also has asthma and allergies so isn’t a fan of this weather. I hate moaning about it, love it if I’m on holiday but not here, I’m tired ratty and sweaty.
 
I agree it’s glorious up early but it’s also nice in bed and then coffee and breakfast. I groom in the shade then just ride for half hour followed by a hose down.
 
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I either go really early at 5/6 or really late after 8pm. I am going to ride tomorrow morning at 8/9 ish but it’s not meant to be too hot too early tomorrow and I’ll just keep it short if it is. If it’s too hot though they just get a few extra days off, if I feel like it’s too hot I don’t make myself ride as I can guarantee they won’t be in the mood either and it won’t hurt them. I agree though that’s it’s magical first thing in the morning!
 
It absolutely boiling here at 9.30pm. I just got back from a corporate hospitality day at the tennis at Queens. It was roasting hot the last match was three hours. Those athletes are amazing players in the heat it was hard enough being a spectator. People were fainting due to the heat.

Bert also fat and at 32C will be too hot at the weekend for me as I am heat intolerant. I won't be able to do ground work due to the heat. I can't ride unless bareback as don't have a properly fitting saddle.

Exercise at 4.30am is not an option.

I will be probably doing a walk bareback in the school for 30 minutes at the weekend better than nothing. Hopefully after two weeks on the Hepalyte his liver is improving and he will feeling better.

After work it will have to be ground work as don't want to ride bareback when nobody else on the yard. Due to his liver problem a d saddle issue he is not doing as much as I would like exercise wise.

It looks like the heatwave will last at least two weeks. Thankfully my instructor is in her mid 20s and able to do some exercise with Bert as she is not a tired menopausal hot person. I will be exhausted as won't sleep well due to heat. I need a really cool bedroom and it is still 23C. I have a fan on and a cool mat which is in the freezer to lie on. I went and got Nytol to help with sleeping. I tend to avoid them due to the dementia risk but I can't have no sleep for the next three weeks.
 
SO1 said:
It absolutely boiling here at 9.30pm. I just got back from a corporate hospitality day at the tennis at Queens. It was roasting hot the last match was three hours. Those athletes are amazing players in the heat it was hard enough being a spectator. People were fainting due to the heat.

Bert also fat and at 32C will be too hot at the weekend for me as I am heat intolerant. I won't be able to do ground work due to the heat. I can't ride unless bareback as don't have a properly fitting saddle.

Exercise at 4.30am is not an option.

I will be probably doing a walk bareback in the school for 30 minutes at the weekend better than nothing. Hopefully after two weeks on the Hepalyte his liver is improving and he will feeling better.

After work it will have to be ground work as don't want to ride bareback when nobody else on the yard. Due to his liver problem a d saddle issue he is not doing as much as I would like exercise wise.

It looks like the heatwave will last at least two weeks. Thankfully my instructor is in her mid 20s and able to do some exercise with Bert as she is not a tired menopausal hot person. I will be exhausted as won't sleep well due to heat. I need a really cool bedroom and it is still 23C. I have a fan on and a cool mat which is in the freezer to lie on. I went and got Nytol to help with sleeping. I tend to avoid them due to the dementia risk but I can't have no sleep for the next three weeks.
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Good grief, and good luck - sounds like a warm front is the least of your worries!
 
Yeah I’m going to stop guilt tripping myself , yes he’s fat and will likely be fat shamed forever. He’s been on a bloody diet since I got him 5 years ago, if I reduce him anymore he’ll be hangry and hideous.

I’m on sertraline and have a thyroid disease so also heat intolerant , I like it if access to a pool and no work required.
 
AdorableAlice said:
5am was glorious this morning. Lots of wildlife, no traffic and a peaceful pair of cobs. Only problem is my ancient body thought 9am was lunchtime and 2pm was bedtime, hopefully no one noticed I snoozed through the zoom meetings !
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Siesta time needs to be a real thing in hot weather.

I am not riding anymore but a walk down the fields at 5am is still a pleasant time of day for counting sheep.
 
