Hot weather advice: how to cool a horse down quickly

horses horses with health issues such as heart disease equine asthma Cushings and laminitis or colicprone and overweight horses may not cope so well says David. In the UK we dont have to worry too much about very hot and humid temperatures and during the cooler months horses can get hot after strenuous work but will cool quickly as the ambient temperature is low. Where it becomes crucial is when you have a very hot horse and the temperature is hot too.
In hot weather horses will sweat more and lose more electrolytes. It is important to replace electrolytes as most horse diets are deficient in sodium so for a 500kg horse I would add 25ml of salt a day and according to the level of work a balanced electrolyte. You want to provide electrolytes in a balance that they are lost in the sweat. Its better to give in slight excess than to not have enough as the horses kidney will sort out any excess.
How to help a horse stay cool
Help keep your horse comfortable in hot weather by doing the following
If you have brick stables with ventilation then horses may be better in than out. Wooden stables can get very hot in the day. If you have paddocks with tree shelter or open field shelters then horses may be more comfortable out although many horses dont use them.
Unless you are specifically trying to acclimatise to heat avoid riding in the hottest parts of the day during the summer around 10am to 8pm in the UK. Horses in the UK are not currently acclimatised to temperatures above 30C.
Clean water with no additives must always be available. There is an increased risk of impaction colic if water intake is reduced. If your horse is a poor drinker then adding in 1 x 25ml salt should help encourage increased drinking. A soaked feed in their bucket can help boost hydration levels too.
If your horse or pony seems uncomfortable in hot weather hose them off and allow them to dry naturally. Dont scrape the water off. You can do this three to four times a day.
If you see a horse or person or dog with heatstroke cool them down by hosingspraying water from the outside or house water supply usually 1020C or from a river or pond or even cold bottled water. It doesnt have to be ice cold to be effective as