Riding in this heat?

I don't ever really worry about the sweat situation, the panting a bit more so as I take this as a sign that he is actually struggling to regulate.

Beaubear if he is struggling I would be tempted to clip- although sods law is you do that and it then it cools down and rains for the rest of the summer!
 
I love this weather, and my horse is an Arab so should be okay with it. We just amble about the lanes and then go into the nice cool woods or just do a very quick and not too flat out lunge in the school.
 
I'm adjusting my riding times to later in the evening but thats mainly because of the damn horseflies which eat us alive when we step out :mad:
 
How hot is it in the UK at the moment? I've seen some references to 20c. I don't ride my horses in the full heat of the mid afternoon sun (usually somewhere between 35c and 40c) mainly because of the humidity rather than the actual temperature. I ride either in the morning before the heat gets up or in the evening when the temps drop to around the 30s but the humidity is usually lower. My horses get hosed down after rides and I also hose them down in their fields when it's hot days. I usually have sprinklers attached to fences in some fields where the horses love to come up and "take a dip" on the very hot days.
 
Spring Feather said:
How hot is it in the UK at the moment? I've seen some references to 20c. I don't ride my horses in the full heat of the mid afternoon sun (usually somewhere between 35c and 40c) mainly because of the humidity rather than the actual temperature. I ride either in the morning before the heat gets up or in the evening when the temps drop to around the 30s but the humidity is usually lower. My horses get hosed down after rides and I also hose them down in their fields when it's hot days. I usually have sprinklers attached to fences in some fields where the horses love to come up and "take a dip" on the very hot days.
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Sprinklers on fences ... Now that sounds awesome, lol :D
 
That's what mine does - he gets quite blowy esp when jumping or doing fast work even though he is reasonably fit - it's almost as though it's harder for him to regulate his breathing.

We did a 30 minute shared jumping lesson in about 18 degree heat a few weeks ago and he struggled with the temperature hence I'm pretty positive he'd really struggle tonight!
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Poor Jackson can't sweat, he just puffs and looks distressed so any work has to be done when temperatures are reasonably cool, to avoid cooking him. I've been riding at 6.30am :eek: Even the evenings are too hot, to be honest. Although looking at the week ahead, Wednesday night looks cool enough for a ride to be possible :)
 
I think we don't ever have a chance to acclimatize to weather in Britain, swings from cold to hot and back again.

Depends on type of horse and how much coat it is carrying, also how fit.

As Be Positive said, depends also on the rider, I hate riding when it is very hot. A leisurely hack is fine, any more and I feel like dying.
 
Many years ago when I lived and worked in the US, in Missouri where it gets very hot and 100% humidity, I used to work the horses from 3am - 7am when it was the coolest. In the daytime we had fans going in all the stables, but they would still stand dripping with sweat. It never gets that hot here, so it's really just that we are not used to working in the heat.
 
I still took daughter out competing yesterday she just stood pony in the shade when she could offered lots of water and washed off between classes when she finished and a good hosepipe down when she got home. Still managed fast rounds though and she was jumping around miday in one class. Me on the other hand had very red shoulders!!!
 
For me it would be 6am riding given the chance- in this heat, a lovely time of the day and soo peaceful, I am a morning person though !!! But in contrast my DD was at Iping for the Pony Club Area Horse Trials yesterday and it was Bl**dy hot! we had mid afternoon and later day times, so everyone had a very long day, all ponies managed admirably though in all phases, we had plenty of water on hand and kept them and riders hydrated, they all got XC time penalties (those who know Iping will know it is VERY twisty and hilly !!) funniest sight though, before setting off XC all our teams had a wonderful idea and dunked their XC base layers in buckets of water wrung out and put on went off grinning from ear to ear. :-) sorry slightly off topic but we all thought it was very novel of them!
 
Yes, it is hot at the minute and so I am adapting what I do re riding. For example, I took mine to the local farm ride/XC course on Sunday, but we set off early, and were up and on the course by 8.15am to avoid the heat - And were finished by10.30am.

I think it definitely gets warmer through the midday and afternoon – if I ride later in the day, I leave it until gone 7.30pm so that it is starting to cool off, but I still find this warmer than the early morning.

With my logical head on, I know other countries are far hotter than the UK and they manage to ride still. But I am sure they take similar precautions – i.e avoiding the midday sun, and riding when it is cooler in the mornings and evenings. Plus, you have to remember that their horses are acclimatised to the heat. Our horses are used to being worked in temperatures below 18C, so on those days when the temperature gage reads nearly 30C I think it is a little unfair to expect a horse to work the same. After all, when competition horses go off to compete in foreign climes, if they are going to warmer countries, they are often taken a few days or even a week before to get used to the hotter temperatures.