SO1 said:
will be exhausted as won't sleep well due to heat. I need a really cool bedroom and it is still 23C. I have a fan on and a cool mat which is in the freezer to lie on. I went and got Nytol to help with sleeping. I tend to avoid them due to the dementia risk but I can't have no sleep for the next three weeks.
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Argos have got some good portable air conditioners in. No need to have them plumbed in, you just plug them in and stick the vent hose out of the window. You don’t need a huge one for a bedroom.

We’ve got a fairly elderly cheapo Challenge (Argos own brand?) air conditioner which we dug out yesterday and it’s still working grand in a bedroom, it cools to 18°. Our bedrooms have sloping ceilings and get very warm in a heat wave, but the air conditioner copes well. It’s not quiet, though…
 
I’m giving a (sort of) sunset ride a go tomorrow as evenings are still cool enough, next week I’m probably doing absolutely nothing but necessities and sitting still while melting 🙈

I can vouch for the portable AC, it’s brilliant, luckily I’m deaf so the noise isn’t an issue :)
 
Tiddlypom said:
Argos have got some good portable air conditioners in. No need to have them plumbed in, you just plug them in and stick the vent hose out of the window. You don’t need a huge one for a bedroom.

We’ve got a fairly elderly cheapo Challenge (Argos own brand?) air conditioner which we dug out yesterday and it’s still working grand in a bedroom, it cools to 18°. Our bedrooms have sloping ceilings and get very warm in a heat wave, but the air conditioner copes well. It’s not quiet, though…
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Sounds good. I have a really powerful Meaco fan which does work well but I don't like leaving it on at night because of the fire risk. If I was less anxious about fires I would have it on all night. I put it on timer so it turns off after 3 hours I know logically that would not stop it catching fire.

I don't know if the portable aircon units have less of a fire risk. Will definitely look into it.
 
I love this weather ❤️ Sunshine hacks, poo picking in shorts to top up my tan, alfresco dining & pub gardens are really what Summer is about for me.

Although I have a native he's fit & I keep him clipped out all year round, so he doesn't struggle with the weather.

I mostly ride before work all year round and it is SO much nicer tacking up and in sunshine & 14° than in the dark and 2° 🤣 If I couldn't ride before work I'd ride after work.
 
Yes another bonus for evening riding is less flies!

Meant to be competing on Sunday, not sure to be honest. Will see what our time is etc...its meant to be 25C which is pretty warm but thankfully not as hot as you have it in the south east!
 
I just hack in the heat. Try to start early-ish, go slow, ride in woods if possible, and wash down well afterwards. Extra salt in horse's mash.

I have too much to juggle to throw in yet another complicating factor. That said, if it's over about 26 or 27C then I just don't bother, and we don't school anyway - mooching in the countryside is quite different to "proper work".

My horse is a bit of a chubster as well, but he's not too unfit and doesn't seem bothered by riding on hot days. I'm more concerned about travelling - we will be travelling on Friday but we'll head out early (7/8am) and won't be trailering home until the afternoon when hopefully the worst of the sun will have passed. And I'll take loads of water in the car.
 
I feel sorry for the horses the heat is so much harder for them than the cold. There is a hedge line at the back of the field but it doesn't offer the shade in the same way that big trees do.

Yard staff do hose the horses down. Thankfully we don't have horse flies.

I have seen a horse with heat stroke at a show before. Luckily there was an equine vets right next door so it was taken straight there for treatment.

I have seen some shows are cancelled for this weekend with the shade temperatures at 30C or more that I think is sensible.
 
In this weather I like to get done before 10am. Prefer to hack but will school as we have an indoor which is definitely cooler than outside. I am lucky to be semi retired so tend to spend from about 11am until 6pm hidden indoors. The cameras on my fields show the horses do the same. They can be seen grazing most of the night, but spend from about 11 am onwards chilling in their field shelter.
Have to say I am not a fan of the heat.
 
SO1 said:
I have seen some shows are cancelled for this weekend with the shade temperatures at 30C or more that I think is sensible.
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Yes that seems sensible.

If it makes you feel any better, my horses DO have shade (constant access to a stone barn) but they choose to stand outside in the direct sun, sweating slightly and with flies on their eyes. The baby definitely sleeps in the barn but the older ones just stay out. That's only up to about 28C though - it hardly every gets hotter than that so I don't know what they'd do then.
 
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