Hot weather
ILtrailrider
Reg. Mar 2007
Posted 2011-07-19 8:18 PM (#135850)
Subject: Hot weather


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Location: Mt.Carroll,IL
Need some opinions on this subject....Here in America's Heartland, we have been dealing with extremely hot and humid weather conditions....Most of my friends have been hosing their horses off to cool them down....Most of them are on pasture 24/7 with a run-in shed or barn....I have mine on pasture 24/7 with a run-in shed...I have never hosed my horses off cuz I am afraid it does more harm than good....Would hate to have one drop over from the shock of cold water...So my question is: is this good or bad for horses in this hot, humid weather we are having here in  the Midwest right now....They have excessive heat warnings out for us here where I live in Northern IL, till Thursday night...
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brendaclemens
Reg. Jan 2009
Posted 2011-07-19 10:40 PM (#135854 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Brought mine up to a breezy shaded lot...they really enjoyed a cool bath, but MAKE SURE you use your sweat scraper and scrape them off...I also have a mister fan in my barn pointed out the alley door for them...they are really spoiled :) but cool!
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brendaclemens
Reg. Jan 2009
Posted 2011-07-19 10:40 PM (#135855 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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oops, posted twice



Edited by brendaclemens 2011-07-19 10:42 PM
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farmbabe
Reg. Nov 2003
Posted 2011-07-20 8:37 AM (#135864 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Location: michigan
Its not the cold water shock thats bad..horses don't die of that but its when they are wet and its humid. A wet horse needs some sort of breeze to evaporate the sweat/water or they are worse off than leaving them dry. Unless there is a breeze or they have a fan to move air, I wouldn't hose them off when its humid just make sure they have water and shade. Horses can tolerate heat much easier than cattle or people.
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Painted Horse
Reg. May 2005
Posted 2011-07-20 8:58 AM (#135865 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather



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I hose my horses down before I put them in the trailer heading out for a ride.  Mostly to clean them off so that when they sweat while under saddle, I don't have mud running down their flanks.  But it also helps to cool them off for the period that they are in the trailer.

But we don't have the oppressive heat you folks have. when it gets into the 90s around here, our humidity drops to 10%.  So evaporation is an effective means of cooling. Hence we still see a lot of swamp or evaporative  coolers on homes. We are in the peak riding season and enjoying the weather.

This week is Pioneer week in Utah.  It celebrates the arrival of the pioneers into Utah. Rodeos, parades, and lots of outdoor activities. I had to chuckle at tonights rodeo. The theme is are tough enough to wear pink, They are using photos of the Wild bunch touched up in pink.

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gliderider
Reg. Nov 2009
Posted 2011-07-21 7:34 AM (#135904 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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fungus would be my concern with frequent hoseing down in humid conditions.  Takes a little bit of carpentry to be safe but if you have electricity to/near your shed set up a fan - helps keep the flys down in the run in shed also. 

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ornerie
Reg. Sep 2010
Posted 2011-07-21 10:11 AM (#135908 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather



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Location: Seattle "pshaw, its not raining hardly at all!" WA

and here I am wondering if my horse will be ok without his blanket on today. its 60 degrees, breezy and raining.

I'm only whining a little. we've had a whole 78 minutes of summer so far, according to the local paper. I should be thankful, I guess....

 

 

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crowleysridgegirl
Reg. Apr 2005
Posted 2011-07-23 12:38 AM (#135986 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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We live in NE AR and it's this way all of the time in summer.It's more the norm here for us,than it is unusual.It would be unusual if it were in the low 90's in summer here.

I've hosed my horses off for years whether the wind was blowing,or not.We don't get a lot of cool breezes here in the middle of the day when it's 98 either.I've never had one drop dead from it yet. 

When mine are hosed off,you can bet money on the next one thing that will happen: they will go to their loose dirt spot,and, get down and roll.If you hose them off again,they'll do it again.A lot of the time,it's useless to try to rewet them to "clean them off" because that's the way ours protect themselves from the onslaught of bugs that we have.This is the Delta region,after all.

I have shade in both pastures.Do  they stand in it? nope.They stand in the midday sun,where they select to stand.Go figure.

 



Edited by crowleysridgegirl 2011-07-23 12:40 AM
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heritagelanefarm
Reg. Jul 2006
Posted 2011-07-23 5:49 AM (#135990 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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The 150th anniversary of the battle of Manassas is being played out this weekend in Manassas, Va. According to Accuweather, 98 degrees today, "realfeel," 112 degrees. Yesterday's "realfeel" was 118. Lots of cavalry horses, (including mine) and men/women reenactors in wool from head to toe. Vet will be onsite, as well as lots of medical personnel. I decided to stay home, S.O. took horse.

