06/30/2026
☀️🐴 Extreme Heat? Here’s How to Help Your Horse Stay Safe! 🐴☀️
Hot weather can put horses at risk for dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. A few simple management changes can make a big difference!
💧 Provide unlimited fresh, clean water. Check buckets and tanks several times a day to ensure they stay full and cool.
🧂 Offer free-choice salt. Horses lose salt through sweat. Consider adding electrolytes for horses that are working, traveling, or sweating heavily. Always provide plenty of fresh water when feeding electrolytes.
🌳 Make sure your horse has access to shade or a well-ventilated shelter throughout the day.
🌅 Exercise during the coolest parts of the day—early morning or late evening. Reduce the intensity or duration of workouts when temperatures and humidity are high.
⏸️ Take frequent walk breaks and allow your horse to recover during rides.
🚿 Cool your horse with cool water after exercise. Apply water over the neck, chest, shoulders, and hindquarters. Continue cooling until your horse’s breathing and heart rate begin returning to normal. In humid weather, scraping water off between applications can improve cooling.
🪣 Increase water intake by soaking hay cubes, hay pellets, or beet pulp (if they’re already part of your horse’s diet). The extra moisture can be a great way to help support hydration during hot weather.
🍽️ Encourage hydration. Some horses drink better when water is familiar or when soaked feeds are offered as appropriate for their diet.
🪰 Reduce stress from flies with fly sheets, masks, or fans in the barn. Constant fly irritation can increase movement and energy expenditure in the heat.
🚛 Plan travel carefully. Avoid hauling during the hottest part of the day whenever possible, and ensure good trailer ventilation.
👀 Know the warning signs of heat stress:
• Rapid or labored breathing
• Elevated heart rate
• Excessive sweating—or suddenly not sweating
• Weakness, stumbling, or muscle tremors
• Lethargy or unwillingness to move
• Loss of appetite
• High body temperature
🚨 If your horse shows signs of heat stress that don’t improve quickly with cooling, or seems severely affected, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Every horse is different. Age, fitness level, body condition, humidity, and underlying health issues all affect how well they tolerate heat.
A little extra care during extreme temperatures can help keep your horse happy, healthy, and performing at their best. Stay cool and stay safe! 💙