I live in south Florida and this is how I dealt with my horse and the extreme heat. I saddled up at 5am…when it was still cool out and finished my trail ride by 8am before the sun was in full force. I always walked my horse the last mile home, checked his heart rate when I returned, hosed him off and turned him out. I did not ride in the daytime during summer. It was either early in the morning or after dinner at night. Sometimes I would hose him off in the morning, scrape off the excess then saddle him while he was still damp…I used a neoprene girth and never had a problem with chafing. The best girth I ever used. He would dry off during the ride and by the time I got home all I had to do was go over the small sweat area on his back with a damp sponge, then I’d turn him out. I always added electrolytes to his water and had salt blocks everywhere. I had plenty of big trees on my property where he would lie down and relax in the shade…..and his barn was always open too but he preferred to hang out under the trees….like the cows did when they were hot. If it was too hot for me….it was too hot for him, so riding during the summer months was limited.
By the way, I live in Florida so it is hot here so my horses have a sprinkler above that they go under from time to time. Sometimes I’ll see three or four of them underneath the sprinkler cold water,
I learned in the drouth of the 1960’s not to let a hot thirsty horse drink all the cold well water the want at one time. Riding endurance horses in the hot humid Missouri Ozark I learned to watch their ears to count the number of swallows and limit to 20 swallows pull their head up wait a few minutes then twenty more until they do not want any more. Hose a hot horse down with caution , do not put water on the loins. Keep the cold water below the knees is the safest option. Hot muscles will cramp if cooled too quickly. If the horse is in trouble put the water on top of his head Rock salt is for cows. They lick with their rough tongues. Horses tongues are too sensitive an the get sore so the can’t balance their needs. Loose salt, preferably as an ingredient in a mineral formulated for horses thrown on top of their feed until the leave it in the bottom is the best choice. The will not over consume. The rule is any combination of heat and humidity of 130 negates the cooling effect of sweat. If it gets to 150 curtail all physical demands.
You are so right about the water deal I raise cutting horses. I have also some Brainers Hollywood done it’s Granddaughter‘s and I feel that the horse is a very delicate animal, but in other sense they will tell you if something is wrong like mine do it’s amazing how they communicate, I’ve been in the horse industry for over 40 years and I can tell you I have some beautiful horses that I care a lot about and everything you have said about the breedings and the way the temperature and the horse sweats so true thank you so much you are awesome
Sorry about hosing them down: Is ok but do it RIGHT. Start with the legs and go up from there, cooling chest and abdominal aerea, then start the flancs and back. Just like you would cool down yourself. Avoid hosing the back and kidney region of a very hot horse. Back muscles will contract, and watch how they round up their backs and squeeze the tail between their legs if you do! Just like yourself, if s.o. put an icy bucket over you from above, you would squeeze and even lose breath for a second. Keep it comfortable and gentle. Horses, if ridden into a creek to cool down, i. e. would start shoveling water with their front legs, soaking their front and belly, and THEN beware of them lying down to have a full bath. They do not jump in head over heals. :)
I've heard that if it's a really hot day and hose them off, once the water gets hot on their body, it could be alot hotter for them in the long run....
Very good video. Question about hosing a horse down on a hot day, I’ve heard they will sunburn if they get wet on a hot sunny day, it that true? I subscribed
![[LIVE] MCHOICE & MINT AWARDS 2024 at TRUE ICON HALL, ICONSIAM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wMewUeT5nbY/mqdefault.jpg)
I live in south Florida and this is how I dealt with my horse and the extreme heat. I saddled up at 5am…when it was still cool out and finished my trail ride by 8am before the sun was in full force. I always walked my horse the last mile home, checked his heart rate when I returned, hosed him off and turned him out. I did not ride in the daytime during summer. It was either early in the morning or after dinner at night. Sometimes I would hose him off in the morning, scrape off the excess then saddle him while he was still damp…I used a neoprene girth and never had a problem with chafing. The best girth I ever used. He would dry off during the ride and by the time I got home all I had to do was go over the small sweat area on his back with a damp sponge, then I’d turn him out. I always added electrolytes to his water and had salt blocks everywhere. I had plenty of big trees on my property where he would lie down and relax in the shade…..and his barn was always open too but he preferred to hang out under the trees….like the cows did when they were hot. If it was too hot for me….it was too hot for him, so riding during the summer months was limited.
By the way, I live in Florida so it is hot here so my horses have a sprinkler above that they go under from time to time. Sometimes I’ll see three or four of them underneath the sprinkler cold water,
My heart is always have a lot of salt blocks all around them so they can choose from and they needed. That is a good idea never deprive them of salt.
Working horses in the summer in south Texas we always added a tablespoon of kosher sea salt to their feed bucket twice a day.
I learned in the drouth of the 1960’s not to let a hot thirsty horse drink all the cold well water the want at one time. Riding endurance horses in the hot humid Missouri Ozark I learned to watch their ears to count the number of swallows and limit to 20 swallows pull their head up wait a few minutes then twenty more until they do not want any more.
Hose a hot horse down with caution , do not put water on the loins. Keep the cold water below the knees is the safest option. Hot muscles will cramp if cooled too quickly. If the horse is in trouble put the water on top of his head
Rock salt is for cows. They lick with their rough tongues. Horses tongues are too sensitive an the get sore so the can’t balance their needs. Loose salt, preferably as an ingredient in a mineral formulated for horses thrown on top of their feed until the leave it in the bottom is the best choice. The will not over consume.
The rule is any combination of heat and humidity of 130 negates the cooling effect of sweat. If it gets to 150 curtail all physical demands.
You are so right about the water deal I raise cutting horses. I have also some Brainers Hollywood done it’s Granddaughter‘s and I feel that the horse is a very delicate animal, but in other sense they will tell you if something is wrong like mine do it’s amazing how they communicate, I’ve been in the horse industry for over 40 years and I can tell you I have some beautiful horses that I care a lot about and everything you have said about the breedings and the way the temperature and the horse sweats so true thank you so much you are awesome
Well said
Lazyness has led to misconseptions and bad folklore !!!
Thank you
Sorry about hosing them down: Is ok but do it RIGHT. Start with the legs and go up from there, cooling chest and abdominal aerea, then start the flancs and back. Just like you would cool down yourself. Avoid hosing the back and kidney region of a very hot horse. Back muscles will contract, and watch how they round up their backs and squeeze the tail between their legs if you do!
Just like yourself, if s.o. put an icy bucket over you from above, you would squeeze and even lose breath for a second. Keep it comfortable and gentle.
Horses, if ridden into a creek to cool down, i. e. would start shoveling water with their front legs, soaking their front and belly, and THEN beware of them lying down to have a full bath. They do not jump in head over heals. :)
I've heard that if it's a really hot day and hose them off, once the water gets hot on their body, it could be alot hotter for them in the long run....
oh and then, you MUST squeegee them off or they will have skin issues like rain rot from the water sitting on them
Thank you so much
Very good video. Question about hosing a horse down on a hot day, I’ve heard they will sunburn if they get wet on a hot sunny day, it that true? I subscribed