Exercise, travel and competing in hot weather

Be mindful of your horse’s individual health and fitness. For example, horses that are carrying excess weight, not fit or have an existing condition such as Cushing’s Disease, are likely to struggle in hotter weather.

What’s considered hot mostly depends on what the horse is used to. For example, if it’s been 30°C for a month and you’ve been riding your horse in the heat (around midday), they will likely cope with the temperature well¹. But if it’s been cooler, e.g. 15°C, and the temperature suddenly rises to 25°C, your horse might find it more difficult.

If you enter a competition during hot weather and your time is during the hottest part of the day (midday – early afternoon) you may need to take precautions to help your horse. Remember, even if the temperature has been high for a few weeks, if you ride early in the morning or late in the evening, when it’s cooler, your horse won’t be fully used to the heat.

When we ask how hot is too hot for horses, we usually think about air temperature, but heat stress involves other factors too, like humidity (the amount of moisture in the air) and sunlight². Horses sweat to cool down, but high humidity slows this process. Sunlight also increases heat stress, especially on days with little to no cloud. Wind can help by speeding up sweat evaporation and cooling the horse.

Make sure your horse has access to water, right up until the time you ride/drive and as soon as possible after exercise, including at a competition. This doesn’t increase the risk of colic and drinking should be encouraged – endurance horses, for example, will be offered water at various stops for the entirety of a competition.

If you’re concerned your horse isn’t drinking enough, see our advice on increasing your horse’s water intake.

The most effective way to cool your horse is by continuously pouring cold water over their body. By leaving the water to sit on your horse’s body and not scraping it off, it will evaporate and contribute to the cooling process³. If using a hose, make sure this is introduced to your horse gradually to start with, until they’re comfortable with the water. This can be harder to provide at competitions so as an alternative, you can continuously wash your horse down using a sponge and buckets of cold water.

When cooling a horse down after exercise, pay particular attention to the areas where the tack has sat. Be sure to wash off any dried sweat to avoid future irritation or discomfort. 

Walking your horse helps remove the heat and lactic acid from their muscles, as well as assisting heart rate recovery and reducing muscle soreness.

Monitor vital signs and behaviours, before, during and after. Make sure recovery rates are normal and look out for signs of heat-related illness.

Photo Credit: Jon Stroud

Electrolytes are salts and minerals that help with many different bodily functions such as urine production, digestion and muscle contraction. These can be lost in the horse’s sweat, breath, urine and droppings. A significant loss of electrolytes can cause dehydration, impaired performance and potentially lead to the development of azoturia (painful muscle cramps)⁴.

During competition and training, electrolyte losses can be considerable, particularly during hot weather.

Signs of electrolyte loss in horses include:

• Dull coat and eyes
• Lethargy/poor performance
• Dark urine

If your horse is in medium work or above, to help prevent the risk of dehydration and keep your horse at peak condition, it may be beneficial to feed electrolytes daily, rather than just during times of competition⁵. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on use and dose. If you add electrolytes to water, check that your horse doesn’t mind the taste as they may not drink anything at all, so it’s important to offer a bucket of plain water as well.

For those horses in light work, providing your horse with a salt lick may help replace vital nutrients that are easily lost through sweating. It’s important to be aware that horses can’t regulate their own electrolyte balance using a salt lick, so if their workload increases you may need to consider other ways to supplement their diet⁶.

When competing in hot weather:

• Consider taking part in fewer classes than usual
• Make sure you check the availability of water at an event and take your own supplies
• Consider having another person to help cool your horse after exercise, especially if you’re away from home.

Warming up at competitions

• In hotter weather plan a shorter warm-up or split your warm-up into shorter sessions⁷.
• Following the warm-up, try to find a shaded area for your horse to rest or, if available, you can use water to cool down the horse. Lowering your horse's body temperature doesn't reverse the physical effects of the warm-up. Additionally, there shouldn’t be any restriction on participating in competitions with a wet horse that has been cooled down with water. This water will evaporate and cool the horse, reducing the need for them to sweat excessively⁷.
  
  
  

  Photo Credit: Jon Stroud