Keeping your horse cool in the summer when hauling

[notlost]

I know it’s cold now, but I’m looking ahead to summer. I’m now in a place (AR) where it’s incredibly hot and humid in the summer, and I’m really afraid to haul my horse (poor Irish boy who, until this summer, never experienced temps above 80 degrees F) when the heat index is well over 100.

Those of you in areas like this: how do you cope? Fans in the trailer?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. While I’m no longer in a place that I have to drive 6 hours to the nearest event, I DO have to travel 4 hours…and that’s a lot of time to be in a trailer.

Thanks in advance for any tips!!

[gardenie]

I like my fans. Also, I will spring for a couple of big bags of ice per horse and throw it in the shavings. Auto air conditioning. Keeps the feet cool from the road heat. I check to see if its completely melted when I tank up.

[DiamondJubilee]

12V fans help for sure. We travel a lot during the summer as well and can travel 12hr away. Is there any way you could also do your hauling during the night? We try to leave around 7 - 8pm and drive until 1 or 2am, sleep for a couple of hours and finish our drive in the early am before it gets too hot.

I know you wouldnt need to start quite so late in the day for a 4hr trip, but could you start around 3am and do the majority of your hauling then? There’s also a lot less traffic then and less stopping in the heat. An added bonus for those early mornings lol!

[BigMick]

I just got a new trailer which has several features designed to keep my horse cool when it’s hot.

1. It’s fully insulated which will help reduce temps when the sun is beating on it.
2. The escape doors are full-sized and have drop down windows allowing greater air intake.
3. There are also fans installed in inside.
4. The trailer also has a pass-through door from the horse compartment to the dressing room. I could also keep that open and open up all the windows in the dressing room and goose neck to increase airflow.

[BigMick]

@gardenie

I like my fans. Also, I will spring for a couple of big bags of ice per horse and throw it in the shavings. Auto air conditioning. Keeps the feet cool from the road heat. I check to see if its completely melted when I tank up.

This is a great idea. Would also potentially reduce dust as the ice melts.

[gardenie]

RS Eventer, I have a stock with fans…best of all worlds…

[notlost]

RSEventer, what happens when there’s no air flow–like when you’re stuck in traffic on the interstate? I would think that fans/insulation might win out then. It’s just that has happened to me, and all I could think about was how hot the horses were…

@RSEventer

Fans in trailers do not do much to help horses stay cool. I recently sold my Hawk 2H SL with tiny LQ for a stock trailer with tiny LQ in the front. The reason? I live in South Florida and it’s so freaking hot! The airflow allowed by a stock trailer is better than any fan inside the trailer. There is insulation in the roof of the horse trailer that also helps the interior stay cool for the horses. I feel so much better for my horses about the air circulation!

[RSEventer]

notlost,
I avoid the interstate and monitor traffic flow with Google Maps. I try to avoid being stuck in traffic with horses at all costs. The person I started riding with many years ago always took back roads to wherever we were going…slow and steady like a turtle. I think he was wise to do so- I am never in a hurry to get to my destination.

[16_Hands]

@RSEventer

Fans in trailers do not do much to help horses stay cool. I recently sold my Hawk 2H SL with tiny LQ for a stock trailer with tiny LQ in the front. The reason? I live in South Florida and it’s so freaking hot! The airflow allowed by a stock trailer is better than any fan inside the trailer. There is insulation in the roof of the horse trailer that also helps the interior stay cool for the horses. I feel so much better for my horses about the air circulation!

That Hawk is my dream trailer! That is all.

[Jarpur]

I live where the summers are very warm, and can be quite humid (although not extremely so), and also prefer a trailer with stock sides to fans. I try to haul early or late, and hose the horses down before loading in extremely hot weather.

I haven’t done the ice in the shavings/wet the shavings trick (although I’ve known of it), since I’ve found that the breeze from the side openings disturbs bedding to the point where I prefer to haul without bedding, to keep it out of my horses respiratory systems and off their coats, etc.

Also, I’ve heard, on local TV news, that fans are detrimental in very high temps, as they cause more of a convection oven effect than actual cooling. From what I remember, the tipping point was about 95 degree +; this tidbit was mentioned during a feature about fans (there are frequent “fan drives” here each summer to provide free fans to those living without AC). The gist of it was that, at high temps, the fan is simply blowing very hot air around, and doesn’t help cool.

The only thing I was able to quickly internet-search, somewhat on the subject, was this: https://theconversation.com/electric…heatwave-64834

I realize that horses are not elderly humans, but since learning that fans are actually contra-indicated for humans in certain circumstances of high heat, I’ve decided against having fans installed in my horse trailers. The last thing I want to do is turn my trailer into a convection oven and cook the horses!

In the past, I’ve had solar screens installed on the openings of a stock-type trailer, and that seemed to cool the interior quite a bit.

[AKB]

The drop down windows in my Sundowner 2h bumper pull make a huge difference. They are screened. My Irish boys rode aroundhappily in Northern Florida weather last summer. Just watch that when you think the windows are closed, they are really closed. I have had them open on my head when I closed them after unloading the horses.