TO HOT TO RIDE?

[splashnutti1]

Is anyone else frustrated with this hot weather, my poor lad is sweating just stood in his field (he wont stable) so would feel awful tacking him up to ride

Plan was to ride late evening but is still in high twenties here at 9.00pm!!! i have a show on sunday but thinking probably wont go if its still hot especially as have been unable to work him at all this week

So at the moment i am just fly spraying an suncreaming morning and night and supplying fresh cool water and usually a sponge down of an evening

Its just so frustrating, he is young and was just statring to soften and work from behind and come into a lovely light outline now has had nealy 2 weeks off schooling grrrrrr!

Oh well i have all the time in the world with him

 

[SpottedCat]

Good job you don't live in Australia or parts of the USA, you'd never ride

I'm riding as normal - spent the weekend doing some 4-5 hacks over hilly ground, schooled this morning etc.

 

[Cortez]

Sweat is not fatal.....it's job is to cool the horse down, so ride, sweat, sponge and get on with it.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I am riding in the evenings, it's vey pleasant around 8pm. I dowse my mare in water when we get back and she's happy.

 

[Follysmum]

I gave all mine a week off. Have just started riding again early morn or late eve. Its the flaming horseflies that pee me off. They seem to love me and my nags.

 

[zoon]

I'm still riding, but cancelled a lesson I have tomorrow as its a 2hr journey away in the middle of the day. Don't think it's fair on him to be shut in box sweating - think its like a dog shut in a car! I'll rearrange that one, but I'll still ride tomorrow, just locally!

 

[FlaxenPony05]

Don't think it's too hot to ride...I'm just going down to the yard at 5 rather than my usual time of midday It's much nicer in the evening anyway! What I hate is the sweaty bus journey home!

 

[splashnutti1]

lol i know sweat isnt fatal god if it was he wouldnt be here now!!! just said would feel mean tacking him up when already sweaty not that i def wouldnt do it

i did take him out at the weekend but went early on and had time to spend cooling him down a bit first but cant do that in the week as i work.

Spottedcat our horses arent so used to heat over here its usually cold lol hehehe but hoping to climatise him more to work in all temperatures as he matures.

It doesnt help he is a tad over weight (not massive) due to me being on hols for two weeks and no-one to work him, a prob i am currently addressing with soaked hay and a starvation paddock lol (much to his horror)

 

[splashnutti1]

Follysmum flies are also a big prob for me lol drive my lad crazy

flaxenony05 i am lucky i have an air conditioned jeep to get there in lol xxx

 

[3OldPonies]

Personally I think during the day it is too hot at the moment, early morning and evening are the best times. I realise that around the world people ride in temperatures like this, but in the UK we are just not so well adapted to really hot weather and neither are our animals!

I rode last night with a friend and our boys were v. sweaty at the end of it, and misbehaved themselves quite badly while we were out, which is completely out of character and I'm sure being uncomfortable in the heat had a lot to do with it. A more than slight case of 'those black bales are scary and we're going home', coupled with 'there's tigers lurking in that wheat field'.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I'm still riding most days but having to ride either very early or at around 8pm as my boy just cannot cope with the heat. It's all very well saying "just as well you don't live in xyz" but when you have a horse who hates the heat there isn't much you can do. I just give him a quick sponge before we leave and a bath afterwards to try to keep him comfortable.

 

[webble]

Too hot for me let alone the pony! We did half an hours schooling at 7am and I was dripping with sweat - not nice

 

[cavalo branco]

I'm not competing in this weather but a really early morning ride is brilliant! This morning I saw a buzzard, deer out in the fields and a fox. My ID is now clipped! Never done a summer clip before but he is much more comfortable.

 

[Sprig]

Not too hot. My little cob is getting fit to do some endurance. Due to childcare constraints I normally have to ride at lunchtime. Today I did 7 miles, most of it in trot. Yes he was sweaty when we got back but not suffering at all and once he was washed off at home we went happily back to grazing in the field. For mine particularly I think it is sensible to keep going as much as possible in this weather otherwise if it happened to be like this when we were due to do an endurance ride his body would not be accustomed to it.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

blimey!
its the UK people and sweating is natural........

 

[splashnutti1]

Apercrumbie and 3Oldponies (sorry dont know how to quote yet) i also agree that our horses just arent used to the types of heat they have abroad so when it is hot they like us feel the difference lol.

When me and my sister went out at the weekend my lad was ok most of the way but towards end of hack was dragging his feet and having to be sent on all the time which is unlike him he usually bounces all the way home so he obviously was feeling it (we were out for an hour going steady), my sisters lad who is usually foward going was very sluggish, tripping and slipping about as he wasnt concentrating and is clumsy at best of times lol He also kept trying to turn for home, both completely out of character so think the heat did affect them, (we rode early morning).

