Phoenix Equine

02/06/2026

☀️ Summer Safety Tips ☀️

What about exercise in hot weather? 🐎🔥

Nobody wants to work hard in hot weather and horses are exactly the same. Exercising in the midday sun increases the risk of heatstroke for both you and your horse.

In order to improve your exercise time and to reduce the chance of your horse overheating making the most of the long summer days is the best plan. Aim to do most of your work before 10am or after 4pm in order to avoid the hottest time in the day.

Cooling down is just as important so finish your exercise session with at least 10 minutes of low intensity work in walk in order to allow your horse to stretch out and cool down naturally. We suggest the horses' breathing rate should be back to normal by the end of the cool down.

After exercising it’s a good idea to wash down your horse with a hose or water buckets and sponges in order to cool them down faster and also wash any sweat away from their coats/skin. This prevents build up and rubs from developing.

If they have been sweating significantly adding in electrolytes to replace what has been lost in sweat is also important. Don't forget to provide plenty of hydration for both you and the horse after exercise too.

01/06/2026

☀️ Summer Safety Tips ☀️

My pony is on the chunkier side - do we need to be more careful in the hot weather? 🥵

Simply put - yes.

Horses, ponies or donkeys that are overweight are at higher risk of overheating both when the weather is hotter but also would be at higher risk of overheating due to exercise or inappropriate rugging so definitely need to be carefully monitored and managed.

Yesterday we discussed about if pasture vs stable is best in the hot weather, however this is even more relevant for horses that are on special diets such as grazing restriction or even no grass systems due to laminitis risk or metabolic issues. Simply being turned out into the field when it is hot may not be the best option so carefully following management plans is still relevant in the hot temperatures. Just because the grass appears to have stopped growing or has 'burnt off' doesn't always mean it becomes a safe option for those at risk.

Another factor to consider with these ponies is the grazing muzzle - is there enough air flow through the muzzle and can the pony definitely drink whilst wearing the muzzle?

31/05/2026

☀️ Summer Safety Tips ☀️

Where is the best place for my horse to be when the weather is hot? 🥵🐴

This is a very difficult question to answer as there are so many factors to consider - mostly what facilities are available to the horse.

What requirements are needed for the horse in the field? ⛱

Your horse needs somewhere in their field that they can hide from the flies and the heat. If your field has no trees around it then a field shelter is the best option to enable your horse to cool themselves down whilst out in the field - there must be shade provided by some source. Water (as discussed yesterday!) is also another factor to consider as the horse will need constant access to fresh clean water.

What about stabling? 🏠

Stables can provide shelter from the heat of the day but at the same time the air in stables can become very stationary especially with poor ventilation. This can worsen breathing problems or just prevent your horse from cooling down. Well-designed stables have windows which will allow a draught to pass through the stable. Stables with poor ventilation will have more dust and cobwebs, the presence of lots of cobwebs in itself is not a problem, but it can let you know that the ventilation in your stable isn’t good. To help provide a breeze then fans can be used (safely obviously with no access to the horse!) to help draw in cooler air from outside the stable. Fans also help decrease flies as flies and midges struggle to fly in faster flowing air!

30/05/2026

🐴☀️🫗Summer time drinking 🫗☀️🐴

Did you know that the average 500kg horse needs to drink 25 Litres of water daily in normal weather. This only goes up when the weather becomes warmer and your horse loses more water through sweating. This is why it is so important to make sure your horse always has access to fresh, clean water. Take the time to check automatic drinkers and outdoor water sources daily to make sure they’re filling and clean.

But what if my horse doesn't like drinking much?!

Some horses are less keen on drinking than others and may go off their water for various reasons, an example being when away from home at competitions. There are various options that can be tried to increase a horses water intake. Such as -

🫗 Adding extra water to your horses feed, offering warm water rather than cold or adding in soaked feeds into their diet (or increasing the amount of water in the soaked feed).

💦 Introducing a ‘water buffet’ - alongside a bucket of normal clean water you can provide buckets with other flavours of water such as water with table salt added, water with a small amount of molasses in and water with apple juice added. Some horses will prefer one or more of these options over plain water.

