25/05/2026
With temperatures soaring, we wanted to share some simple tips to help keep your horses comfortable and safe in the heat ☀️
🔆 Horses are usually happy living out, provided they have access to adequate shelter such as large trees or field shelters. Encouraging them into shaded areas with hay or their usual feed can also help. If you only have a field with little or no shelter, check your horse regularly and offer water frequently where possible, as some horses may become too hot to even walk to the trough.
🔆 If your horse seems too hot or uncomfortable, you can hose them down with tepid or cold water several times a day. Always let the hose run first to clear any water that may have become hot in the pipe. Avoid scraping the water off afterwards — evaporation is what helps cool them down, so keep hosing if needed.
🔆 Consider using fly rugs, ideally white or light-coloured, to reflect heat and help protect against flies.
🔆 Use fly spray when horses are out in the heat, as flies tend to be particularly active during warmer weather.
🔆 If your horse has a particularly thick coat, including those with Cushings, consider clipping them during the summer months to help keep them cool. Pink-skinned horses may then need a lightweight fly rug to help prevent sunburn.
🔆 Soaked hay and sloppy feeds can help encourage water intake and prevent dehydration (where appropriate and not for those on a laminitic weight-management programme).
🔆 Avoid riding during the hottest parts of the day whenever possible. Either ride very early, keep work light, or opt for a gentle hack. A few easier days won’t do any harm, but strenuous exercise in extreme heat certainly can.
🔆 Be mindful of stabling conditions. Some wooden stables can become extremely hot in direct sunlight — a good test is to stand inside yourself and see how it feels. If your horse is normally stabled overnight and turned out during the day, it may be worth reversing turnout times to avoid peak temperatures and the worst of the flies.
🔆 Take extra care when travelling horses in hot weather. Trailers and lorries can become dangerously hot very quickly, especially when stationary in traffic. If travel is essential, aim to travel very early in the morning or later in the evening where possible.
If your horse seems unusually lethargic, distressed, or loses interest in eating, please contact your vet.
