What do you do during oppressive heat?

[AppyLover2]

97 degrees at 10 am. Hot and muggy as you know where. What do you do with/for your horses on days like this?

 

[Sterling]

I heard about your heat on the weather channel and I don't think we're far behind you. We're suppose to be getting 90 plus temps as well this week. What I do is spray them down with the hose...maybe 3 times per day? We have a lot of shading trees here so they stand under them and stay cool and comfty that way. A nice cooling, refreshing apple always makes their day too.

 

[icspots]

I put mine out for a few hours when it is cooler in the AM, then back inside in front of fans until it cools off again

 

[Laura Leopard]

I have fans in my run in areas. My barn is pretty open so it doesn't get too hot. Plus they have lots of trees for shade. Mine seem to do a lot of sleeping during the day and then run like crazy at night.

Laura

 

[Riverdance]

Today is excessively hot and humid. So... no one goes out to pasture today as there are no trees out there. I moved the dams and foals to be right by the barn where there is a large overhang and plenty of shade for the babies.

Kept the show horses inside and set up and turned on the huge barn fan to blow down the isle. Took all neck sweats off, no excercise today either.

 

[wildoak]

We've been at or close to 100 for the last week here. Horses are worked only in the morning or evening, and not worked as hard as usual. Show horses in during the day with fans, out at night. Everyone else has shade available, and I try to keep a closer eye on the silly ones who insist on napping in the sun....

Jan

 

[Marty]

On Friday the heat was 104 degrees in town. THAT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG!

I put mine out for an early turn out for a few hours before the bad heat kicks in while I do stalls and water. As the temperature rises, they get back inside the barn under the fans and eat hay. I don't have to ask twice, they are more than ready to come inside and listen to the Beach Boys CD's.

I soak beet pulp in straight Gatorade on the horrible days for lunch and do rinse offs. Big bathing is for the weekends unless I have the time during the week. The ones that have long manes, I have shortened up but Nick my stallion who has a really long mane, I braid it or pony tail it....about 6 or 7 of them to lift it off his neck.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Wow, that is horrible...we have not had weather like that for around three years now, luckily, but I would agree with everything the others have said, just set it up so that the horses can hang out wherever they wish, and let them out evening to morning (if it is safe to do so, of course) .

I would give you a word of caution about wetting down horses in extreme heat, unless you are going to put them in the shade afterwards, of course.

But putting a horse out in the sun that is wet can be quite dangerous, so take care.

Also take extra care if you have clipped your horses, you may need to put sunscreen blankets on them if you have.

 

[FoRebel]

Our horses are out today... We supposedly have a heat index of 105° so they're out... Our barn is metal, insulated, and has a DARK metal roof so it's cooler for them to be outside than under the fans inside.

They don't get any grain, only hay, grass and LOTS of water is provided. We don't provide COLD COLD water to the horses, we provide colt - luke warm water and put some electrolytes in the water troughs for them.

 

[River Wood]

Heat index was about 105 here......horses are out with plenty of shade and LOTS of fresh clean water.

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

I'v been bailing hay for my horses

.90some degrees. Must be love

. My horses don't seem to really even mind the heat.They have shady area and the barn.

 

[Matt73]

My barn stays pretty cool on hot days, so they stay in. I'll put them out for 20 minutes and then hose them off. But, generally, they're in and cool and happy

 

[Connie P]

it isn't quite that hot here, but is now in the 90's - I will put the horses out early for a couple hours and then back in their stalls - EVERY horse has a fan and they LOVE it! They stand or lay right under them!

 

[~Dan]

Most times I let the horses do what they like, they can go in the run in under fans, or stand under the shade trees. Obviousley, there cool fresh water in the buckets at all times. Also, I find that they like cold watermelon chunks, also helps to keep them hydrated

 

[Amoreminiatures]

Horses go out for abit early in the AM then back in under the fans ~ Our barn is very open & airy so they seem to be happy as clams

~

Janice Silvio

Amore' Miniatures & Shetland Ponies

 

[barnbum]

Oh --yuck--I hate that kind of heat.

We're lucky and have had a very cool and pleasant early summer. Thank goodness because my classroom is on a second floor and it's at least 10 degrees hotter up there--and teaching with big fans on is impossible. It's been the best June ever in there--next year I'm in a room downstairs!

Horses--my barn is big and has a stone foundation on the horse side--it stays cool in there. I leave all the barn doors shut on hot days to keep it so. There are two fans so everyone gets a breeze. Once I'm home from school (Thursday is the last day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

) and it gets hot--I do as most--put them out for several hours in the morning, then in stalls under fans for the hottest part of the day, then back into shaded pastures for the evening. The industrial sized fan blows over four stalls--I love to see the horses in those four standing in the same direction with their manes and forelocks blowing.

I check pastures to see how much shade there is at different times. The biggest one where the foals are has shade nearly every hour, but another one doesn't. So--I open a gate to another pasture for those three--so they can get into the barn if they wish. It's supposed to be 85 today--so it's the plan for the day. See--I think 85 is bad enough! That's why I'm in NY.

 

[minih]

Fans, fresh water and shade.

 

[AppyLover2]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Mine are normally on a dry lot with shade and barn access, but the small area where they can graze has no shade, so after reading these replies I'm letting them out in the morning now - they can still get to the barn - then back to the dry lot around noon. The fans and cool water are already a done deal, but I appreciate the "morning grazing" idea. Thanks again!!

 

[Texasspook]

The joys of our hot Texas summer 102 today! We take out a buckets of water mixed with powdered gatorade and the horses LOVE IT! Sometimes my daughter takes them out if she's home in the afternoon or I do it around 5 when I get home from work. We also give just water out of the faucet not ice cold water.

 

[Candice]

Here in Central Fl. the heat index has been 110. We have nice shade trees, but if anyone looks overly uncomfortable they get hosed down. I do have one up in the barn under fans due to health issues. I also add elcotrolytes to their diets when its this hot. Due to the intense lightening we've been having with our afternoon storms, mine have not been out in the rain.