How are your horses doing in this heat?

[Marty]

Some of mine are down right cranky! We haven't experienced 100 degrees yet,but we have had high 90's where we have the "feels like" temperatures of 102-104+.

Made a huge mistake the other day. Turned my horses out early in the morning for a while and went to town to run a couple errands but I was gone a lot longer than expected. When I got home, the temperature had already soared to 99 and my horses were out there sweating half to death and their backs were HOT to the touch. It was horrible. They had every opportunity to get in the barn while I was gone but chose to stand in the hot sun where there is no shade. Needless to say, I got them in under the fans and started the Great American Line Up on the wash rack. I have 8 plus Sonny my QH so was hosing them down two at a time trying to hurry up and give them all some fast relief.

Everyone had been clipped and its holding except the babies. They were shaved last month but grew some serious fur right back and you can see the sweat on them. That baby fur is thick. I'm going to shave them again asap. I know August will be the worse month for heat. Summer is exhausting! I am ready for fall.

 

[Mominis]

My two haven't been worked for almost two weeks now due to the heat. We are just doing short turnouts and all of us are going crazy with it.

 

[ohmt]

We had heat indexes up to 120 here, but thank goodness that awful heat (not so much heat but the 85-90 dew points!) is done now. The horses did fine-i made sure to refill water buckets every 2 hours and I set out a sprinkler for the foals. They usually stood next to it so it would mist them. They seemed to do ok considering. I had to spray cold water on my two sheep once every hour though. They were the ones I was most worried about.

 

[cretahillsgal]

Well, really it hasn't been any different for me heat wise. We have 110+ temps every year (before heat index) so we are used to it. We even had a stretch there where the temps topped 115 for 4 days and one day at 122. (before heat index) It has lasted longer this year as we are approaching 60 days straight of 100+ temps.

The problem that we are having is the lack of rain to go along with the high temps. There is absolutely NO grass or grazing. Even irrigated pastures are not growing because the soil temp is over 100. I have not mowed my yard once this year. And now the ponds, lakes, streams, rivers & wells are going dry. The Red River is dry.

One of the towns near here has just today cut off the water station where the local ranchers/farmers fill up tanks with water for their animals. Usually only a few use the station, but because all of the wells, streams, and ponds have dried up alot of ranchers have had to resort to hauling water to their livestock. The city did this because they think they are going to run out of water to supply the town. Ranchers have been told to either sell off their herds or relocate their animals if they want to keep them. SCARY!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Wow Julie!

That is for sure worse than living in a mud hole. It has been so wet and cool here this year that my horses are already getting there heavy coats. I have worn my heavier coat quite a bit too to stay warm (and dry). I am seriously unhappy with the fact that my stallion with high white socks has to walk thro mud half way to his knees to get from shelter to dry spot to waterer etc., I despair that they will ever be anything but black with mud again (he's starting to look like a bay instead of a sorrel). I try to leave him out on pasture as much as I can without compromising his health. Wish we could share some of our extra water with you. Maybe August will be better for all of us.

 

[Equuisize]

We're still waiting for the 'real' summer to show it's face in the Beautiful Pacific NW.

Warmest day we had was early in the month and it got to 87* Our normal summer temps are

like in the mid to high 70's, though, and we've not had a lot of those either. August sometimes

brings some warmer temps.

We had the longest wettest spring in the history of mankind, this year. Flowers and veggies

are all like almost 2 months behind....

But while I'm grumbling I'll take it in comparison to the awful dangerous heat you guys have

been getting.

Stay safe.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I have a pretty big pasture and there is still grass. My problem is the stressed grass is high in sugar, plus mine are now "harvesting" mesquite beans. I'm putting them in the dry corral during the night to keep them from getting too fat. During the day, they have shady pasture trees, plus I rinse them off in the afternoon. When I set the sprinkler out for them, they do enjoy that, however Dusty has a bad habit of stomping on them so I will have to figure out a different system.

We are still able to drive in the early morning and late evening and it doesn't seem to bother them. Our highest temp has been 116 so far. However, the humidity has been pretty low so it isn't as bad as it could be.

