Keeping Horses Safe in Summer Heat: Top Tips from Rhythms of Grace
When summer temperatures soar—especially in July and August—it’s essential to protect our horses from heat stress. At Rhythms of Grace, we closely monitor the heat index and do not schedule classes when it exceeds 150 to ensure the well-being of our equine partners.
We have some key strategies for managing horses in the high heat and humidity.
Provide Shade: Trees, shelters, or lean-tos offer vital relief from the sun and help prevent overheating and sunburn.
Ensure Fresh Water: Horses drink more in the heat, so keep clean, cool water available at all times—ideally in multiple locations.
Use Electrolytes: Replace minerals lost through sweat, especially after exercise or on extra-hot days.
Improve Ventilation: Keep barn air flowing with open doors and fans (safely installed) to lower indoor temperatures.
Adjust Riding Times: Schedule groundwork and training activities during the cooler parts of the day—early morning or evening—and reduce intensity if needed.
Cool Down Properly: After work, hose horses with cool water, especially legs and underbelly, and walk them until breathing normalizes.
Body Clipping: We body clip our horses with thick coats and Cushing’s disease to help them cool down easier.
Prevent Sunburn: Use fly masks with UV protection or equine-safe sunscreen on pink skin and white markings.
Control Flies: Flies cause irritation and stress—wearing fly sheets, leggings, face masks help with the flies. We also pick up all manure daily to compost.
In Summary:
Managing horses in hot weather takes planning, awareness, and care. With simple but effective strategies, we can make sure our horses stay safe, hydrated, and happy all summer long. We love our horse partners and cannot do this important work without them so their care is paramount, especially in extreme temperatures.
