Heat - How much is too much?

[Sparrowette]

While at work yesterday, I was listening to a podcast, and there was a gal from Kentuckey Performance Products (missed the name) who listed temperatures etc. for riding.

She advised adding up the temperature and relative humidity and using the total as a basis for decisions.

under 130 was okay
140 to to 180, go easy, don’t push, give bath and cool him down well
over 180, just bath him in cool water, put him in a stall under a fan and get into some AC yourself.

She didn’t mention where 131 to 139 fit. Probably would depend on your and your horse?

Does this sound like a good “rule of thumb” for when it is too hot to ride? Or is there another means of deciding that you use?

[findeight]

You can just use National Weather Service heat index prepared by meteorologists that combines actual temp and humidity into easily understood " feels like" temp. No idea what figures/ data being combined to create a random number between 130-190? And is this put out by a supplement company? That just happens to have things coded to their numbers to sell you?

IME once the meteorological heat index hits 90f you need to start paying attention to both self and horse, be ready to go easy as indicated. 100 or so, it gets into the don’t push zone and 110f+ you are nuts if you are out there working. All you need to do is turn on your tv, radio or check your local weather on your cell.

Far as too hot? That is an individual thing for horses, dogs, humans, whatever. Depends on body mass, hair coat or clothing, physical ailments, age, hydration, ability to sweat, most dark color animals overheat quicker then light ones, and, for humans, personal preference. Acclimatization too, you can adapt to it to a certain extent, same with cold.

I always like the KISS approach and don’t like to overcomplicate things. See you are in AZ, unless you are riding between about 4am and 9am? It’s too hot and monsoon season ruins the dry heat nonsense. Elsewhere, any heat index over 90 might be too hot.

BTW, was raised in the SW so good to 105 or so heat index easy, so were my horses. Once I hit my 50s and ended up in the Midwest, not so much, more like high 90s. Same thing with the horses. We could do it but needed more management.

[tabula_rashah]

I think it’s an awful hard thing to put a formula to. It depends on you and your horse completely. My 23 year old Cushings mare, over about 80 degrees I won’t ride her. My very in shape endurance mare that we’ve been specifically working in heat for summer rides- she’ll get a regular workout but we’ll stick to shady trails and I’ll sponge her at any creeks we cross. My young Arab gelding- I’m pretty sure he could care less about the heat.
Me, on the other hand, I’m a heat wussy. I pretty much hate weather above 70 degrees so I force myself to ride when it’s hot but I make sure I’m hydrated, wearing cooling clothes etc.
Also make sure you know how to properly cool out a horse- don’t listen to the crap about don’t put cold water on your horse, or don’t offer a hot horse water. Apply water, scrape, repeat ad nauseum until their body temp and pulse come down. A fan really helps too.

[walktrot]

I saw the formula years ago, and it was just in an article in one of those online newsletters last month, but it can’t find it to post a link. The basic issue has to do with the horse’s ability to regulate his body temperature by cooling himself. When temp & humidity add up to 150 the horse should be able to cool himself. At 150-180 you are getting into territory where it becomes more difficult and you should modify your riding accordingly. At 180, you have reached the area where they are in danger of heat-related problems. I have used that formula for a long time because here in Maine it’s very easy to have a nice day in the mid-80s with humidity in the 90s range, and that’s when it’s becoming too hot – which can be very frustrating!

[luvmyhackney]

I ride early in the morning and late afternoons. If I have to go out in the middle of the day, we go on a walk on shaded trails on a leadline or long lines or just make it a grooming day. I work my horse like if I was going on a run. If it’s too hot for me to work out, its the same for him. Over 90 and I don’t ride at all, its a grooming day. Less than 90 depending on how sticky it is I might do short trot sets or a short trail ride.

If it is really hot my kids like to get on bareback and ride through sprinklers. Pony seems to enjoy it as well.

[candyappy]

Last week we were in the low 90’s and 60% humidity but we had a good strong breeze. The horses were not sweating at all while out in the pasture or standing in the barn. I rode about every day.

This week mid 90’s , 70% humidity, horses sweating fairly heavily by 10 am and not much breeze. They will get this week off, as it will continue through the weekend and actually get hotter.

[Ruth0552]

I’ve always been suspicious of this formula. There have been days I’ve added up the temp and the relative humidity to get a reasonable, supposedly rideable number, but it feels dreadful out because the dewpoint is so high. And a good breeze, or a complete lack of a breeze, will throw off your numbers as well. My rule is that if I am sweating with only mild activity in the non-AC part of the house (say doing litter boxes or dusting), it is too hot to ride. Otherwise, we will be okay, though we will probably sweat buckets.

[mmeqcenter]

I use the formula as a guideline, not a rule. The one I use is:

Real temperature + relative humidity - sustained wind speed:
Under 130, no issues.
130-170, horse has harder time recovering, take it easy
Over 170, very difficult for horse’s vitals to recover, best to not ride.

I also factor in the sun and horse’s fitness level, however, as well as their typical reaction to the heat. For instance, my 19 year old gelding who doesn’t love the heat so much, doesn’t do super well with it, I’d probably not ride with a number over 160, and would still stay in the shade. (He’s retired so I don’t ride him, but just an example). My 8 year old very fit mare who just seems to love the summer - we may ride in the shade up to around 175/180, probably only walk/trot, and mostly walk at that.

So, for example, I am in Ocala, and at this exact moment (912am) it is 77 °F, 94% humidity, and 0 sustained wind speed.
77 + 94 - 0 = 171. Plus, it’s bright and sunny. I’ll probably wait to ride until this evening, when we are supposed to pick up a light breeze and after the sun goes down.

[preppyeq]

@mmeqcenter

I use the formula as a guideline, not a rule. The one I use is:

Real temperature + relative humidity - sustained wind speed:
Under 130, no issues.
130-170, horse has harder time recovering, take it easy
Over 170, very difficult for horse’s vitals to recover, best to not ride.

I also factor in the sun and horse’s fitness level, however, as well as their typical reaction to the heat. For instance, my 19 year old gelding who doesn’t love the heat so much, doesn’t do super well with it, I’d probably not ride with a number over 160, and would still stay in the shade. (He’s retired so I don’t ride him, but just an example). My 8 year old very fit mare who just seems to love the summer - we may ride in the shade up to around 175/180, probably only walk/trot, and mostly walk at that.

So, for example, I am in Ocala, and at this exact moment (912am) it is 77 °F, 94% humidity, and 0 sustained wind speed.
77 + 94 - 0 = 171. Plus, it’s bright and sunny. I’m working, but I probably wouldn’t ride with this number and sun factor even if I weren’t. I’ll probably wait to ride until this evening, when we are supposed to pick up a light breeze and after the sun goes down.

I use this as a guideline too! I tend to take it easier than recommended by my trainer because I am overly cautious. I realized just how over cautious I can be last night. A couple of the horses who were in my lesson had gotten pretty sweaty and were breathing pretty hard. My horse was sweaty under her tack and breathing wise had recovered quickly with the walk breaks we were taking. Sometimes I think she is still the under muscled and out of work horse that she was when I bought her. She is in pretty good shape now and can outlast me on the hot days. I mostly ride either in the morning on weekends or in the afternoon during the week which helps.

[Palm_Beach]

If I ride, I hose and scrape the horse before tacking and keep the ride short. And only if the horse is already in good condition. The fatties might not get ridden.