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terri s
Reg. Sep 2005
Posted 2011-07-23 8:44 PM (#136007 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Location: Kansas
I would hazard a guess that the water in your hose isn't ice cold anyway. Gave my mare a bath the other night and the water felt so good to both of us we just stood there and got wet together!
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doughbelly
Reg. Mar 2009
Posted 2011-07-23 11:47 PM (#136010 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Location: Western Ar
During training missions in the summer at Ft Benning every so many minutes they would run us through large overhead pipes to cool us off. We would be soaking wet and it never caused any problems. I would think if a human could stand it a horse could too,
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farmbabe
Reg. Nov 2003
Posted 2011-07-24 8:14 AM (#136015 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Location: michigan
When is hot and humid soaking a horse..or cows..or people with no air flow is evaporate the mositure causes more harm than good. Now the horse is hot and wet with no relief. If you wet a animal or human down then provide either natural or artifical air flow. When a person sweats..I mean hot and sweaty..we feel better when there is a breeze..don't you? A horse sweats when hot in order for air flow to cool them down. A dog pants to cool off, a hog doesn't sweat either so they need air and a wet place to lay down in to cool. Horses can handle heat better than cows,pig,dogs and even people. They find a place with a breeze or shade. Its interesting to note that when offered shade vs outdoors with a breeze horses usually choose the breeze...
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Painted Horse
Reg. May 2005
Posted 2011-07-24 8:06 PM (#136040 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather



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I was up on top of the mountain today and found the elk all laying on a big snow bank that hasn't melted yet.  Probably a 150 elk.  Here they have spotted me and jumped up. But they were all laying down before.

 

And yes we still have snow at the higher elevations

 

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crowleysridgegirl
Reg. Apr 2005
Posted 2011-07-25 8:33 AM (#136053 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Its interesting to note that when offered shade vs outdoors with a breeze horses usually choose the breeze...

We've had many days here recently with high temps,no breeze,and,my horses have shade in both pastures.They must be really weird,because,when I look outside or go out in mid afternoon,they're not in the shade.I'll keep doing what I think my horses like and have not had any adverse consequences from in 14 years .And,the water from the hose sure isn't ice cold,either.My horses stand and turn for me to spray them down with water,they must be liking it.It's also a little odd that when working outside as of late,myself (spent 4 hours out the other AM from about 8 until noon,heat index was 105+) it felt real nice to get under the water hose myself.Humidity was about 70%,no breeze.I didn't die,and,it cooled me off fine.



Edited by crowleysridgegirl 2011-07-25 8:35 AM
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farmbabe
Reg. Nov 2003
Posted 2011-07-25 2:39 PM (#136071 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Location: michigan
As a long time cattle producer we have lots of experience with cooling cattle. If you off air flow ( fans) they like it.However add some mist--not soaking the cows but lightly wetting them plus air flow..they love it even more. Offer just water and no air ( fans)..they will avoid the water. Why? They are uncomfortable. Horses will tell you where they are most comfortable if you let them. There is no one size fits all solution. But we do know just soaking a horse down without the benefit of some sort of air flow is counter productive.
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Terri
Reg. Jan 2004
Posted 2011-07-27 1:19 PM (#136139 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather



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My horses used to wave the hose at me.  If I had the sprinkler on in the yard they would flip open the latch on the chain link gate and stand in the sprinkler.  If there was water in the stock tank they would lay in it no matter how warm the water was.
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jannypan
Reg. Aug 2011
Posted 2011-08-06 4:17 AM (#136506 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Location: Sealttle
I wouldn't hose them off when its humid just make sure they have water and shade. Horses can tolerate heat much easier than cattle or people.Tera ItemsTera ItemsTera Account
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Spooler
Reg. Aug 2006
Posted 2011-08-06 12:43 PM (#136511 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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Mine will take bird baths in their water tanks..... It's starting to get on my nerves because I have to go fill them back up. If I am watering the garden and they are in the pasture, they will bicker to be the one in the sprinkler. I have shade in my pasture but they are in the middle of the sun just eating away. I give them a choice, it's up to them on where they want to be.

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flyinghfarm
Reg. Mar 2004
Posted 2011-08-06 2:45 PM (#136512 - in reply to #135850)
Subject: RE: Hot weather


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We just had an hour and half meeting with the veterinarian with our mounted search and rescue group... they are having many come in now and several have died.  So, best possible scenario, a horse in the shade with a fan, damp with sweat or scraped water to provide evaporation.  Worst case is if your horse is sweating next to none, and his nostrils are flaring...his internal temperature regulation is no longer able to compensate for his rising heat, and he must be cooled immediately with man made assistance.  Keep an eye on them for this type of heat stress....also excessive fat, or heavy muscled horses that have a lot of mass have a harder time in the heat as all that body mass takes a lot of time and effort to cool....Bear in mind that when a horse is close to heat stroke, it takes many hours of water, fan, and out of the sun to get him cooled out.  They are tough, and if they are freely sweating and no nostril flaring, they are doing what nature intended.  Keep them well supplied with salt and fresh cool water, and watch out for non sweaters...

 



Edited by flyinghfarm 2011-08-06 2:46 PM
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