Interestingly, when at the farm ride on Sunday, when we got back to the box, my friend got chatting to some other people, who she had not seen for several years, when she used to compete in endurance rides. They loved the opportunity to get their horses used to working in the heat, as when they go off to Europe they sometimes feel disadvantaged over horses who are used to that temperature daily. In fact, they said that sometimes, they actually put fleece lined exercise sheets on their horses to do hill and fast work, so they learn to cope with heat!!!! Not sure I’d do that, but I suppose it makes sense for their particular horses and fitness regimes!

Basically, I think it’s a matter of being sensible….if you are just planning to amble along on a nice shady ride on your happy hacker, you are fine. If you are taking a fit competition horse to an event and are careful to ensure he/she stays hydrated and cool enough, then again, fine. You wouldn’t want to take an unfit, overweight cob out on a fast hack in the midday sun at 30C though ideally!! A little common sense goes a long way!
 
Riding early morning because of flies rather than heat but prefer riding early anyway and I am at work during day. That said one of mine had heat exhaustion when racing and whilst going for a hack isn't quite the same, he generally isn't a hot weather horse.
 
I'm riding early as I can. Have to say my horses are coping brilliantly. They haven't had any problems with flies or the heat. I check on them during the day and nobody is in the shade even when standing quietly. They come in for a few evening hours as is the norm. I've been giving them a hose and a scrape in the afternoon which they love. They are coping much better than I thought and much better than me. I should not have issues with this weather and yet I have become a wimp! I used to gallop in 40 degree heat with full chaps and a leather covered body protector.

Terri
 
I'm not competing so ride v early to avoid heat (which I hate - the heat that is!).

When was competing, I'd work Fuzzies at similar times as they would be competing - so midday sun, early morning slippery dew covered grass etc etc.
It was important to make sure they would cope with what was thrown at them weather & temp wise :)
 
TFF. That is very true. I tell the horses that as could be ridden at a competition any time from very early to very late.
 
A friend of mine who lives outside of Washington DC has pointed out that it is 102 Farenheit and about 100% humidity.

So quit yer whinging. :D
 
My family is outside DC and Baltimore. They have pointed this out as well! The heat at home as become extreme and far more many days than we used to have. If your air conditioner breaks you will move heaven and earth to get it back on again! And a generator just in case.

Terri
 
The cleg flies, on the other hand, are another matter. No nice relaxing hack for us. When the clegs flying around her reached critical mass, my horse would trot whether I wanted her to or not and beg to be allowed to canter, which I let her do on the grass verge. Bloody horrible things. Though perhaps chasing them with my dressage whip and saying loudly, "Die, motherf%^&er, die!" while riding through the village wasn't terribly polite.
 
QR...haven't read all replies but I'd be more concerned about the ground than the heat...round here it is like concrete ..... I usually ride early morning or in the evening anyway so haven't changed that, but am doing far less fast work due to the ground. That said, maybe I am as cruel as a random walker suggested on Friday when they saw my immensly fit TB had a small damp patch on his neck when I was riding.....apparently I have no idea of hismlimitations and a horse should NEVER show any sweat if they are fit enough for the level of work they are doing....I guess they'd never watched any equine competitions or racing!
 
Iv been getting up and riding at 5.30AM and its lush. No traffic, cool and no flys. Loving it but I'm a early bird so no probs getting up but I can't stand the heat so works well
 
Humidity (which has been pointed out) is the real problem. At 100% humidity can't get any higher and if the air is saturated a breeze might not be enough. So, if your poor horse is sweating and the humidity is high it's not great for him (or you).
 
When there's a bit of a breeze I don't mind so much, but when it's just baking it's unpleasant...

I've been trying to ride as late as possible, but haven't been avoiding riding because of the heat. Cobby sweats but doesn't seem distressed at all, and isn't too bothered by the flies. He's in during the day, and I think he's quite glad to get out of the barn by the time I get there :) He's also a lot happier about being bathed when it's been hot - think he quite enjoys it rather than just enduring it!
 
Caol Ila said:
The cleg flies, on the other hand, are another matter. No nice relaxing hack for us. When the clegs flying around her reached critical mass, my horse would trot whether I wanted her to or not and beg to be allowed to canter, which I let her do on the grass verge. Bloody horrible things. Though perhaps chasing them with my dressage whip and saying loudly, "Die, motherf%^&er, die!" while riding through the village wasn't terribly polite.
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:D hahaha sort of thing i do!
 
tamsinkb said:
QR...haven't read all replies but I'd be more concerned about the ground than the heat...round here it is like concrete ..... I usually ride early morning or in the evening anyway so haven't changed that, but am doing far less fast work due to the ground. That said, maybe I am as cruel as a random walker suggested on Friday when they saw my immensly fit TB had a small damp patch on his neck when I was riding.....apparently I have no idea of hismlimitations and a horse should NEVER show any sweat if they are fit enough for the level of work they are doing....I guess they'd never watched any equine competitions or racing!
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That is ridiculous!! I take it then that Olympic athletes never sweat, going by their idea?!:rolleyes:
 
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