by Amelie Mueller

Created on: June 19, 2009

As summer kicks into full swing and the temperatures begin rising its important to know how to effectively prevent, diagnose, and treat heat stress and heat stroke in our horses. Just because the weather is hot doesn't necessarily mean we cant enjoy riding, we just have to be prepared to change up our routine a little and be ready to handle a heat induced incident should a problem arise.

Summer riding routines should be tailored, if possible, so that you are riding when its cooler outside, typically in the early morning or late evening. Avoid riding in the heat of the day and when humidity is high. High humidity makes it much harder for sweat to evaporate which makes it harder to cool down. If you have a well ventilated covered arena available, consider riding in it or find a nice shaded area to hack in.

Make sure your horse has water! A common misconception is that a horse should not be offered water when hot. This is only partially true. While drinking large amounts of water when a horse is hot can lead to colic we should still offer frequent but small amounts of water when being exercised. Just a few swallows every few minutes or so is an adequate amount. This can be continued until the horse is completely cooled down, after which he may be offered free choice of water. It is also a good idea to mix electrolytes into the horses feed or water 2-3 daily.

Even taking all the necessary precautions does not ensure that our equine counterparts will be protected from heat related illness. The signs of heat stress are easy to recognize, even without veterinary training. Some of the most common signs are dehydration, excessive sweating, not sweating at all, accelerated heart and respiratory rates, lethargy, and an elevated temperature. A simple way to check for dehydration is to pinch the skin on your horses neck, a properly hydrated horses skin will snap right back to place when released. If the skin remains standing or is slow to reform to the neck, your horse is dehydrated.

You should also pay very close attention to the amount your horse is sweating. Know what is a normal and acceptable amount for your horse. If he begins to sweat an unusually excessive amount, you should consider letting your horse take a break. Additionally, also be sure to check that your horse is sweating. Just as humans do, horses need to sweat in order to cool their bodies down to a safe level. If your horse is not sweating at all or sweating very small amounts it is very possible that

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