“Heat index” may not be the best judge but if you don’t have a wet ball thermometer than that’s about all you’ve got. Use what you’ve got and watch the horse. If the horse is performing evenly without showing signs of distress then short, easy sessions are probably not going to be an issue. But long periods at the gallop might be a Bad Idea! 
G.
The only thing I have ever gone by is the heat index above. I don’t know where I’ve been but until I started this thread, had never heard of the WBGT, would have no idea where to purchase this wet bulb thermometer, and find the calculations confounding. So, again, for me the heat index is what I have always used ( plus good ole common sense - I do not need a thermometer to determine when it is just plain too hot and muggy to ride for long).
Lately, here in my neck of the woods, temps are running in mid to upper nineties with a humidity of anywhere from 88 - 90%. So, when it is 95 degrees with 88% humidity equals a heat index of 183. Well above the 150 threshold for “too hot to ride”, which is what it was the day I was referring to in my OP. 😣
You could also use your smartphone.
How would I do that? Do smartphones have the sensors necessary to make the calculation? Serious question.
G.
Or just know your horse and your own body. There’s other variables involved, like breeze or no breeze and how much shade.
Read my posts above, the national weather service has a pilot site that you can access.
Thx DMK for that info. I live on the gulf coast, and have only seen the heat + humidity chart, which if we went by that we wouldn’t be riding all summer!
I am troubled by the fact that OP’s trainer is riding a non sweater in this heat. That alone would definitely make me question the trainer’s judgment and consider moving on!
I agree. Fortunately my own horse started sweating again after a few days of invalid care. I would definitely question the priorities of anyone that would work a non sweater in the heat we have been having.
Have people lost the ability to use their own common sense and good judgment? You shouldn’t need a dumbphone to tell you that excessive heat and excessive humidity might mean you take it a little easier on yourself and your horse. Good grief!
Should we all git off yer lawn while we are at it? Generally I find the people who fail to engage and adapt in science/technology to be the the ones lacking in common sense and good judgment, so how’s that feel as a sweeping generalization?
Is there some grudge you hold against the FEI for having a published standard for adjusting competition rooted in science? (or utilizing it via a smartphone?) Because while I’m perfectly capable of figuring out when it is hot and humid (every damn day), I happen to find using WBGT concurrent with tracking HR/Temp/Resp recovery times in addition to km worked/avg kph to be a very useful tool for conditioning my horse safely and optimally. But yeah, if you are a pleasure rider, you can probably do just fine winging it. But that is not an option for some equine sports. #themoreyouknow
No, not at all. But KNOWING what is genuinely hazardous and what SEEMS genuinely hazardous is a rather good state to be in!!! 
I’ve been playing with the wet bulb site DMK posted and comparing it other commonly used “yard sticks” and the results are interesting. I urge others to do the same thing. It’s actually pretty easy to use, as long as you have an internet connection. So I can use it at the house before I go out but not at the barn.
Einstein once said, “Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.” I suspect he was even smarter than we give credit for.
G.
G, if your “bars” are good at the barn you should be able to pull it up on the dreaded smartphone. I have a hit or miss connection down there and I can pull it up. I could also bring it up on my old vendor that was more miss than hit so it’s not a bandwidth monster
Hey, I just found that some weather apps provide you with the WBGT. I have Accu-weather app on my device and if you look at your hourly break down (where it tells the dew point, humidity, etc.) It listd the WBGT. Who knew? Then you have to google a WBGT chart that tells what numbers are safe to work outside. There is one chart for runners which I think may be similar to riding level of exertion.
Sunday we had three bars in the house and that is a very rare occurrence. Right now in the house I have one bar, maybe. “Atmospherics” play a BIG role in electronic device performance. Today they blow chunks! ;(
Not quite as good in the barn area, but better than usual. Haven’t been down there yet today so not sure how things will go.
We do have a “network extender” at the house and as long as the land line works and the various wireless gateways remain operational we’re good. The barn is not connected like that and it would be a major effort to do so.
The app looks pretty good. I got to finally play with it yesterday at about 3 p.m. local. It was interesting to see what small changes in individual components did. One thing that works against us here is that in the TN Valley on really hot days there is little air movement. Getting out of the Sun is good but adding wind seems to be better. We do have a covered arena so we can get out of the Sun. Not much we can do about wind, though.
G.
I am sorry that I offended you, but I think technology has morphed into dumbing down people in general who rely on it for every aspect of their lives. We just have no need of a cell phone so maybe I can see what everyone else with a phone is missing?
I don’t follow the FEI or what they happen to post. My concern is with my animals and what is best for them in the long run. Before technology we had hot weather and we managed to ride and care for our horses just fine and we were competing and riding hard every day.
The more you rely on technology and a " formula" instead of knowing what is normal for your horse , I can see where just blindly following that rule could be disastrous .
I see technology as a good thing in many ways, but like everything else we need to do it in moderation.
This really isn’t a “one or the other” problem. Sure, we all know our horses. Mine are first generation born in the U.S. from stock that has been bred for more than 200 years within 1000 miles of the Equator. They can take heat much better than a lot of other stock. But while that might be true why would I deny myself the advantages of a more accurate look at conditions? Does that look harm me in some way? I don’t see why learning to incorporate something new into the program equates to “dumbing down.”
G.
I’m less offended and more baffled. As rants go, that one was … odd. I mean, sure, git yer cell phone rage on about texting while driving or the overuse of cell phones instead of actual human interaction… but accessing the National Weather Service on your phone instead of your PC?? Understanding the science behind heat stress? As a rant trigger, that just seems odd.
And truthfully, I find that common sense and good judgment are generally net of technology. In other words if you lack those attributes you are unlikely to find it through technology. However I contend you are equally unlikely to lose those attributes just because … science.
as a follow up, I found an (android) app that may help: WeatherSTEM (I know accuweather has it, but there’s just not one chance in hell they are getting any income from me).
It looks like WeatherSTEM is affiliated with IBM/Weather Channel. Anyway IF they have a station close (enough) to you (FL/GA have a fair amount) it reports out on all sorts of weather data, including WBGT (Marion EOC has a station so I assume it was the same one talked about earlier).
I am not ranting and it wasn’t directed at using a phone over a computer. It was the fact that people should need to use a website to gauge what level of exercise is appropriate when the heat is excessive.
My concern is that a formula does not take into consideration the needs, fitness or limitations of individual horses and that blindly following something like that over knowing your horse is risky. You can’t tell me that some people won’t misuse that formula and the horses will suffer the consequences.
Nothing wrong with incorporating new ideas and new tools into our lives. The dumbing down comes from when we stop thinking for ourselves and rely on the computer / phone / technology / whatever method to dictate the way we think.
I can see where that has changed drastically with the birth of the smart phone/ computer .
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