Nearly two-thirds of the United States are under a heat advisory this week. With heat indexes well over one hundred degrees, team STRIDER wanted to share some great tips from top riders & facilities to help you & your horse beat the heat.
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Go with the Flow to Keep Your Barn Cool
Olympian Phyllis Dawson has some general rules for keeping the barn aisle cool during the Purcellville, VA summer season at her own Windchase Eventing.
- “Lightly spray the barn aisle with water to increase cooling”
- “If your barn has incandescent or halogen lights; turn them off during the day time- those bulbs generate heat!”
- “We have hay chutes above each stall, and in the summer we open them so the heat can rise out of the stalls. The hayloft doors are open, too, to allow for maximum air-flow”
Take Advantage of Nature AND Technology
Knowing how your horse reacts under environmental stress is great way to monitor his health. We like the Hylofit Wireless Heart Rate Monitor System for Horses
to help us track heart exertion during training days..
Heart rate too high for comfort? Find a local pond or lake…. swimming is a great way to build muscle tone and avoid heat stroke!
Lead the Horse to Water & Encourage Him to Drink
The team at Will Coleman Equestrian (Gordonsville, VA) get creative with water offerings for horses coming back to the barn after exercise.
“We keep a giant muck tub full of cold water right by the entrance to the barn so we can offer water immediately after we untack. Many horses dive right in, like Chin Tonic here. Stay safe in this heat guys! Be smart!” – From Will Coleman’s Instagram.
Grand Prix Dressage trainer Lauren Sprieser and the team at Sprieser Sporthorse (Marshall, VA) are similarly diligent about hydration, with an appetizing twist.
“After work, our horses are offered a bucket with two handfuls of Tribute Equine Nutrition Kalm Performer feed, and one scoop of Pro-Lyte Electrolytes from our friends at Uckele Equine Nutrition”.
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