As Wales’ summer heats up, how to help your horses stay cool
Summer has finally arrived here in Wales, and while it's a huge relief to see the back of the endless rain, the RSPCA is warning horse owners to help their equine friends stay cool in the heat.
A beach ride in the evening can help avoid the heat
Wales is looking sunny and warm today and tomorrow, and the Met Office is warning it will be "very warm or hot" on Thursday. The Met Office has issued a Yellow warning for parts of Eastern Wales on Thursday, as the heat could spark thunderstorms.
The forecast for Wales is showing it’s going to be hot hot hot in parts of Wales. PHOTO: Met Office
So how can we help our horses in the heat? The RSPCA recommends:
Give plenty of water
Horses typically need to drink up to 55 litres of water a day, and even more in hot weather, so they'll need full troughs or automatic watering systems rather than just a few buckets!
Horses rely heavily on sweating to keep cool and can produce sweat three times as fast as humans. That means they're at high risk of dehydration if they don't have continuous access to water to replace the large amounts lost as sweat. You should also give your horse a salt lick to help them replace the salts lost during sweating.
Offer access to shade
Constant access to shade is extremely important, whether from the natural shade of trees or man-made shelters. Shade is particularly important for elderly horses and foals.
Prevent sunburn
Horses with pink areas of skin, especially on the face, can be prone to sunburn. Using a good child-safe factor 50 sunblock, applied once a day to these areas, will help to reduce the risk of sunburn.
Ride and travel during cooler times of the day
In hot weather, ride your horse in the early morning or the evening, avoiding the hottest part of the day.
If you need to move your horse, leaving very early or very late in the day avoids the heat (and also the traffic!). The ventilation is much better for your horse when your vehicle is moving, as opposed to being stuck in traffic, so avoid travelling at peak times in summer.
For lots more advice from the RSPCA, see their website.