Here in Florida, the heat index is running unusually high last week and this week is no better. I see and want to go by the charts I see about when it is too hot to ride, temp and humidity combined. Yet, my trainer seems to not use the suggested guidelines, despite what I think is safe for the horse (and me). Thus makes it difficult to know how much to stand my ground sbout heat safety. Even though we have a covered arena, it is still too hot. Yesterday, both my horse and me were sweating profusely just tacking up. So, I rode very lightly and conservatively for only about 20 minutes. I was not having a lesson, just riding on my own but I could tell my trainer was thinking I was being too easy and wimpy. Meanwhile, she has a horse that does not sweat yet she continues to ride it all summer, for same amount of time, work level as if it were cool out. How do you handle this without pissing off the trainer?
You do what YOU feel is safe & comfortable for you & your horse.
Trainer will just have to suck it up (& deal with decreased lesson revenue?).
I will never understand why clients empower their trainers like little tin gods.
If a grocery store employee told you what brand to buy in place of your preferred, would you bow to their wishes?
If the shoe store clerk wanted to sell you a size smaller, what then?
I think your trainer is forgetting that she works for YOU. The horse belongs to YOU. You will be the one who pays the vet bill when your horse gets heat stroke.
I rode this morning and it was hot with high humidity. We did lots of walking and some light trotting and it took quite a while to get her breathing back to normal and she was wet all over. I never push my horse in overly hot weather because I wouldnāt like to be pushed to heavy exercise under the same conditions.
Continue to do what is in your horses best interests and let the so called trainer thinks what she wants. Better yet tell her how it will be.
Agreed, you need to do what YOU think is best for you and your horse, regardless of what anyone else (even trainer) thinks.
Kinda sounds like you donāt really trust this trainerās judgement (and I kinda agree with you), so perhaps itās time you start looking for a new trainer.
I would certainly not be riding a non-sweater hard in this heat, eek! Heat index 111 yesterday, 108 today, whew! I had one on consignment last year, just partial, he would sweat some but not as much as he should have; he could go about 25 minutes before heād start breathing a bit heavy, so after about 20 minutes of actual work we just walked the rest of the ride, in the shade.
Horse fitness going into the summer is a huge factor, though. Iām personally still riding in this heat (also in Florida), but my mare is in great shape (for dressage, not necessarily eventing ;)), I ride after 730pm, I take lots of walk breaks, and she sweats well. She goes six days per week (one day is an hour walk), and Iāve yet to have her get abnormally hot, tired, nor breathing even a little heavily (knock wood). I still have my lessons every other Friday late morning (brutal), but my trainer is the bomb and is perfectly fine with us walking as much as needed. Weāve even done full lessons solely at the walk.
another florida rider here: We do a fair amount of work at the walk - but marching, not a stroll in the park walk. Lots of forward, lots of bending, lateral, etc. Enough that when we go to trot or canter, he is warmed up and ready. SHORT sets at trot and canter gaits, back to the walk for a break, another short set. Some days I may hose first - but usually we groom and tack up in front of big fan, same after. Then a shower. And I ride mid-day (thanks to covered arena) so that his turnout is not disrupted. Heās, thankfully, a great sweater.
My horse became overheated on a trail ride last year. She stopped and laid down. I pulled off all tack, dumped my 4 cups of ice water on her, got her back up and slow walked to the nearest creek and dumped water on her until she was fully cooled down. It was terrifying. We still had to walk back to the trailer. Fortunately, i think she realized she was over heating before she was very bad off. It could have been much worse than that.
My vet said someoneās horse died last summer after being ridden too hard in hot weather. I know of at least one other horse who died- the horse was chased by itās pasture mates, went to the standing water on the property, and laid down. The water was hot from being in the sun. The vet couldnāt save her.
Ride slowly in these temperatures and limit how long you ride. I feel myself starting to over heat and have to go take a cold shower to get my temperature down. I wanted to ride this week but itās miserable out. I plan my rides early in the morning, or right before sunset. Once 7am hits, my yard is in full sun. If i want to ride after 7 am, i trailer off to somewhere shaded. Last week, my friend and i finished riding at 9:30pm at night. Couldnāt see much in the woods but the horses know the trails.