My boys don't seem to be too uncomfortable--so far.

The upside is very few flies and no mosquitoes.

I will probably clip Dapper Dan next month as he usually grows an early coat.

I always hate to wish my life away, but I'm wishing for fall.

 

[yellerroseintx]

Here in Texas it is also HOT HOT HOT 100 plus daily and so dry as we are in a horrid drought on top of the heat. I turn out my mares daily all have foals..did clip the hairy ones and am debating whether to clip the tiny one as he seems to be breathing heavier than the others and does not run and play as much, well that just made up my mind he will be clipped to day LOL......most of the foals prefer to lie in the hot sun for some reason although mamas take them in the shade during the afternoon. I have had no horses sweating or showing any sign of distress, cept that tiny foal....we have zero grass but lots of shade trees and shady areas so they seem to be handling it well. The only difference I have seen is they are a bit more grouchy with each other.

 

[targetsmom]

My horses were all doing fine, even when we broke the all time record last Thursday at 103 degrees (heat index was much higher). Then we took Princess to a show on Saturday (posted elsewhere) and she colicked. I would be very wary of grain that comes in paper grain bags if you have high humidity!!! I think that, coupled with the trailer ride, was what caused the gas colic. She was the only one getting that grain (low carb) and I am now switching her to Purina WellSolve L/S which comes in a plastic coated bag.

Shade, water, salt blocks, and fans are our friends. Our "round pen" is very shady in the afternoon so we are even working some of them. The temp difference in the shade is unbelievable.

 

[cretahillsgal]

That's true! The upside to having NO rain is that we also have NO mosquitoes! Have not seen a single one this year.

 

[Eagle]

Here in Italy we are used to the heat and all my pastures have a long row of shady trees on one side and shelters too. I usually just leave them out as they go to the shade when necessary. If the mares have foals I will bring them from 11.00- 17.00 as the foals have a habit of laying out flat in the sun. This year isn't as hot as usual, and we haven't gone over the 90's as of yet.

Stay safe everyone

 

[Melinda Dean]

Here on North Carolina coast, we have had some very hot days, but evening ocean breeze helps to cool things off at night.

I just have 3 minis, and they can come and go from the barn as they like. I run fans during the day, and one stall is set up like a storm shelter. The ground is about 6 '' lower in there. The sides are solid with venting at the top. I keep a blanket cut in strips over the pasture door that keeps biting flies out since they do not like dark places. A fan hangs down and provides air circulation. That stall is always about 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the barn. All 3 boys head in there during the worst of the heat to snooze.

I built this years ago for my older QH who attracted horrible biting flies. He died at the ripe old age of 27, over 15 years ago. Last year, I thought about turning it into a regular stall, ... so glad I never got around to it. I do keep lots of fresh water tubs available for them, and a kiddie pool to splash in. My pastures are still green, but very poor quality grass. In fact, I mowed this AM, just to control the hardy weeds that are shooting up.

Our house air conditioner went out during our worst hot spell last weekend. Inside home temp was almost 99 degrees. The barn was were I hung out until it could be fixed. Luckily, the repair man came early, so we did not have to wait all weekend. Made me grateful for modern technology.

 

[Riverrose28]

well, as a senior citizen the heat is killing me, but the horses seem to be handling it just fine. They all have shade, but the older arabs like to hang out at the water tub, so when the humidity gets too high I put them in the barn, under fans. One of my mares stays in the run in until dinner and won't come out, she is so cute. Since I live in a forest there are plenty of shade trees, and every one outside has a run in shelter, it's so cute to see some of the mares in their run ins with only their tails sticking out, switching at flies. The only problem I have is with the stallions, as I can only get them out for a short while, as I have to rotate to clean stalls, they have shade until late in the day, so they are not getting as much time outside as I would like, but they seem to be handling it in stride. I was wishing for fall yesterday, but then thought about winter, awful, I hate shoveling snow, and breaking up ice, and draining hoses. Then again, I'm not fond of cutting grass, and bush hogging fields either, can't figure out which is worse. I should be gratful, at least everyone is either shed out or clipped already, and grooming is much easier this time of year, I can bath without a chill. I'm afraid the winter is going to be bad this year, and I have seen the strangest bugs, like silver catapillars in the stall, and orange wolly bears, and some kind of flying thing that has tiger strips. The flies, and skeeters are bad here so I try to keep everything clean and no standing water. I guess I'm never happy, in the winter I want Spring, and now I want Fall. Oh Well!

