Pro Tips – Summertime and Managing Horses

We are well underway into some beautiful summer weather here in Gippsland! Whilst glorious summer days and cool mornings / evenings make for some beautiful horsey time, the heat can pose several challenges as far as management of your equine friends.

1. Access to fresh water - Sounds crazily simple! However, horses can drink up to 20-50 litres per day. Especially during higher temperatures and humid weather. Horses in group turnout can occasionally be bullied away from drinking, which can lead to dehydration. Owners ensuring to observe herd dynamics is important. It is always first on the list to always ensure access to plenty of clean water. If using smaller troughs, aiming to ensure they have some shade throughout the day, so the water does not heat up whilst sitting in the sun.

2. How can I tell if my horse is hydrated? A quick test for owners to assess hydration, is to lift your horse's upper lip, and gently press on the gum. It should be pink & moist. Many owners will also know of the old tried and tested skin pinch test, raising a tent of skin on your horse’s neck and watching how quickly it returns to normal. This is not always accurate however, and often only shows change when horses are significantly dehydrated. If concerned your horse is suffering from dehydration, best to give us a call to chat to one of the equine team.

3. Consider wet feeds - dehydration in horses can lead to several issues, some of which can be life threatening, such as colic. One way to increase water intake in your horse’s diet, is to consider feeding a soaked feed or mash, such as beet-pulp. Beet-pulp will double in size once soaked and holds an immense amount of water. It is also an ideal vessel to add electrolytes into your horse’s diet on extreme temperature days, without them sifting to the bottom of the feed bin! Here at GVG Equine we recommend the Restore Electrolytes from KER, in either paste or powder form.

4. Plenty of shade - another basic point, but so often overlooked! Ensuring there is shade in your horse’s pasture is vital, especially during the afternoon hours when the sun and UV radiation are strongest.

5. Looking after skin - Horses with pink skin will often be prone to burning in the summertime. Many horses have pink skin around their eyes and muzzles. Generally, the easiest way to combat this is with a UV rated Fly mask. However, some horses are excellent at removing their fly mask, and as such owners may choose to implement products containing zinc & sunscreen for some added protection.

6. Riding - Avoid working horses in the heat of the day - aim for early mornings or late evenings when temperatures are milder.

7. Rug appropriately - On extreme heat days, it is recommended that your horse have either no rug, or a very light flag or mesh rug, as once temperatures reach over 22 degrees Celsius, many horses will sweat even in cottons.