23/06/2026
Your horse isn't the only one you need to think about in a heatwave 💚
When it's hot, most of us go straight into horse mode.
We top up waters, soak hay, sort shade, hose them down, keep a close eye on how they're doing. It's just what we do — and it's one of the things we love about this community. You show up for your horses, every single day, no matter what.
But can we just take a second to talk about YOU?
Because a lot of you aren't just popping up to the field for an hour. Many of you work with horses or have multiple horses so you're mucking out, carrying water, lifting hay, riding, teaching, on your feet all day — in the same heat your horse is standing in. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, looking after yourself tends to fall pretty far down the list.
We get it but looking after yourself too is vital in this heatwave.
The tricky thing about heat is you often don't notice it creeping up on you.
You might feel a bit tired, a bit headachy, slightly off. Which is easy to brush aside and carry on — especially when there's still so much to do.
But that's usually your body telling you it's starting to struggle. And when you're not feeling right, you're not thinking as clearly or reacting as quickly as you normally would. Around horses, that's important.
A few simple things that genuinely make a difference:
🌿 Freeze your water bottles the night before — sounds obvious but game changing. You've still got something properly cold hours into your day rather than warm water you can't face drinking. Some people swear by freezing a damp cloth or sponge too — keep it in a cool bag and use it on your face and neck throughout the day.
🌿 Eat something salty with your lunch — crisps, crackers, olives, even a small handful of nuts. When you're sweating heavily you're losing salt as well as water, and replacing it helps your body actually hold onto the fluids you're drinking. This is what electrolytes do — but food works too.
🌿 Think about what you're wearing — lighter colours and breathable fabrics make a real difference when you're moving around all day. soaking a spare t shirt or bandana it in cold water and wearing it around your neck is one of the best kept secrets for staying cool on the yard.
🌿 Damp your hat before you put it on — takes two seconds and the evaporation keeps your head noticeably cooler. Works especially well with fabric or mesh-style riding hats and skull caps.
🌿 Put your lunch in a cool bag the night before — hot food in hot weather is hard going. Cold food and cold drinks give your body less work to do and feel so much more appealing when you're already warm.
🌿 Use your horse's cold hose on yourself too — legs, arms, back of the neck. No shame in it whatsoever. The cold water on your pulse points brings your temperature down quickly and you'll feel the difference almost immediately.
🌿 Shift the heavier jobs where you can — earlier in the morning or later in the evening, away from the worst of the midday heat. Even moving things by an hour makes a difference.
🌿 Set a phone reminder to drink — when you're busy and focused, it's genuinely easy to go hours without drinking anything. A simple reminder every 45 minutes or so keeps you on track without having to think about it.
🌿 Make yourself a shady spot if your yard doesn't have one — even a basic bed sheet strung up somewhere practical. Just somewhere you can step out of direct sun for five minutes when you need to. It's worth the effort on days like today.
🌿 Keep a spare set of clothes in your car or tack room — getting changed into something dry mid-afternoon when you're hot and sweaty makes a surprising difference to how you feel for the rest of the day.
🌿 Don't ignore the warning signs — dizzy, nauseous, more tired than you'd expect? Stop. Cool down. Have a drink. Catching it early is so much easier than dealing with it later.
And suncream suncream suncream!! Reapply often especially if you are sweaty.
We're really good at noticing when our horses aren't quite right. Let's apply a little of that same attention to ourselves too.
You can't pour from an empty bucket — and you definitely can't look after your horse properly if you're not okay yourself.
Stay safe out there everybody, horses AND humans 💚
Pinched this off another page but reads too true and a few good tips ###
