Summer heat can take its toll on horses just as much as humans. Protecting your horse from summer heat and preventing dehydration is an important part of providing basic care for your animal. The following tips will help you keep your horse safe during the hottest points of the summer.
Like all other animals, horses need to stay hydrated. On hot days and when engaging in hard physical activity your horse may need more water than at other times of the day. Some horses are very particular about the type of water they drink, whether mixed with electrolytes or plain. Other horses must be convinced to drink, even when it’s very hot outside. These tricks will help you keep your horse hydrated:
Give your horse somewhere to shady to retreat when it’s very hot outside. A shelter is best, but shade from trees is acceptable. Remember that shade provided by trees will move throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. If you rely on shade from trees, be sure that there’s always shade from at least one tree available to your horse at all times.
Horses can suffer from heat stroke just like humans. Have a phone number for an emergency medical clinic on hand in case you notice that your horse is in distress, and remember these signs of heat stroke:
It helps to know what your horse’s heartbeat and temperature are like on an everyday basis, so make the effort to become familiar with these characteristics. If your horse begins to act strangely after exercising in the summer sun, seek medical treatment right away.
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