Too hot to turn out?

Mahoganybay

Mahoganybay

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As title, what would you consider as too hot to put a horse out in the field during the day assuming there wasn’t a lot of natural shelter?

I know of the 150 rule for riding (temperature + humidity) but is that the same for turnout?
 
Depends on other factors too, like whether there is a breeze and if they are used to the conditions and to some extent the horse. Some of mine continue to graze outside unbothered on boiling hot days and others go in the shelter, when all of them have the choice. I wouldn’t really worry up to the late 20s, but might bring them in if the temperature was maybe about 28+ and no shade option.
 
Mine have huge fields with trees and little valleys but even in last year's heatwave they chose to stand on the top of the tallest hill baking 😬

Agree that late 20s might make me consider it particularly if an old or young horse or if it was prolonged heat. But if I saw horses out at any uk temperature I wouldn't think they were mismanaged unless I could see they were struggling.
 
It depends if your stables stay cool in hot weather or get warm. Ours were too warm during last summer's heatwave (I usually bring them in in the day for a few hours in the summer, gives them a break from the flies and they seem to enjoy a midday snooze) so they stayed out in a shady field with soaked hay under the trees. IMO shade is essential so if you don't have any natural shade you should provide some, ie a field shelter.
 
Mu stables are wooden so like a sauna if the weather gets hot. I also have no shade in field. I was worried sick about my boys last year in the heat wave but they were absolutely fine! Least there is a bit of breeze outside! If I had cool stabling would have brought them in.
 
My fields are enclosed with hedges that are 20ft high, with plenty of mature trees, so loads of shelter, no matter where the sun is. All of them chose to snooze in the sun last year when it was absolutely boiling, rather than looking for shade. My stables face west, so have the sun on them during the hottest part of the day, and they are metal clad, so there's no way I'd put a horse in them during the day!
 
We hit 39.5 degrees here last summer. OH and I went to check on them around 1pm - my Appy doesn't sweat properly so I worry - they were all grazing as normal.

My stables are too hot to ever keep in when it's like that.

I think because it was hot for quite a long period last summer they did adapt pretty well. I've got hedgerows but the angle of the sun mid afternoon doesn't give much shade
 
Last year I didn’t have a choice but to leave mine out because the stables were west facing and wooden. They got far too hot and there was hardly any air flow in them, however not much shade in the field either.


Thankfully this summer I am on a different yard, cool brick barn stables if he needs to come in but more than enough shade in the fields too thanks to hedges and trees. I think I’ll only bring in if the flies are really annoying him, or the grass gets parched like last year (although new yard manages grazing a lot better thank goodness). They do tend to adapt, if I could visibly see him struggling I’d of course bring him in
 
My stable get too warm too. They have quite abit of hedgy shade in their field for the summer which is good. I was going out and hosing them down on the really really hot days, but to be honest they were more bothered about flies!
 
Peglo said:
We might’ve hit 22 degrees last summer… for a day 😂

My stables are warmer than outdoor temperatures. And there’s rarely no breeze here.
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I think we got 24 and 26 last year and yes it was warm but always a breeze never a full on bake me sunshine lol.

I wouldn’t ride over 20 degrees but I am lucky to be able to hack a small hack just under trees where it is quite cool
 
I won't ride when it's over 24/25C but I'll turn out - my stable is in a 3-sided barn and that gets quite stifling in the heat.

I took buckets of water laced with apple juice and electrolytes up to the field last year in the heatwave, and found mine was facing into the tiny breeze, under a big tree and coping ok.
 
We were worried about ours last year but they coped extremely well and never bothered seeking out shade. They did get an ice lolly (water and carrots) each a couple of time which they enjoyed but they didn't really need them. It was harder for us keeping up with their water demands!

However, my horse does have a white fly sheet which I might consider popping on this year if it gets very hot, just for the fact that white reflects the sun. My last horse was coloured and it was very noticeable that his white areas was several degrees cooler than his black bits.
 
Mine live out so there's no choice, really. We have a lot of hedging and they use that for shade, but mostly to get away from the insects. I grew up in a much warmer country and I can't remember worrying about. They were always out and we always rode. Of course they were used to it, so I think in many ways midsummer after a period of acclimatisation is less worrying than sudden heatwave in the middle of a cool spring.
 
Our field is good in the heat as it has dense woodland on two sides so plenty of shelter. Although all the horses choose to stand under the one tree (luckily a big oak so enough room for them all) that's in the middle of the field on its own. I assume because it gets a bit of breeze through it whereas the woodland blocks the wind. The flies are the bigger issue when it's hot but I think they'd still rather be out. If my field had no shade at all, I think I'd build something to give them some respite.
 
There does need to be shade available somewhere in the field all day long if horses are to be turned out on hot sunny days. It's then up to them whether to stand in the shade or out in the sun.

It's the tiny all electric fenced/no hedges, trees or field shelter mini turnout paddocks which are becoming more common which are concerning.
 
Tiddlypom said:
There does need to be shade available somewhere in the field all day long if horses are to be turned out on hot sunny days. It's then up to them whether to stand in the shade or out in the sun.

It's the tiny all electric fenced/no hedges, trees or field shelter mini turnout paddocks which are becoming more common which are concerning.
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Having recently moved yards, none of the grazing of paddocks have ANY shade. 😞The stables also get hot mid summer as they’re a big indoor barn. Not sure what I’ll be doing when the heat rises, she’s in during the day at present.
 
Mine regularly come and doze on the hard standing outside the shelter when it's boiling. They can and do come into the shade (field shelter plus various trees and hedges) but are often out in the sun far longer than I could stand. I never use the stables as I don't need to, but they're south facing and I can't imagine anything worse tbh!

Shade is easy to provide on a semi temporary basis through summer. There are those open ended mini polytunnels (dark plastic, not transparent obviously) which are easy to take up and down. Or three long poles driven in well and a sail attached (properly, using carabiners). Or fence panels, or straw bales and a tarp... the list goes on.
 
I treat as normal unless it’s 37 or up. If the weather is above their body temp, then I brought into our stone and brick stables, and used frozen plastic bottles of water around the stable to keep the air temp a bit lower.

I probably would choose not to ride above if it’s above 30 from a comfort perspective.
 
I had no choice during the heatwave last summer when it hit 41 to leave out in full sun. The shade by the trees had swung round by 1pm. Stables are tin roof so would be unbearable. I was going down three times a day to shower them down. All five horses. Was super stressed. But .. all were fine. Including the very old boy. Gave lots and lots of sloppy fibre mash with touch of salt.
 
Last summer in 40 degree heat, my ponies chose to either:
1) Hide in the barn where it is cooler and there is a breeze
Or
2) Ignore the shade of the huge trees and cluster in the blazing sun around the water trough. Water over shade any day apparently.
 
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