Summer is one of the best times of year for horse owners, giving more opportunities to ride and a full calendar of competitions. However, you need to ensure you take good care of horses when there is hot weather. It will help to maintain performance and reduce the risk of health problems. Interestingly, you probably need to adjust the horse feed too.

Acclimation

The best place to start is to remember how important it is to acclimatise. This goes for you and the horse. Make sure you are both comfortable and ready for the conditions.

What you need to focus on in particular is the fact that horses work harder to regulate their internal temperature and dissipate body heat. So, you need to give them as much help as possible. This includes more water. On top of that, it is a good idea to ride during cooler parts of the day. During hot peak times, give your horse shade to enjoy.

Plus, make sure you keep in mind that every horse is different. Their age and body condition can have a big impact on how they react to hot weather. Make sure you think about this and take extra care with horses that are more susceptible to overheating.

Feed

A good diet is one of the most crucial parts of horse health. However, summer brings some challenges. The hot weather and a busier schedule means you may need to adjust the horse feed. Good forage will still need to be the foundation of the diet. On top of that though, you’ll probably also need feeds to provide more energy and protein. The latter is especially important for muscle recovery and maintaining body condition.

One of the most vital things to think about is horses will sweat more in hot weather. That means it is essential to replace electrolytes. There are two options here. Some owners choose to give them to horses before exercise. Typically though, the most effective method is to provide them shortly afterwards to maximise absorption.

Cooldown

Hot weather makes it even more crucial to have a good cooling down routine for horses. It helps them to return their body to a resting state, including getting rid of lactic acid, easing muscles, and reducing the respiratory rate. Most importantly, it can help to prevent problems.

Grooming

It’s also important to have a proper grooming routine in summer. There are some really crucial things to keep in mind. Firstly, you’ll need to bathe your horse more frequently to get rid of sweat. Do it after cooling following exercise. A good grooming routine will also help you to keep a close eye on your horse. Make sure you’re checking body temperature for any signs of heat stress. In addition, regularly check for any heat, swelling or pain in the legs and joints.

Choosing high quality horse feed

At JS Hubbuck Ltd, supporting animal health is one of our main priorities. That is why we offer such a wide range of important products, including feeds, wormer, and more. We can even help to arrange to create things like animal housing and feeding equipment.

The crucial thing here is we offer friendly services and the best support. We’ll ensure you make the right choices for horse feed and other products. So, contact us today and let’s get started.