Horses in warm weather | leinster-horse-rescu

Horses in warm weather...

So summer 2015 is here, and the days of 25degrees are here! However this can cause major problem's. Below are some tips and advice for keeping your Horse safe during the hot weather. Remember DONT OVER WORK YOUR HORSE in Hot Weather OR IGNORE ANIMALS IN DISTRESS!

1. Know the signs of heat exhaustion. In horses, symptoms include weakness, stumbling, increased temperature (higher than 102 F = 38.8DEGREES) ) and elevated pulse or respiration. In serious cases, a horse may stop sweating (anhidrosis). To help a heat-stressed horse cool down, offer water in small amounts, hose him down with cool water, keep him out of the sun and, if possible, in front of a fan. If his symptoms persist, call your vet immediatley.

2. Heat exhaustion affects humans, too. Symptoms include feeling faint or lightheaded, nausea, skin that is cool and moist to the touch, and a rapid, weak heartbeat. If a rider in your group is experiencing these symptoms, get her out of the sun and in front of a fan or air conditioner, if possible. Remove her helmet and loosen clothing and have her drink water or a sports drink. Don't just let someone experiencing heat exhaustion "ride it out." Heat exhaustion is easily remedied, but if left untreated, it can advance to life-threatening heat stroke.

Ride in the shade to avoid midday heat.

3. Schedule your rides to avoid intense heat. Early morning hours tend to be the coolest, making them ideal for more serious schooling sessions. The sun and heat levels are at their most dangerous from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm in Ireland. If the afternoon is your only time to ride, stick to shady areas or a well-ventilated indoor arena.

4. If you compete, you don't have a choice about when you ride. To ease the heat, wait until you're about to enter the ring before putting on your show coat. Find a shady area to stand with your horse before your class. Have a friend bring a bottle of water ringside.

DONT IGNORE ANIMALS THAT SHOW SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION!

5. Cool your horse out properly. There's a persistent myth that it is dangerous to let your horse drink when he is very hot, when in fact it can

be very harmful to withhold water. If your horse is hot and breathing heavily after a workout, let him take a few sips of water, then walk him for a minute and let him have another drink and continue this way until he is cooled out.

Using ice-cold water isn't harmful to your horse, but cool water is more comfortable for him.

**On average Horse's will drink approx 36 Litres of water Per Day!**

6. Another myth is that you should never spray a hot horse down with cold water. The fact is, top-level endurance riders and eventers douse their horses down with ice-cold water immediately after they finish a ride to bring the body temperature down to a safe level. However, using cool water instead of cold is generally more comfortable for your horse, so if you aren't headed into the vet check after a 100-mile ride or an advanced cross-country course, you can use a more moderate temperature to cool him down after a workout.

ITS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE TO LEAVE ANIMALS WITHOUT FOOD AND A GOOD SUPPLY OF WATER (Regardless the time of year!)

7. Use sunscreen of at least SPF 15 and reapply throughout the day. Wearing a hat or helmet with a visor will help protect your scalp and face, two very sun-vulnerable areas. Horses with white on their muzzles are prone to burns as well, so make sure to use sunscreen there as well. Albino animals should also be applied sunscreen.

WHERE POSSIBLE SUPPLY HORSES WITH CLEAN COOL WATER IF YOU SEE THEM LACKING OF IT

8. Hot weather brings out the bugs. Use plenty of insect repellant on yourself and fly spray on your horse, especially if you're headed out into the woods. You can put a fly mask on over your horse's bridle to protect his face from flies while riding. Just make sure to take it off if you ride after the sun goes down.

9. The days of riding in heavy jeans and sweat-soaked t-shirts are over. Hot weather riding apparel is now widely available and affordable. Manufacturers now offer lightweight riding pants, moisture-wicking shirts, ventilated helmets and even perforated half chaps that allow for better air circulation.

Horses need adequate shade in the pasture during the hot summer months.

10. Your paddock's need to have sufficient shade for all of the horses that live there. That can be from a shelter or from trees as long as the shade is available as the sun moves throughout the day. Check the paddock's water daily to make sure it is clean and hasn't become too hot if the trough is out in direct sunlight. If your horse is stabled during the day, keep the windows and doors open for ventilation, or mount a box fan on your horse's stall to improve air circulation. Just make sure the wire is out of reach of all horses.

HAVE YOUR EQUINE VETERINARY SURGEON TELEPHONE NUMBER ON HAD AT ALL TIMES.

If you withness cruelty, abuse, neglect or a case where animals are been left without water and or showing signs of Heat Exhaustion please react there and then! Lo-Call - The ISPCA National Animal Helpine on

1890 515 515, The Dept Of Agri Animal Welfare Helpine on 1850 211 990, Your local Animal shelter, Local Garda station or a Veterinary Surgeon.... Make that call, Dont asume someone else will.

Also please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LEAVE DOGS UNATTENDED IN HOT CARS! It only take minutes for the inside of a car to turn into an oven and IT WILL KILL your dog! This summer dont act selfish!

Thank You -