The Heat Is ON!

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Riverrose28

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All work here has stopped, it is so hot! Heat index is over 100 and climbing! I've put frozen water bottles in the water tubs for my guys, brought in one that the flies were attacking even in her run in. All the others are either in cool stalls or have run in sheds with shade. As for me I fed as soon as the sun came up, all water was done last night, and my friend came this morning to top the water off with cool water. I'm not going out and cleaning any stalls till the sun starts to go down, no grass cutting, no weeding, no nothing for me, but computer, TV and staying in the house with the dogs. All the dogs are in the house, and believe me they appreciate it, no one is making a fuss.

You all got any more tips to keep the horses cool? PLeas share!
 
I just clipped the foals this morning - for comfort not looks, so I didn't take all the hair off. Just used sprinkler/ sponges on the ones that wanted it. Everyone here always has shade but we did add some fans. Me, I'm pretty much staying in the AC after the clipping! At least all 3 foals were VERY good! Wish my show horse was that good about clipping.
 
I am just so gratful for friends, this guy used to work part time for us, and we had to let him go because we could no longer afford to pay him. He knows I have heart condition and the heat just kills me, so he hopped on a bus and came all the way from another city to help out. Bless my friends!
 
I clipped the hard keeper after lunch (under the deck in the shade with a nice breeze). Its not a great clip and I didn't bother with her legs at all, but at least the bulk of its off so she can get some relief. I've left them all in the paddock/drylot which forces them to take shelter in the run-ins with fans because our pasture has no shade. And of course, at least 2 of my mares are not going to be seeing the pasture for the foreseeable future.
 
We've already hit 113 here a couple of times, and summer is just beginning, but our humidity is about 8%, not like what many of you have, so it's really dry. We just keep plenty of shade and clean water and the horses do fine. They will even be out running and playing in the heat of the afternoon sometimes!! It doesnt seem to bother them that much. Our humidity will start to go up about July 4th and be up and down thru the summer with monsoon season...
 
I don't live all that far from you and OMG, yes!!! It's miserable outside. We had a good stretch there where it was relatively cool with low humidity but it's sure back with a vengence now. The air in a rainforest couldn't be much more humid than right now in VA/DC/MD
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With the humidity yesterday we hit 111. That is just too hot to do anything. Everyhorse that I have was hiting in their run in sheds.
 
You can include NY as well!! The humidity is unbearable! Thank goodness we have many shade trees. I cleaned and refilled all the pasture water basins yesterday and made it "rain" on the horses....some like it and some don't! I have one that tries to climb into the basin, so I have to soak her to make her happy.

Not only is the heat bad, but the biting flies are relentless! Hard to find fly spray thet actually works.

I have several fans going in the barn for the night.

Days like these are sometimes good to just leave them inside till later in the afternoon.
 
It's sweltering everywhere right now, I think. My dogs don't even want to go out for a walk lol. I'm lucky my barn stays relatively cool, so my guys go out for the morning and then are in for the rest of the day.
 
Here in Texas we've been having 90's since early may. I'm hoping we won't get horrible temps and ongoing drought like last year. We had up to 116F and basically 3 months of 100's and drought so bad that we are still importing hay from California at $25 a 3string bale. It was up to $27 last month, any bit less is a big deal. I take care of feed, water and cleanup as soon as I get up, always try to be up no later than 6:30 before it starts heating up. I try to ride and let the little one zoom around and graze before noon. My paint gets a full bath after riding to cool him off and they both wear fly masks. Great idea with the frozen water bottles, the big trough is in the shade but when it's so hot, it does warm up so I'll start adding the bottles. I do have a mister that you can hook up to a waterhose, I had it hooked up to my paints pen last summer and he would stand under it until he was soaked. I'm going to try to find a way to hook it up so they can both benefit from it.

We got a huge downpour yesterday, much needed and probably the last one for a while since we're supposed to get up to 104 from the weekend on. My paint enjoyed the rain so much, he stood outside until he was dripping wet and then went into his stall to eat.
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I don't know how you guys survive with the humidity. During a normal summer here, we reach 110-120. But it's a dry heat, with little or no humidity. On days when we have even the slightest humidity (usually around August), I feel like I'm going to die - we have swamp coolers here.

The horses don't seem to mind the heat at all and are usually out sun bathing in it. They have shade and cool water at all times. As for the other outdoor pets, we have kiddie pools, misters, and a portable swamp cooler. It is still miserable but as long as we have electricity, it's do-able.
 
KanoasDestiny, I guess I didnt realize you were in SoCal- where are you? Must be out in the desert obviously!
 
HGFarms, are you familiar with SoCal? I live in the High Desert, right between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
 
I'm keeping the horses in the corrals up close to the house where I can watch them under the shade trees. Fresh cold well water and topping off water buckets several times a day. Hosing them off and soaking them with the water hose tends to make them happy. Tried the mister but they move away from it. With the chickens I am refreshing their water several times a day too and feeding them frozen berries. They spend their day under the chicken house where they can sand bathe and seems to be cooler.

This weather is extreme. It's only the second day of summer and already I am wishing for fall like temps, cool breezes and no bugs.
 
What is a swamp cooler? Would it work in an indoor area? I have an indoor were currently I have three horses in quarenteen, as I just purchased them. Hubby had taken the fans down in there, there are five, cleaned them and rehung them. Well only two are working at this time, and I'm so upset as they were purchase because they are heavy duty, but obviously dust has gotten to the motors. When I sprayed them this morning for flies, horses that is, they didn't run around as usual, I think they like the coolness of the spray. I do have electric in there for whatever a swanp cooler is.
 
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RiverRose, I'm guessing you must live in an area that has high humidity? If so, you definately do not want a swamp cooler. A swamp cooler is mostly used in dry places, rather then AC. It uses water to soak the outter pads, then an electric motor draws in hot air from outside through those wet pads, which cools the area. It does not work well in humidity, because it would just draw in muggy air.

Since you have fans, could you hook up misters infront of them so they would blow a cool mist? They also make fan attachments you can freeze, to help cool the area.
 
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Thanks for the explaination, and, yes, we live in a very humid area! In fact I'm using a dehumidifier in the house along with airconditioners. I have a mister on my hose, but don't like to use it in my stalls as it wets up the bedding and attracts flies. Seems like this time of year all I do is spray for flies. My poor little dwarf is grey and I actually had to put swat and wraps on her legs because flies were eating her up. I put her in the barn under a fan, and the spray helps a little, but I feel so bad for her. anyway the humidity is supposed to die down some tomorrow, which is agood thing as we have a 4-H horse show on Sunday, and need to bath and clip on Saturday.
 
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Terry I have found the best fly repellent to be WIPE II.It comes in a spray or can to be applid with a mitt or old stocking.It is oil based so stays on longer.It does attract dirt, but who cares if the horses are more comfortable.I have 2 light grey geldings who had bloody legs from fly bites before I used WIPE.I spray their legs every morning before they go out and so far no bites.I just ordered 8 more bottles on sale from a vendor.Many on line tack shops carry it.
 
Thanks Bev, right now I'm using bronko on her and her legs are wrapped, and even need to put swat on her little tiny ears. I have help today, so we took her out of the barn and bathed her again then into the grass for some spoiling, but just for a little while. She is getting her feet trimmed this evening. Wish I had enough hand to take pictures of how we trim her tiny feet. Since she's a dwarf, we lay a comforter in the back of our polaris ranger. My helper gets in there with her and we lay her down. She is now waist high to hubby so he can trim her hooves. At first when we did this she was like what the hay are you'll doing to me now. But, we've been doing it this way now for several years and find it is the best for her and us although it does take three people.
 

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