07/01/2026
In the midst of the heat advisory,
I wanted to bring something a bit more insightful than “don’t ride”.
Sometimes we are called as horseman to provide for our four legged friends.
What I will suggest, is know your horse, whether he’s/she’s a heavy sweater or a light-sweater. Know how to keep an eye on his/her respiration. “Non-Sweaters” can overheat even in a stall. Therefore, work is dangerous given the current Heat Index over the next few days for this type of horse.
Take this as a mental note, “Horses dissipate 65% to 70% of their total body heat through the evaporation of sweat.” (Mad Barn)
Additionally, “In high humidity, the air is already saturated, meaning sweat will sit on the skin without evaporating. Sweat dripping off the horse only provides about 5% to 10% of the cooling effect compared to actual evaporation.” (Univ. of GA)
Which leads me to my final point, please keep the electrolytes on hand, have a mineral block accessible, and plenty of fresh water.
Hose as many horses as you can manage. Keep their internal core cool, keep a thermometer on hand: 99°F- 101°F is the guideline(minor fluctuations do occur).
If you have questions or hesitations about your horse, please reach out. I manage old, young, fat and fit, and am happy to provide my experience where I can help others.
Stay safe,
Jaela McKeever
Posh Equestrian
❤️🖤❤️🖤
PFA of Dulany at her lesson earlier this week