Think it affects some horses more than others lol.

I will get my lad out friday, sat and sunday as i not at work so can ride super early, was just saying i feel for them lol

 

[Nicnac]

blimey!
its the UK people and sweating is natural........

Sweating?! Surely us laydees only glow

 

[foxy1110]

I've been riding early morning - much cooler than the evenings!

 

[starryeyed]

I love the heat but have only been riding first thing in the morning before the sun really comes up.

 

[splashnutti1]

Nobody has said sweating isnt natural? lol.

I am considering giving my lad a clip see if it would help, he is a cob and has quite a thick coat, may give him a new lease of life hehehe.

webble; know what you mean we were as wet as the horses when we got back on sunday lol! needless to say i got under the cold hose pipe myself lol

 

[splashnutti1]

Sweating?! Surely us laydees only glow

lol i assure thid errrr lady ahum cough cough, sweats and most definately glow hehe

 

[MotherOfChickens]

get out of bed and ride early. I've ridden, mucked out 3 and poo picked before I go to work. When I get home I get them in and retire to the patio

 

[wiglet]

I don't think it's too hot for the horses - as long as they're fit enough to do what you ask and they can be hosed off/cooled down afterwards BUT, it's not pleasant riding in the midday sun - think sweat and flies I have been riding early in the morning (6.30am) it's still humid but manageable.

 

[splashnutti1]

get out of bed and ride early. I've ridden, mucked out 3 and poo picked before I go to work. When I get home I get them in and retire to the patio

i would love to but i start work at 5am lol i dont lie in bed lol (wish i could some days)

well i start my full time job at 8am but i am also a carer fo my partner so i get up at five spend usually an hour and a half preparing him for the day, usually head to my horses about 6.30, get back home for 7.15 to shower and get picked up at 7.50 for work so dont have time to ride of a morning lol.

evenings consist of home at 5 give prtner his tea and check he is ok and has everything he needs and then its HORSEY time yay!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Phew yes I'm one who wouldn't dream of going out in the middle of the day. Its too darned hot; plus hate the feeling of sweat running down my back not to mention horrible sweaty knickers and jods that just stick in all the wrong bits ;[ eeeuuuuwwwhhh! No thanks, not for me.

Basically my routine at the mo is to try and get everything done between the hours of 7pm through to 7am, that includes hacking, mucking out, field-work etc etc. Its easier for me to do as much as possible away from the heat of the day.

My two are in fly rugs; mare gets worried to death by pesky horseflies, traddie-boy has sweet itch so has to wear his rug, he's very hot and sweating up underneath it but there's nothing I can do, if I took it off he'd rub himself raw in half a day, so he must wear it. I've texted a friend to get him clipped, poor lad.

 

[RunToEarth]

If I'm still working, the horses can still work. I haven't jumped on this ground recently but I suppose that is one reason they invented arena surfaces so all is not lost.

Honestly, I do not believe it gets too hot to ride in this country...ever.

 

[splashnutti1]

Phew yes I'm one who wouldn't dream of going out in the middle of the day. Its too darned hot; plus hate the feeling of sweat running down my back not to mention horrible sweaty knickers and jods that just stick in all the wrong bits ;[ eeeuuuuwwwhhh! No thanks, not for me.

Oh yes with you on this one hun the pesky knickers and jods stick EVERYWHERE lol yucky my worst nightmare

 

[only_me]

I ride as normal but am more careful with cooling down - ie hose, scrape, hose , scrape till he is at normal temps.

Billy is a "freely sweating" horse and sweats up no matter the weather. In just back from xc schooling and although v sweaty it didn't really tire him at all!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

i would love to but i start work at 5am lol i dont lie in bed lol (wish i could some days)

well i start my full time job at 8am but i am also a carer fo my partner so i get up at five spend usually an hour and a half preparing him for the day, usually head to my horses about 6.30, get back home for 7.15 to shower and get picked up at 7.50 for work so dont have time to ride of a morning lol.

evenings consist of home at 5 give prtner his tea and check he is ok and has everything he needs and then its HORSEY time yay!

ahh, well then thats alot more difficult. I find it hard to ride later in the evening as I am generally rubbish after about 8pm and like to be in bed by 10 at the latest! Seriously though, if you don't want to ride then and can't another time then just don't-it is supposed to be fun and not a chore (unless you have fatties to exercise at all costs). If they are pretty fit, they'll not lose it overnight.

 

[cambrica]

Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that. I work outside in the sun all day so right now my family are in the Pride of Lions frame of mind where we collapse in the shade and only get up to collapse elsewhere in the shade.
I'm sure Roberto would be fine to ride (except for the blasted horse flies) but I'm not sure I can handle anymore sun today !