Horses During Summer

Warmer weather brought by summertime can mean lots of great adventures but also a higher risk for dehydration. Like other animals, horses are prone to it and can suffer from heatstroke and heat exhaustion as well. Here’s how to take care of horses during summer:

Access to plenty of water

Horses need plenty of water all year round but this becomes particularly important in hotter weathers. Horses can drink up to 55 liters of water daily and they sweat 3 times faster than humans. Because of this, they are at a much higher risk of dehydration and will need continuous access to fresh water. In addition, some salt to like can come in handy to help replace the salts lost during sweating.

Shade

Having constant access to shade is extremely important, specially for elderly horses and foals. Shade can either be provided by trees of structures made by people. Just like you, horses don’t like to stand under the hot sun all day and need shade to cool down.

Prevent sunburn

Some horses have pink skin which is particularly prone to sunburn. Applying animal safe sunblock once a day can greatly help reduce the risk of sunburn.

Choose cooler times of the day to ride

During summertime and hot weather, it is best to ride in cooler times of the day. This means riding early in the morning or during the evening, avoiding the hottest moments of the day like midday and the early afternoon.

Follow these tips to take the best care of your horse during hot weathers!