The horses are finally shiny and dappled after the harsh winter!
After the terrible winter we had here in Maryland, it’s great to see the grass growing and not have to lug bale after bale of hay down to the barn in three feet of snow!
My horses are beautifully shiny, now they’ve lost their thick woolly coats, and dappled – a sign of well-being.
Attach a box fan with bungee straps and the wires out of equine reach!
But the rising temperatures bring problems of their own, and we horse owners need to take measures to ensure our equine pals stay comfortable in the summer months.
Horses don’t like extreme heat, and the more we can do to cool them down the better.
Night Grazing
Bring your horses in during the day and turn them out at night. This keeps them out of the worst of the heat. Overhead fans will move the air in their stalls.
Be aware that the hottest part of the day is often around 4 p.m. Don't turn your horses out until the temperature is cooling down.
A stall guard increases air flow in the stall
Air Circulation
You can attach box fans to the stall grilles with bungee ropes for added air circulation.
My horses have 24 hour access to their stalls, and when the weather is too hot, they stand under the ceiling fans and in front of their box fans.
Be careful to secure box fans tightly so they don't fall and scare your horse.
Keep the electric wires off the ground and well out of reach of your horse.
Web stall guards in place of the regular stall doors increase air circulation by allowing it to flow through the stall doorway.
• Be careful to attach them high enough to prevent the horse from stepping over them, and low enough to prevent him from getting stuck underneath and/or escaping!
• When unhooking stall guards to enter the stable, unfasten the lowest hook first to prevent an over-eager horse from stepping over it.
• Hook the unfastened side of the guard out of the way so the horse doesn’t put his foot in the webbing when he exits his stall.
Some horses use the stall guard as a scratching post for their itchy shoulders and break the metal attachments. Trust me, I know! Use stronger, oval metal clips to replace them. As soon as you see your horse heading for his scratching post again, push him back and close his stall door. Sponge his itchy area with cold water before opening the stall door again. He won't feel the need to lean against the guard any more.
Access to clean water is important at all times (even in winter)
Make sure your horse has access to clean water at all times.
Empty and scrub water troughs regularly to remove the extra fast build-up of algae in summer before refilling them.
Next time: Combatting flies
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