I make sure my horses are put up during the day, otherwise they want to graze in the sun and start looking heat stressed.
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:o Off my soapboxā¦
A trick I used to use in hot & humid was to keep a bucket of diluted brace/liniment (vetrolin, bigeloil, etc) ringside with a big sponge in it.
Iād stop riding when I got sweaty, wring out the sponge & sponge off both myself & my horse.
If I was in a lesson trainer would sponge horse - underside of neck, brisket, lower legs, inner flanks < anywhere veins show, then Iād wipe myself down: back of neck, arms, pulse points.
The evaporation, enhanced by the alcohol base, provided cooling
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Heat Index has been 106 in north Florida past week. I would not ride in that regardless of what trainer says. Sounds insane to me. There is a sweet freedom in following your instinctsā¦ as Iām recently finding out.
Please be careful. Iām also in Florida and my horse stopped sweating suddenly this week. The heat is dangerous.
Thank you for the very supportive replies. I know that I need to be the one to determine what is best for my horse. I have learned that the hard way, in other instances, with other horses, and paid the price for not listening to my inner voice. I really worry about the non-sweater being ridden in extreme heat/humidity. I just keep thinking one day he is just going to collapse.
We have been doing a lot of walking recently. As long as the horse is not breathing hard or looking distressed, I think short rides are ok in the heat. I would not push yourself or the horse in the heat.
Better safe than sorry!
If you need to get a hard ride in, Iād do in the morning or the evenings when you can. That way it isnāt as hot 
Youāre your horseās champion. You know him better than anyone else! Do what youāre both most comfortable with.
The horse isnāt sweating and she rides it? Disaster. Iām in the Ocala area - Iām on my horse by 7am and off by 8am. If the ride doesnāt happen by then, it doesnāt happen. Trainer rides till noon, but with lots of walk breaks, and alternating between the shady small arena and the large open arena. Everybody gets walked and hosed off after a ride, fans are on. When we had a few weeks of hot and dry in late May, I didnāt ride. Our horses work for us because we ask and because they are generous creatures. We owe them care and consideration in extreme weather.
Ocala FL here. I have been riding in the morning but this week shifted to eveningā¦ if we can avoid the rain, it seems better. LOTS of walk work, some trot and even less canter. I focus the ride on ONE issue and try to be strict with myself. I seem to have more trouble than he does. I cool out with a ātrail rideā in a 2 ac woods area I have. I tack under a big fan, hose off with vetrolin and dry out under a big fanā¦ and since horse lives out 24/7 and is very fit, so far no issues. The other week when it was opressivly hot I did not rideā¦
For those who have horses prone to overheating, a wet fly sheet is a go-to trick at my house for horses that look uncomfortable. My one old man horse tends to breathe noisy when the weather is too hotāwe havenāt figured out if he has heaves or heās just old, but heās on heaves management anywayāand when this is a problem we spray down his fly sheet and he stays comfortable for quite a few hours.
Would you mind sharing those charts?
Itās always interesting to see what people do and go by.
Yet, my trainer seems to not use the suggested guidelines, despite what I think is safe for the horse (and me). Thus makes it difficult to know how much to stand my ground about heat safety.
Be sure to tell your trainer that your horse is not used to be ridden under these extreme conditions, so if youād wish to acclimate your horse to a new training regiment, youād have to do so progressively.
It is about your horse and about you.
It might be ok, it might not, but if something happen, you will feel guilty.
You have a plan and stick to it.
Someone I used to board at same barn with wouldnāt ride her horse when the temp were, to me, not at all too hot.
Her choice and she was very critical of me, saying I was almost torturing my horsesā¦
My horses were competition fit, healthy and never showed any signs of fatigue. They were used to my training plan.
Her horses were kind of fat and lightly trained on an irregular basisā¦ It would have been torture to them if I had made them work like my horses under the sun!!!
To each its own.
Also, Iām way more prone to heat stroke than my horses so I either ride very early or very late to avoid the heat.
