What are we all doing about this heat? How are you all staying cool?
I had an hour lesson today and got so nauseous from overheating I had to stop 20 minutes early.
I clearly need to pack even more water and ice…but what other suggestions do you have??
I won’t lesson in the extreme heat/humidity or just do walk work. I do have one of those neck things you can dip in water to stay cool.
I try to make sure my lesson is before noon and I’m the road home before noon. At home I’m riding after 7pm and keeping the rides to 20 minutes.
We’re in the midst of the worst right now in Florida, so I treat it just like I did the worst cold week of the year up north - not riding, minimal outdoor activity. Horse is on full board so I know he’s still getting taken care of and it’s supposed to cool off next week and we’ll resume normal summer training.
Otherwise, the lightest shirts I can find, hats, electrolytes, a neck ice pack and keeping things short and sweet.
Habit or routine . . .regardless of weather, hot or cold, I ride first thing in the AM. I go to the stable (in my backyard) dressed to ride (layers if cold, breeches and tank top if hot). Then I go step by step: horses must be fed --I feed them in their stalls. Whoever is on my schedule to ride (choice of 2), that horse is led out and put in crossties. Brush, saddle, lead to appropriate ring or head out on the trails. I might only ride for 20 min, but unless it is bitterly cold, I ride longer than that. Once I’m on the horse, if it is blazing hot, I’ll opt to ride in the woods, or my ring with the most shade. I don’t push myself or my horse --there is much that can be improved at the walk, even the halt. We work gates, practice roping, practice side passes. Sometimes halts and 180 turns. Usually we end on a hot day with a trotted practice (neck reining) and then a thorough hose off. If I have the time/energy, I saddle and ride the second horse. If not, he’s first the next day.
The only weather I won’t ride in is pouring rain. I hate cleaning my tack!
Electrolytes, tech fabrics, and plenty of breaks. Also aim for shorter rides, or ride early/late if you can. Don’t be afraid to adjust your plans or skip a ride if it’s really hot. I use the rule of 150: if temp + humidity = 150+ I either don’t ride or just walk, and 130-150 I’ll either ease off or cut things short. Horses generally do better in the cold and worse in the heat than we do, so if you’re too hot your horse is probably having a rough time as well.
Also consider mentioning it to your doctor. Heat intolerance wound up being the first symptom of a much more serious condition for me, which I wrote off for a long time as just an unusually hot summer.
I wet my shirt and hair, plus sponge my horse prior to any ride in hot weather. Lots of water with electrolytes, then walk breaks. I try to do work at the walk or practice walking through water if available.
My horse is fit enough he does better than I do in the hot weather.
This morning I managed to get up to the barn and ride before work. Kid had to be dropped off at camp extra early so I took advantage of that. I think I need to figure out how to do that more often, it was nice to be able to have a productive ride without either one of us overheating.
Wednesday night when I got to the barn pony was sweaty just hanging out in her field so I hopped on bareback and just worked at the walk. It was too damned hot and humid to do anything else. Then I hosed her off and turned her back out where she gleefully turned herself into a mudpie.
excellent point about sponging the horse…I will hose down the horse before my ride if he is sweaty.
Besides the common sense of riding early and less intense sessions, one can also do in-hand work, lungeing or ground work/ground manners training or tune ups. Ground work can be physically less demanding, but often a good mental challenge for horse and rider. Even better if it can be done in a shady area of the property!
Technical fabric long sleeve shirt, technical fabric tights, technical fabric neck gaiter, technical fabric knee socks and ventilated half chaps are my basis. When it gets hotter I add an ice vest and a neck fan.
My lesson stable does not have an indoor arena. I have my riding lesson around 9:00 AM, and I try to be in the riding ring that gets a better breeze.
We have HIGH humidity in NC. The evaporation cooling gear made me HOTTER, not cooler, thus my desperate need for an ice vest.
Yeah I’m in the SE, I’m hosing off before AND after. Sometimes it’s because the horses are muddy from all the rain we have been getting, or they’re sweaty from being outside. They’re dry by the time I’ve picked feet and gotten myself dressed, plus a little dampness under a saddle pad is no different from sweat anyway IMO.
Hose off, stand in front of two fans, tack up. Rides are shortened or shifted to the indoor or trails. No long cool-off walking, just get done and go untack, hose off again, stand in front of fans. If they’re REALLY sweaty, sometimes I hose off multiple times afterward, it cools them better than one hose and fans.
I’m riding in FreeRide’s lightweight breeches, TKEQ or Ariat long sleeve sunshirts, and paddock boots/chaps. I can yank the chaps off and be infinitely cooler immediately without taking the time to switch out of tall boots - I’m HOT so I need to get helmet/gloves/boots off, but I also want to get the horse cooled ASAP.
I’m riding in the evenings unless it’s storming - lately it’s been storming daily - as work is in-person and starts at 7am. Plus I’m not a morning person and it’d have to be EARLY to avoid the AM feed 
.
