Strategies for Maintaining Your Horse's Temperature during Summer's Heat Waves
In the scorching heat of summer, it's essential to take extra care of our equine friends. Here are some tips to help keep your horse comfortable and healthy during the hot weather.
Firstly, providing shade is crucial. American barns, trees, or any other suitable structures can be used to offer respite from the sun. Ensuring horses have enough barns or shelter is important to protect them from the heat.
Moving horses can increase blood pressure, provide cooling, and reduce the risk of collapse. However, it's important to avoid unnecessary work during summer for horses. Strenuous activities should be avoided during the hottest hours to prevent overheating.
Rinsing horses with water can help keep them cool during summer. But remember, cold water should be quickly dispensed over the horse, but ice should not be applied directly due to the risk of thermal damage.
Feeding patterns for horses need to be adjusted during summer. Providing a high water supply is essential for horses during this season.
Prevention is key in keeping horses from overheating. Workouts and hacks should be adjusted according to the weather. Reducing the time horses are on the field is important during hot weather.
Experts recommend protecting horses during a heatwave by providing shade and fresh air, ensuring access to constant fresh water, avoiding strenuous activities during the hottest hours, performing regular grooming to prevent overheating, and monitoring closely for signs of heat stress.
Overheated horses may not sweat due to dehydration and can show signs of restlessness, unsteadiness, colic, rapid breathing, weak pulse, and high body temperature. Timely antibiotic injections may be necessary for horse care during heatwaves.
Reducing stress, maintaining horse well-being, and maintaining horse health are essential for extra care during hot weather. Applying sunscreen on light, weak horses, especially on the muzzle and ears, can help protect them from the sun.
The WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) is a method used to assess thermal load on horses, taking temperature, light, humidity, and wind into account. If the WBGT rating is more than 28, courses are reduced in length and severity. If it's more than 33, conditions become incompatible with safety.
Summer heat is harmful to horses, causing issues like dehydration, lethargy, diarrhoea, and colic. Ensuring horses have access to fresh water and shade is crucial in preventing these issues.
Using horse trailers for transportation can be beneficial, as they provide a cool and shaded environment for the horses during travel.
By following these guidelines, you can help keep your horse comfortable and safe during the summer heatwaves.
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