Its HOT - tips for keeping horses cool

[Jarpur]

Today, after the Portacool and misting fan had been running for a couple hours, I moved the barn thermometer (normally kept in the aisle) into my horse’s stall. The temperature shown rapidly dropped ten degrees.

I didn’t stay there longer, to see if it would drop further, but very possibly it would. Especially because I next turned on the auxiliary misting system that my husband attached yesterday to the top of the stall wall, where it gets blown by the fan.

This was with a freebie thermometer given out by the electric co-op, which has somewhat surprisingly always seemed to be decently accurate in its readings.

I tried leaving a shallow pan of water out behind the barn, for critters, plus there are muddy areas where I rinse off my horse (I don’t always use the wash area with rubber mats), but the wasps et al prefer the barn.

[phoenixrises]

Has anyone tried the Carry-Cool particularly at shows? Though for dressage cooling between rounds might not be as important as it is for the hunters.

[DMK]

Not a carry cool, but I bought a Ryobi misting fan last year before the CDE season started (winter in Florida). I figured it would be great if we had a hot marathon day, and just generally useful in hot summers. It’s battery operated. It’s really light and designed to sit on top of a 5 gallon bucket or attached to a hose, and it lasts freaking forever on its 4ah battery. We only had one hot day for marathon last winter, but it happened at an FEI event with a couple national championship divisions, so we ALL got to drive technical obstacles that really made the marathon long and hard. I set up cooling station and the fan on a bucket of ice water then went to get ready to complete. When we finished it was a welcome break for xan, plus I left it on the front of the neck cooling the jugular while we worked the rest of him. It really helped!

Plus I left it on by accident, made the long walk back to the barns, finished cooling off my pony and got him ready to go to his stall… Then I went to watch a friend go to the section A box, watched her on course and met her at her cooling station only to find my fan still happily running and misting away! That had to be 2-3 hours after I started it. I know just the fan runs all day on battery because I generally leave it on when my corgi is in there at shows.

Right now it just lives by the wash rack so it can mist Xan when we come in from work. It’s one of the better things I have purchased this year!

[SpicyPRE]

I saw that fan and was wondering about it. Thanks for the review!

[phoenixrises]

I was looking at that too. Thanks for the review!

[Mardi1]

My horses live near the coast and we’re having usual summer temps (80F max) during the day.
During the days/weeks that the humidity rises, I keep in mind the AAEP heat index guideline and adjust their work or turnout time.
Does any one living in the hotter, high humidity areas use the AAEP guide ?

[DMK]

I pay more attention to the WBGT guidelines used for FEI competitions, OSHA and most regulated human sports.

Humidifactor is the simple stupid approach compared to WBGT, but if you don’t have access to a local WBGT reading, it’s not going to steer you wrong.

[sheltoneb]

No, we don’t pay attention to it as it means no one would ride during the summer. Most people do reduce the intensity or durations of the rides. Having said that, it really depends on your horse.

It’s similar to blanketing and riding in the cold. What is done up north is vastly different than in the south. I am in Houston. My barn does a light sheet at 45 for clipped horses, heavy blankets in the 30s, and double blankets sub freezing. I generally don’t ride sub 50. When I lived up north in Iowa, I didn’t even put a blanket on a nonclipped horse, and it normally got into the single digits for weeks. I didn’t ride sub 20 except at the walk to help arthritis.

[Mardi1]

@DMK

WBGT guidelines

What is WBGT ?

[DMK]

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature

https://www.weather.gov/news/211009-WBGT

And the forecast map for wbgt

https://digital.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/?zoom=4&lat=37&lon=-96.5&layers=F000BTTTFTT&region=0&element=8&mxmz=false&barbs=false&subl=TFFFFF&units=english&wunits=nautical&coords=latlon&tunits=localt

[Long_Time_Lurker]

Move to New England? I am visiting there now and highs are in the low 70s. I brought summer clothes, actually need outerwear for early mornings and evenings.

[MsM]

But last week was in the 90s and a heat advisory here in New England!

[DMK]

@SpicyPRE and @phoenixrises thought you might see the Ryobi mister fan in action

https://youtube.com/shorts/Bx_MQXkwR2Y?feature=share

[LadyNeon01]

Down here on the MS Gulf Coast and we’ve had 18 straight days of high temps at 95°F and above. The humidity has been extremely high also, with the heat index at 110°F plus. I think we’ve been under an Excessive Heat Warning for at least a week straight.

I’ve ridden once in the last 3 weeks. There’s just no escaping it when the morning low is 80°F. Not worth putting me or my horse through that stress.

Good news is that we might get a slight break in the heat later this week!