protect your horse from the heat in summer
PROTECTING YOUR HORSE FROM HEAT IN SUMMER
It’s summer! And summer means intense heat. It’s great news for most riders, who can perfect their tan. But the sweltering heat is not always easy to handle when training horses or during competitions. So how do you protect your horse from heat? Let’s take a look at the best practices to adopt so that your horse can also enjoy the summer heat.
In summer, despite the heat, it’s rare that riders change their habits, and they’re right to do so! Just because it’s hot doesn’t mean horses should stop working or no longer spend long hours in the field. However, some extra steps are necessary to ensure that the high temperatures don’t cause problems for horses. So it’s essential to protect your horse from the heat.
HYDRATION COMES FIRST!
Just like us, horses need to stay well-hydrated in summer. And it’s not that simple! Changes in their daily routine, such as traveling or competitions, will affect the horse’s hydration. Yet, a horse drinks between 20 and 40 liters of water per day. This figure can double in case of intense heat. Therefore, more water than usual should be made available to horses that don’t have automatic watering systems. There are also a few tricks to encourage the horse to drink.
For those looking for natural solutions, pouring a little bit of apple juice in the water can be very effective and appeal the horse to drink more. You’ll also find many products in the tack shop that will stimulate drinking while supplementing the horse’s body against dehydration. You can thus opt for liquid electrolytes, syringe supplements, or even cereal balls to hang in the stall, which will also put an end to boredom!
WORKING WHEN IT’S HOT: YES, BUT NOT IN ANY WAY
Even when it’s hot, it’s important to keep your horse in shape. So it’s not a question of stopping work, but adapting it. Opt for shorter, less intense sessions. Prefer riding early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is no longer burning. Once the work is done, make sure your horse recovers properly to avoid aches and contractures. Also make sure he dries out in case of excessive sweating. To minimize the horse’s sweating as much as possible, don’t hesitate to equip it with a light and breathable saddle pad. The Areto saddle pad is thus the ideal choice for your summer sessions! Thanks to its 3D mesh fabric design, it is very light and ultra-breathable.
Once your horse is unsaddled, dry it with straw or cover it with a drying blanket. Then choose a breathable drying blanket so that it doesn’t increase the horse’s body temperature. Then shower your horse to help and increase blood circulation, focusing on the inside of the thighs, which regulate body temperature. Be sure to remove the excess water with a brush or a sweat scraper. To optimize muscle recovery you can also massage your horse using our relaxing precious oil, which facilitates recovery after work. Finally, to take care of the tendons, you can choose to apply stable bandages using our 3D mesh under-wraps, which are breathable and lightweight. But be careful: in case of very high heat, stable bandages could have the opposite effect.
DON’T FORGET THE RIDER!
As with your horse, it’s also important to protect yourself from the sun. Our Piaffé suede Cap will be the perfect choice to protect your head from the sun and will give you an elegant and sophisticated look. You will also sure enjoy riding during hot summer days with our very soft and light T-shirt Marpezia made with premium cotton and that will perfect match your outfit!