Even though we have a covered arena, it is still too hot. Yesterday, both my horse and me were sweating profusely just tacking up. So, I rode very lightly and conservatively for only about 20 minutes. I was not having a lesson, just riding on my own but I could tell my trainer was thinking I was being too easy and wimpy.
So what? You are a wimp.
Thatās your prerogative.
Did you have fun? Are you both happy and safe?
Nothing else matters.
Meanwhile, she has a horse that does not sweat yet she continues to ride it all summer, for same amount of time, work level as if it were cool out. How do you handle this without pissing off the trainer?
You donāt need to piss off anyone.
Ride like you want to do.
Take lessons when you feel itās fine for you.
Let your trainer do her business and enjoy her horses like she wants. You donāt want to be judged, donāt judge others. 
Unless you see her horse struggling (breathing heavy, exhaustion, etc.) itās not up to you to decide whatās good for her horses.
While I cannot tell for sure, it seems like you just called me a āwimpā. Thatās fine. My point was to say that I do not place any judgement. Even though I would not feel it safe or fair to ride a non-sweater in the high heat, I realize it is not up to me to decide. Which is why it bothers me when I decide it is too hot to push myself or my horse that even though nothing was said to me, I could definitely feel the disapproval by the tone, attitude and body language.
It was more a ĆĀ« so what if you are a wimp - there is no problem with that as long as you have fun and take good care of your horse ĆĀ».
What if I think you are a wimp? It shouldnāt bother you because you are your horseās owner and you do whatever you want.
I might be a wimp or a vile rider to some as well.
I donāt give a sht.
I only judge people who do dangerous and harmful things with/to their horses. and I tell them in person.
Apart from that? Nah.
My point was to say that I do not place any judgement. Even though I would not feel it safe or fair to ride a non-sweater in the high heat, I realize it is not up to me to decide.
You are judging your trainer.
If this is not judging, I donāt know what is.
But you are right to say it is not yours to decide.
And itās not your trainerās to decide for you either.
Which is why it bothers me when I decide it is too hot to push myself or my horse that even though nothing was said to me, I could definitely feel the disapproval by the tone, attitude and body language.
And Iām sure your trainer felt the same regarding your attitude and body language toward her.
You know, if you donāt trust your trainer or donāt like her way of training, you donāt have to take lessons from her.
If you have issues with your trainerās views, you should be able, allowed, even encourage to talk with her about it.
I donāt take lessons from people I wouldnāt trust with my horses. The same goes for hiring professionals (vet, farrier, etc)
If this is not judging, I donāt know what is.
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I see it as more of questioning the " good judgment " of a supposed professional who has access to her horse as well.
She is definitely showing a lack of good judgment in riding a horse who cannot sweat in extremely hot conditions.
I would be concerned for the horseās wellbeing too, especially since he canāt speak up for himself.
The OP said to be worried that the trainerās horse is going to collapse one day and therefore, believe the trainer is somehow harming the horse.
This is called judging someone on their practice.
And where are you getting this idea that the trainer has access to the OPās horse?
As far as we know, this is a professional that the OP pays only for lessons. If the OP doesnāt want to take lessons or even have training rides on hot days, she can very well just so ĆĀ« no ĆĀ» anyway.
She is definitely showing a lack of good judgment in riding a horse who cannot sweat in extremely hot conditions.
I would be concerned for the horseās wellbeing too.
Do we know the OP? Do we know the trainer?
Nope.
Whoās right and whoās wrong? Itās probably somewhere in between.
Do we know if the horse has truly anhidrosis?
A TB I used to train would hardly break into a sweat even in the peak of summer heat wavesā¦
He was shaved, muscled and very very fit.
Maybe Iām lacking as much judgement as the OPās trainer? Maybe you are too, according to the OPās standard? The OP hasnāt post the guidelines s/heās referring to.
Anyway, the trainerās horse hasnāt collapseā¦
Maybe the trainer is doing an excellent job and what the OP perceive as abuse could really be just proper competition training.
My point is : The OP can and should decide for his/her horse and not feel ashamed for doing whatever s/he thinks is right.
The OP should also be able to openly talk with the trainer about any issues s/he might have because I really donāt understand why someone would pay a professional for their advice if they donāt trust them.
