The summer heatwave is here! Whilst it's lovely to see the sun we need to make sure our Horses stay cool, comfortable, and hydrated (not forgetting ourselves too)!
HORSE FACT
How much water does a horse drink each day?
A horse that is approx 500kg (which is approx 15hh depending on breed) will drink between 30-50 liters of water a day and potentially more when your horse is sweating, that's almost the same as 15 large 6 pint milk cartons!
How to check your Horse is dehydrated?
It is really important to avoid dehydration particularly on the hot summer days or out competing, some owners check for dehydration by giving the horses skin a slight pinch near the shoulder, when released it should ping back quickly, if it stays there or releases slowly your horse may be dehydrated, some studies have said that the skin pinch test shouldn't be relied on so other signs to look out for are stiffness, lethargy, darker colored urine, high heart rate, red mucous membranes, over sweating or not sweating at all.
(If you see any of these signs or are worried about the condition of your Horse, always seek professional veterinary advice.)
How to help re-hydrate your Horse?
TIP 1 Shower Time - There's nothing like a cool shower on a hot day and the same goes for your horse, if he/she is getting too hot why not give your horse a rinse off with a cold water hose pipe followed by a sweat scraper to remove the excess water, you may need to repeat this process a few times to reduce your horses temperature.
TIP 2 Electrolytes & Salt Blocks - Give your Horse some electrolytes to replace the essential lost salts in the body, these can come in a variety of forms such as syrups, liquids, syringes, pastes, and powder.
If you are due to go competing we would feed some electrolytes leading up to the event not just on the day of the event.
If adding electrolytes to their water bucket put out another freshwater bucket so your Horse has the option to drink plain water instead.
Hang a salt block or lick in your horse's field and stable, if you think they aren't drinking enough fluids the salt will encourage your horse to drink more water, why not try a Himalayan Salt block or a tasty Horselyx that come in many flavors such as Mint and Garlic.
TIP 3 Soak Everything- If you think your horse isn't drinking enough try soaking his/her hay in water for at least 10-15 minutes or switching to haylage due to the higher moisture content, you can also add extra water to feed (without making it like soup!).
TIP 4. Avoid Peak Sun - If your horse does not have access to a shelter, bringing your horse in during the hottest times of the day will help keep your horse from getting too hot and dehydrated too quickly (not to mention an escape from those pesky flies).
If you want to go for a ride or work your horse try avoiding the midday sun and go when it is cooler in either the early morning or late evening.
TIP 5. Natural sources - You will be surprised how many horses will not drink from anything other than their usual water bucket in the stable or trough in the field, when you are out and about on a hack and come across a stream, try and get your horse to have a drink from there, it will help on those warmer days when your horse could do with a drink.
Do you have any different suggestions or tips on how you keep your horse hydrated this summer, comment below we would love to hear them!
Are the flies driving both you and our Horse crazy this summer? If so pop over to our blog on 6 ways to banish the flies!
If you would like us to cover a topic in our blog or if you have a general question, then please do drop us a message.
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