 

[Songcatcher]

. I guess I'm never happy, in the winter I want Spring, and now I want Fall. Oh Well!

I'm not hard to please. I would be perfectly happy to go from fall directly to spring and from spring directly to fall.

 

[weebiscuit]

This heat has been with us for weeks, and we are not used to it here in Wisconsin! We've had actual temps of 95 and 100 for days on end and heat indexes up to 117 degrees. So, for the last three weeks, we turn the horses out to pasture around 7 AM and bring them back into their stalls at 11 AM. Each stall has a box fan suspended above it and the horses are at least out of the blazing sun and the fans keep the flies off them.

But twenty hours a day in a stall is just not good, and I hate it, but I don't see any alternative. We have dry lots which are shaded, but with that heat index I still feel they are probably better off being in the barn with fans.

In fact, I think the horses prefer it. Normally, if we want to get them out of pasture we have to go in behind them and urge them in. For the last several weeks, as soon as we get to the pasture gates, and yell, "Come on, kids!" they all literally RUN to the gate and then go flying into the barn.

I have always said that summer is much harder on horses than the winter. Even if it's twenty below, I still think the summer is harder on them.

 

[wildoak]

It's been a miserably hot summer here - and we are used to hot summers. I feel for you all up north who aren't used to it. The drought is just killing us, very little grazing left and cracks in the ground big enough to swallow a horse (okay maybe a horse's leg, makes me a little crazy just thinking about it). True enough, no mosquitos this year and only a couple of frogs invading my barn.

Horses are tolerating the heat. Show horses are stalled days with fans, and get cool wet beet pulp in the afternoon. I worry most about some of my older mares who are out in the pasture. They are drinking well and have a round bale, but I'm letting some of the old girls in to graze in the yard periodically. It's the only place that grass is still growing and it's taking constant watering to keep it green.

Very hard to work horses now - we normally do a lot of ponying off the golf cart, but my "track" now has cracks in it and there is too much risk of someone putting a hoof in one. I'm working them a little in the morning and early evening, and just watching for heat stress.

Jan

 

[Bess Kelly]

In addition to ALL THE THINGS we mention above.........the next insult is going to be the huge increase in feed and hay prices due to the drought, floods, etc.

Sadly, this is why so many animals are being given away and/or abandoned. Couple all this with the general economy and STRESS is a situation that we will be continue to experience on our pastures, wallets and patience

I'm in VA, about 50 miles inland from coast, so while extremely hot and dry it has not gotten to the point that many of the middle country states have (thankfully!!) But, still a real concern. I'm bracing for a very hard winter with weather AND feed prices.

 

[Jill]

It's been SO hot here, but our horses are doing great. Lots of shade in our paddocks and we have fans in the stalls / run-ins.

 

[iowa]

Here in Iowa it is hot, but the humidity is what makes it so terrible. The horses are free to come and go into the barn as they choose. They usually come in about noon and stay a while, the go back out when they feel like it. No one is sweating or showing any signs of stress. They have access to automatic water fountains, so I just check them to make sure they are working. Still have grass in the pastures. The corn and bean crops look great and we are getting good cuttings of alfalfa, too. They are working right now on harvesting oats and putting up straw. But that doesn't mean feed prices will be cheaper. Already the alfalfa has gone up in price. I got 700 small bales of alfalfa in the barn now and will get some grass round bales soon. This should keep us through the winter. I only bred 2 mares for foals, so shouldn't have to start feeding grain until early in the sping. The horses do very well on alfalfa all winter, with grass hay free choice. I am not showing so don't have to worry about that.