•Provide shade, airflow (use fans) and free access to clean water during hot weather.
•Avoid riding your horse when the combined air temperature (F) and relative humidity is over 150, especially if the horse is not acclimated to the heat.
•To cool an overheated horse, sponge it with cool water. Repeat this until the horse is cool.
•If near a water source, use a hose to spray the horse continuously with cool water.
•Contact your veterinarian right away if you suspect your horse is having a heat stroke. Horses naturally cool themselves by sweating. You must provide extra care to your horse during hot weather to reduce their stress and maintain their health and well-being.
Sweating is natural cooling Horses normally cool themselves by sweating. The sweat evaporates from the skin surface and causes a cooling effect. Less sweat evaporates during times of high humidity. A horse that is working hard in a hot environment can lose 2 to 4 gallons of sweat per hour.
Horses can acclimate to hot and humid weather conditions. Air temperature and relative humidity affect the horse’s ability to cool itself. The below guidelines can help reduce or avoid heat stress in horses.
How air temperature and relative humidity affect horse cooling Keeping your horse cool Summer is a common time for heat-related issues but unexpected warm weather can add to overheating, especially if horses are out of shape and have long, thick coats.
Overheating can result from:
•Hot weather
•High humidity
•Poor barn ventilation
•Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight
•Excessive work
•Transportation
•Obesity
Here are some tips to keep your horse cool and comfortable during hot weather.
•Provide free access to clean water
•Reduce ride time and intensity
•Provide relief from the sun
•Consider electrolytes
•Additional tips
Cooling an overheated horse Hose down the horse. To cool an overheated horse (rectal temperatures above 103° F):
•Spray the horse’s head, back, neck, rump and legs with a steady stream of cool water.
•Repeat this continuously until the horse is cool. You can add ice to the water to speed-up cooling for very hot horses (rectal temperatures above 105° F).
•Research shows using ice to cool a hot horse is safe.
•Ice baths reduce core body temperature and lower heart rates after hard exercise.
•Horses were also found to trot more freely after an ice bath.
•Don’t directly apply ice water over the hind end (large gluteal muscles). Focus on areas where the blood vessels are more prominent: head, neck, back and rib area.
Don’t place a sheet or blanket on the horse when trying to cool it. Blanketing will block water evaporation from the skin. Don’t blanket during hot and humid conditions. Effects of heat on horses Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can result in heat stress, heatstroke and problems such as dehydration, muscle spasms and colic.
Acclimating horses to the heat We recommend a 15- to 21- day acclimation period for horses from cooler or drier climates traveling to compete or reside in hot, humid climates. Acclimation increases the horse’s tolerance to heat and exercise.
You should still monitor the horse during training and competition in hot and humid climates. Warm weather infectious diseases Hot weather brings an increased risk of infectious diseases that involve mosquito transmission to horses. Two important diseases in this category are West Nile virus (WNV) and Potomac Horse Fever (PHF). WNV causes neurologic signs and muscle trembling, killing almost a third of the horses that develop signs. Mosquito numbers often soar in late summer, as larvae hatch from warm water pools.
Horse owners can do 3 things to lower the risk of WNV infection:
1. Eliminate or treat all standing water in the horse’s environment to discourage mosquito hatching.
2. Minimize mosquito bites by keeping horses indoors during prime mosquito feeding times (dawn and dusk) and protect with repellents.
3. Ensure horses are well vaccinated against WNV. This may include a late summer booster vaccination, in addition to vaccination in the spring. PHF cases are more frequent in late summer and are characterized by fever, laminitis, and often, diarrhea. Horses can be infected by drinking contaminated water or by eating feed that has been contaminated by insects from aquatic environments. PHF resembles several other diseases so immediate veterinary
care and diagnostic testing are strongly recommended.
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