Down here in the deep south ragweed pollen season has just started. And grass pollen season and mold spore seasons are continuing so this triple whammy combination of grass, ragweed and mold will make breathing conditions even worse for the next month or so.
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I mean absolutely no offense to anyone who lives down here… Yall can keep it. I’ve been to many a middle eastern desert, and aside from all the other things that come with those trips, I would take that heat any day over this. And I’ve seen 138 real feel in the shade over there…
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Well I’ve been lied to 
I watched him eat last night and towards the end of the meal, he tipped the bucket up and poured the remaining crumbs and powder towards his lips, effectively pouring the electrolytes on the ground. Back to the drawing board…
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They make pelleted elytes that are generally picky eater approved. I’ve used them from time to time.
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I’m going to try spraying his feed with oil to make the powder stick and see if that works. If not, pellets it is.
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Might want to try Mad Barn Electrolytes- my mare loves them and thinks it’s a treat.
I put 4-5 handsful of BOSS in
The feed tub w/ a gallon or two of water Smells good too.
Sometimes I add Platinum Refresh.
Gotta keep trying different things til you hit on what works.
Also shade, fans and hosing helps.
I’ve never had luck getting them to drink water infused with things. I can try Mad Barn too. But I’ll need to find someone to give/sell all my failed attempts to 
I might also try one of Triple Crown’s chopped forages. I’ve known horses to absolutely love those, more specifically the safe starch. I could probably easily get a powder to stick to a big handful of that stuff.
I put up a high velocity fan from TSC yesterday and it moves quite a bit of air. He quickly figured out what angle to stand at to be in line with the stream of air while he eats. So I have one small victory there.
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I just got a bag of Triple Crown Timothy Balancer Cubes- to get more water into my horse.
Mixed in couple gallons of water.
So far she slurps it up.
BOSS has L-Tyrosine- an amino acid used in most of the sweat products.
Not sure if you have seen this article: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2021/06/21/uf-scientists-discover-genetic-markers-tied-to-loss-of-the-ability-to-sweat-in-horses/
My pony had sweating issues in NC. One good WV winter and starting paste electrolytes early before it got hot, he started sweating and so far hasn’t stopped. Acupuncture did help as well.
I’ve heard vodka is helpful, for horses that won’t do beer.
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I’ve heard that SmartPak’s pelleted electrolytes are generally well tolerated, and if it has a Picky Eater Approved stamp they usually will refund you if the horse won’t eat it. I’ve never had to ask about it, but if you end up trying pellets it may be an option.
I’ve never been able to get anything to stick to the chopped forage, personally. It doesn’t absorb much water really, and my horses don’t like oil. But beet pulp or soaked cubes usually works. YMMV!
No offense taken. If my aging parents weren’t here, I’d probably move. Between the summer hell and the hurricane risk, I think there has to be a better place to live than this. But I’ve never really known any other place. Still, I dream of a place where I can enjoy a fresh breeze on a summer’s day, and the sun actually feels nice instead of like it’s boiling me alive in the humidity.
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The hell we lived in, I’m sure is not as bad as what you guys are speaking about. But the humidity was (I felt) bad enough in summer, combined with the constant rain, made us to need to do something about it. Make some life changes. So we sold it, and made a move to a semi arid area, with less humans and less civilization around us. Horses are way happier, and healthier. “Dry cold” in winter is easy for horses to live in. And it’s easier for humans too.
Climate change is real, and continues to get worse. Things won’t get better, they will get worse. There are issues with the environment everywhere, no place is without issues. No situation is perfect. But you’ve only got one life to live, so choose wisely.
Think that you “can’t”??? You can. Find a way to look after yourself, your family, and your animals, such that you have the best circumstances to survive and be happy.
Since we left our previous farm, things have deteriorated severely in that area. It’s craziness. I’m so glad we left when we did.
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I do complain quite a bit about where I live but truly it’s not as horrible as I can make it out to be. Summers are unbelievable, albeit short. Winters are harsh but dry. The challenges of winter will be eased some when my husband and I build our own place with streamlining and efficiency in mind. I’m sure people make due down here too in some sort of way, but my god this is a whole new sort of challenge.
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Diluted molasses works like a gem too!
I’m near the Great Lakes and our summer has had some of the hottest/humid days I can remember. Thankfully we’ve gotten some reprieves and it hasn’t been the entire summer.
When it’s too miserable to do much, we play with the hose and don’t do too much else. If he’s really wanting to engage, we will work on tricks/groundwork or bring out the big ball to move around.
Hopefully you’ll get a break soon!
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Having moved from Colorado to SE Georgia, some acclimate seamlessly, some struggle then adjust, some have good years, then not so good. The smaller horses (15.1 and less) seem to adjust easier (less secum and internal organ mass to keep cool.)
For the sweating: Apple a Day is good (high in minerals - magnesium and potassium,) I also add salt to the daily feed (unlike in high desert heat, they don’t lick as much salt here,) and my big TB mare gets a Guinness in her beet pulp.
The stocking up is likely related to him just not wanting to move as much and preferring standing. 10 minutes of lunging at a walk and slow trot a day usually fixes it. His feet will absorb moisture from the humidity (10% vs 80%) and will flare and flatten and you horse that has never pulled a shoe will.
When you do ride again - better a little bit starting now (a 20 minute hack in am or pm,) a good rise off with a bit of liniment will help fend off fungus-y things on the skin.
You will likely need to clip a few times this fall and winter. By October your horse will be growing hair in preparation for blizzard season - and it will be 80 degrees.
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My guy is a little more heat tolerant now that we have his Lyme being treated, but his summer coat is still much more robust than the non fjords in the barn. Once things start warming up, he gets a GENEROUS clip for the summer and multiple touch ups. I keep up until about October and then let the winter hair start to come in. I still keep at least trace clip on him throughout the winter months and being a Nordic breed, haven’t needed to blanket him. Just enough so he doesn’t work up a sweat in the cold.
I lived in south south Louisiana for a long time (the boot part that’s sinking into the gulf), and we didn’t ride or do anything in July. Horses with medical issues were stalled with fans. We also didn’t trailer horses unless it was an emergency. All horses had access to shelter, and none wore fly sheets. Most were routinely hosed off (there are debates about that, but the horses seemed to appreciate it), and sometimes we would run a sprinkler if the temp was consistently 100+ with high humidity. Horse with anhidrosis received a beer every morning. Only a handful of horses received electrolytes.
And it’s just a shitty deal to live in climates like these. I loved when fall/winter hit, and I would ride at night when the “cooler” temps came around.
I traded Louisiana for the Canadian border and -40 with the windchill, and I routinely ask myself which is worse? Just be safe with the extreme heat (plus humidity).
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@BroncoMo, did the cold front go far enough south to give you any relief? How is your horse doing now?
Yes!! It dropped to 72 overnight and last I saw (I’ve been in class all morning) it was still low 70s, overcast, and misting today. He’s been less miserable the last two days was actually game for a hand walk. The rest of the week looks like a pretty decent break. I could do without the torrential rain, but his paddock drains pretty ok.
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Wanted to share this for anyone that doesn’t have easy access to electricity for fans: https://westernharmonics.com/Solar-Fans
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