It’s not very often we get a heatwave – so it’s quite likely that our horses will struggle to cope with the warmer weather, as we might be too!
Here’s just a few tips we’ve put together to help keep your horses cool and healthy throughout the warmer days:
In or Out
Depending on your stable – it might be warmer and stuffier indoors than it is in your horses’ field with some natural shade and a small breeze. Of course, this entirely depends on your set up, but you might want to weigh up the pros and cons of both. If your horse is out, you might want to consider a fly mask with UV protection, such as the Field Relief Max, or if they have a pink nose a Field Relief Muzzle Protector will help protect against sunburn.
While we don’t want to miss out on riding time, you might need to be conscious of when it starts getting too hot to ride. Generally early in the morning will work best, so rise and shine early to beat that heat! As always, breathable boots such as the Tri-Zone All Sports Boots or Brushing Boots are a top choice, particularly in the summer months. We all know the risks of overheating legs, so getting a decent set of lightweight and breathable boots should pay off in the long run. If you do find yourself riding when it’s warm – wet your horse before you start as the evaporation of the water will help keep the horse cooler for longer.
Continually hose your horse off or keep reapplying cold water to reduce their temperature if they are very hot. It’s advisable to keep re-applying water, rather than stopping to scrape the water off. You might want to try our Quick Chill Cooling Rug to aid comfort if your horse doesn't need excessive cooling. The rug will help to immediately reduce temperature and can be reactivated at any time. Our Hot & Cold Pouches can also be used to help cool legs after exercise, or as a general cooling aid to the body.
If you do bring your horse in out of the sun, our Munch Blocks are a perfect healthy boredom breaker, which are high in fibre and low in sugar so that they are suitable for all horses and ponies. It can be an easy way to slow down their eating if they are on a restricted diet when fed with our Munch Net, or if you're wanting to increase your horses water intake, you can soak your munch block too!
There is some evidence to suggest that turning out with a wet cotton or polyester fly sheet could keep your horse cooler - find out more here. Our Field Relief Fly Rug is designed with a lightweight mesh, but helps to repel the flies with it's unique pattern too!
Horse Fly Masks – Choose the best fly mask for your horse
Choosing the best fly masks for horses depending on their type...
There are so many horse fly masks on the market. We know that choosing one is not a 'one type fits all situation'. Just like when you’re trying on shoes or clothes, certain styles may be more comfortable than others – but it’s a personal decision.
We’ve categorised horses into 4 main types.
Horse fly masks are a common piece of equipment for horses, but many people don't realize that they also provide UV protection. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of UV protection for horses and how horse fly masks can help. We will also provide some tips on choosing the right fly mask for your needs.
As riders and horse owners, we ask our horses to live and work in ways that they would not in the wild. As a result we need to provide them with leg protection against injury from external impact, self-inflicted harm, and stress-related problems.