I keep mine at home so I get up as soon as the sun comes up and head outside (I’m in Fl and we are being roasted here right now). I don’t feed first thing, mine are out and they have a big hay roll. If I’m going to ride, I grab whoever and get it done. Then I do whatever else I need to do (stalls, etc) and bring them in by 1030 and that’s when i feed. They get their fans etc on and they are in until about 6. If I don’t ride in the am then I’ll ride around 7 but usually by that point in the day I’m done so that doesn’t happen as often. I often hose the horse before I ride, and soak my t shirt too.
Alcohol and water rinses seem to help the horses too. Today we have a heat warning of 110 so I’m hiding in the house the rest of the day.
My guy has anhidrosis, so I’ve ridden exactly once since early June. It’s been one of the worst summers I can remember, and it’s always hot and humid here (Eastern NC) in the summer, but it has been relentless this year. More days with 100+ heat index than not since mid-June.
My gelding is now in from AM feed until after PM feed. He has good airflow in his stall and a good fan. He stays comfortable. I check at lunchtime/early afternoon and refill his water, add some hay if needed, and pick through his stall. After PM feed, if it has cooled down (often get thunderstorms blowing through or brewing nearby that bring clouds, showers, and breezes) I just turn out with fly mask and boots for the evening (can always go back in stall if he chooses). If it’s still blazing hot (seems like 4-7 PM is the hottest part of the day if there are no storms around) I hose down thoroughly, then put on fly mask and boots.
He’s currently getting One AC, Guinness, a second round of EquiWinner patches, and the Chinese herbs meant to help with anhidrosis. And he had acupuncture a few weeks ago. I literally am doing everything possible to keep him cool and help him sweat besides sell him to a cooler climate home (which ain’t happening!).
As for me. I’m 51, going through perimenopause, and have no thyroid. I sweat BUCKETS (wish I could give this ability to the horse). I just stay hydrated and take breaks in front of the fans as needed. I’ll hose down my arms and legs and hair if needed. And then I get back to the world of air-conditioning as soon as Himself is appropriately cared for.
Same as everyone above - light tech shirt, lots of Gatorade, ride early, walk work only if needed. Hose off every time.
I am doing trail this year at our Arab regionals. That’s a discipline that’s really hard to find practice shows for. A local 4H show series does offer it, so I go regardless of the weather because the horse and I need the practice. The July 6 show was brutal - I drank SO much. Horse in a stall with a fan. Got ready in the shade. Warmed up at the walk, stood in the shade waiting for the class. Did our classes. Drove home with every available opening in the trailer active! Horse was a good sport about it all.
Hard to say which was worse - the show in May when the footing was ankle deep in water and we did the course at a walk or the show in July! One more show in two weeks, maybe we’ll have a tornado! Just kidding universe, just kidding! Long range forecast decent for both the practice show and regionals, hope they are correct!!
ETA: waiting in the sloshy ring. I feel cooler just looking at this!
What a fine-looking pair! Lovely Arab!
On by 8 am or waiting until 7:30/8 pm is the only option for me. I also hose pony before and after rides and she’s inside in front of a fan. If she was out in this there would be no gas in the tank to ride. I’m struggling with the heat more this summer than in the past. I’m trying to be very mindful of hydration and telling myself sweating is a cooling mechanism as I’m absolutely drenched. While I’m filling water troughs I rinse my arms and spend a few minutes sporadically standing in front of the tack room AC trying to get back to a tolerable baseline. I don’t use them at the barn but in the garden I’ve got a small portable neck fan and a large sun hat. I’m also very loyal to sun shirts and technical fabric breeches. I’d absolutely die in cotton out there. I know some people swear by it but I want everything to wick and dry as fast as possible.
I was out of the house by 0645 to head down to the barn. Actually, it’s not that hot, only 90ish. After that spat of 100+, 90 doesn’t feel that bad. I keep a case of gatorade and water in my trunk.
I decided a few years ago that I don’t show in July and August. I went to Asheville a few years ago in the middle of July and decided this was stupid. I could have been sitting in my air conditioned office instead of roasting in a barn.
Sugary electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade give me instant headaches. I’ve discovered Fairlife Chocolate milk as a great alternative–High protein/fat, low sugar.
I can’t handle the heat during normal summers so I’m just a soaked mess right now. Add hot flashes to this, and I’m like a leaky tap. Nothing I wear or do has helped, but the chocolate milk is helpful when I’m feeling lightheaded and queasy.
Thank you! He is 3/4 Arab and 1/4 Saddlebred and has the best brain ever (besides being purdy!). I call him the perfect old lady horse. He was decent at dressage but is a whiz kid at obstacles. Did a couple of working equitation clinics with him but WE shows are scarce around here. Decided to take a break from dressage and do trail. Even the QH judges like him. It’s a lot of fun.
Sorry for the derail!
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