A Guide to Summertime Pet Care for Horses

Summer is the time of year that most horse owners anxiously wait for because it means there will be plenty of long summer days with time to ride their horses. Summer is especially important for those horse owners who live where winters are long and cold; full of snow and with very little riding time. Once summer has arrived though, there are a few extra steps the horse owner needs to take to maintain the health and well-being of their horses to ensure that both horse and rider will have a fun summer full of horseback riding. In this article, I have listed seven summertime horse pet care tips to help you keep your horse happy and healthy during the summer heat.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #1: Provide plenty of water for your horse

Horses need to drink plenty of water each day. Horses can drink twelve gallons, or more, of water each and every day and when it is hot, they will drink even more. If you provide a galvanized steel stock tank for your horses' water, fill it every day and clean it out every week. If you have an automatic watering system for your horse, make sure to check it every day to see that it is working properly. Unfortunately, automatic watering systems, while very convenient, can give the false impression that your horse always has water on demand, but if you don't check it to be certain it is working properly, your horse may in fact be dying from
dehydration.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #2: Provide shade for your horse

If you have your horses loose in a pasture, you will need to provide shade for your horse. This can be as simple as having several large, mature trees in your pasture that are not toxic to horses. When horses get too hot, they will go into the shade of the trees on their own. To encourage your horse to use the shade, you can drop flakes of hay in the shade of the trees.

If your pasture has no mature trees to provide shade, then you will need to provide the shade for your horse. If you or a family member have some carpentry skills, you can build a shade for your horse. This shade can
consist of a simple roof with no walls at all or a roof with one or two walls that are placed so air flow is not restricted. There are also galvanized steel shade covers that can be purchased, either as a kit to install yourself, or installed on your property. You can find shade covers for horses by checking your local yellow
pages phone directory or asking at one of your local stables. You may find local horse shade covers by searching the internet.

If you have your horse in a stall, then your horse has shade but it can be very hot in a barn stall. You may want to provide fans that are safely mounted outside of the stall to help keep your horse cool.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #3: Provide fly control for your horses' comfort

Flies can make your horse crazy in the summertime. There is also the added danger of you being hurt by your horse as they are trying to get rid of the flies that are tormenting them. There are many good fly products on the market that will help you to control, or at least manage, the fly population around your horse. You can find a huge list of fly control products available at ValleyVet.com. Some of the fly control options for you to consider are fly sprays to put directly on your horse, fly masks and sheets to put on your horses' head and body, fly insecticide misting systems for your stall, mosquito larvae, and good manure maintenance.

You can use any fly control method that you are comfortable with or that will fit into your budget. Manure maintenance, (manure helps to breed flies), is very important and cheap. Keep your horses' corral, stall or pasture clean of manure and urine to help keep the fly population down.

Because there are flies who will lay eggs on your horse or in any wounds your horse may have, you will need to keep your horse properly groomed and check for any wounds to avoid this problem. Keep your horse properly wormed to help your horse stay healthy during the summer fly infestation season. Your veterinarian can advise you on how often and what type of worming method to use.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #4: Ride early or late when temperatures are cooler

Horses do not do well in extremely hot temperatures. They sweat quite a bit and can get heat stroke just like we can. If you live where the temperatures are extremely hot and/or humid, the best time to ride your horse will be early in the morning or late in the evening. Personally I always preferred to ride during the early morning hours because it is coolest then. In my area, temperatures stay hot well into the evening hours, so mornings were the most pleasant time to ride.

If you do ride your horse while it is extremely hot, be careful not to overwork him. Make sure to periodically rest your horse in the shade and give him plenty of water to drink. If your horse gets too hot, call your veterinarian immediately.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #5: Provide adequate feed, salt, minerals and electrolytes

While horses need salt and adequate feed during the winter months, during the summer, horses will need salt in their diets even more because of the sweating they do. You can buy salt and mineral blocks at your local feed store and keep one in your horses' stall and in your horses' pasture. As horses' need the salt and minerals, they will lick the block and get what they need.

When you ride your horse during the summer and they sweat, you may need to add horse electrolytes to their diet. This can be added to their feed or given directly. While it is not an absolute necessity to use electrolytes for your horse, they may be necessary if you are working your horse hard and he is sweating profusely. Horses can lose a lot of electrolytes through sweating. Ask your veterinarian if you think you need to give electrolytes to your horse.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #6: Provide proper hoof care

Horses hooves can dry and crack badly during the summer months. Unfortunately some horses are prone to brittle hooves that chip and crack which can cause lameness. Have your horses' hooves inspected and trimmed every six to eight weeks by a reputable farrier in your area. You may need to keep shoes on your horse to help his feet but you can ask your farrier or veterinarian if it is an absolute necessity for your horse to have shoes.

Each day, you need to personally inspect and clean out your horses' hooves. This is the only way to really know what condition your horses' hooves are in.

Summertime Pet Care for Horses, Tip #7: Provide sunscreen protection if needed

For horses who have a lot of white color and lack pigment, you may need to provide some type of sunscreen protection for them. Unfortunately they are prone to sunburn which can be very painful for your horse. You can use a sunscreen product that is safe for people to use around the areas of your horses' muzzle or tail. You can also buy fly sheets or fly masks that are rated for sun screen protection to protect your horses' tender skin. It is best if you keep your horse out of the sun during the hottest times of the day.

While owning a horse is a lot of work, it is one of the greatest joys a horse lover can have. Taking care of your horse properly is important at any time of the year but there are definitely things to keep in mind for the health and happiness of your horse during the summer months. A properly taken care of horse ensures one happy horse AND one happy horse owner.

Sources

HorseRides.org

Personal Experience as a former horse owner.

YoungRider.com: Horse Care - Summer Survival.