🚛 When travelling away from home bringing water from home may be a good idea in order to improve your horses water uptake, some horses only like the flavour of water they’re used to.

What else may need to be considered?

If horses are profusely sweating then they will often also lose electrolytes so adding in electrolytes or using rehydrating type feeds can also be a useful addition to consider.

29/05/2026

☀️ Summer Safety Tips ☀️

Did you know horses can get sunburn? 🐴☀️🔥🕶

We often forget that horses, donkeys and ponies are just as likely to get sunburn as we are. And this doesn't mean just our grey or pale coloured breeds. Any horse with areas of pink skin on their face are particularly prone to getting sunburn and just like with people, the sun damage can affect their skin in the future.

Sunburn usually shows as areas of hair loss or skin flaking and reddening of the affected areas of skin - just the same as us. If your horse becomes sunburnt it is best to either keep them in during sunny weather or cover up the sunburn. Using aqueous cream or an antiseptic cream can speed up the healing. However, please be careful as the burnt areas tend to be very sensitive and sore, there is also a risk of secondary infection if the burn is severe enough so if concerned please give us a ring to have a chat to one of the vets.

☀️ Please also test all sun cream with a patch test before applying to your horse as each year we do see allergic reactions ☀️

But is hasn't been that sunny and my horse still appears to have sunburn?! How has that happened?

Photosensitisation is very similar to sunburn however it can occur in not particularly strong sunlight due to the skin becoming even more sensitive to sun usually after your horse eats certain plants. These plants affect how the skin responds to light, for instance buttercups, bog asphodel and St John’s Wort. If your horse has sunburn check around their field for these plants as you might find they are the reason!

The skin reactions appear like very extreme sunburn. And like sunburn keeping out of the sun and using mild, moisturising, antiseptic creams can help the skin heal faster.

28/05/2026

☀️ Summer Safety Tips ☀️

The summer heat can be dangerous to horses, especially when it is made worse by high humidity and they have not had time to adjust. Horses can easily become dehydrated and lethargic in a short space of time. Severe heat stress can cause colic, diarrhoea or collapse, so it is important to keep your horse cool.

Always think about the possible causes of overheating, which include the obvious, such as very hot weather, but there are also other causes, such as:

🐎 Exercise
☀️ Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or turnout without shade
🏠 Poor ventilation in stabling
🚛 Transport
🍕 Obesity
🧥 Inappropriate rugs

More on some of the above over the next few days!

So if my horse is overheating, what would I see and what is heatstroke?

When horses become overheated, they can become angry and agitated but if cooled down before this progresses into other signs this helps prevents heat stroke from developing. Heat stroke happens when the horse has been unable to cool down once becoming overheated.

Signs of heat stroke to watch out for:

🥵 Profuse sweating
🌡 Increased temperature, pulse and respiratory rates
😴 Lethargy and dullness
🥱 A reluctance to work
🤐 Loss of appetite
👣 Staggering and weakness
🫨 Muscle tremors
😵 Collapse

What can you do to cool down your horse if you think they are overheating?

⛱ Move your horse into shade
💦 Cold hosing focusing on the big muscle masses in the hindquarters. Do not put wet towels over them as that just traps the heat. It is best not to scrape off excess water and sweat, but to leave the water to evaporate.
👣 Gentle walking or stand in a breeze / under a fan to help cooling.
🫗 Offer small amounts of cold water to drink (half a bucket) every 30 minutes

If you suspect your horse has a high temperature or is showing any of the above signs (especially after exercise or travel) then please ring the vet practice for advice 📞

27/05/2026

With temperatures continuing to be hot and toasty we thought it would be handy to do some 'hot weather management' reminders! So keep an eye over the next few days as we will be posting information and things to watch out for 🐴😎☀️🔥

27/05/2026

One of the key ways in preventing spreading disease (especially important in this current outbreak of equine flu we are seeing in the UK) is only travelling away from home if your horse is fit and healthy.

Making sure your horse is fit and healthy both means you will hopefully have a more successful outing and promotes good animal welfare but also means you are decreasing the risk of your horse spreading any infections.

Checking your horses' temperatures before leaving is a good way of establishing if they have a fever or may be developing one which could indicate an infection happening.

With any infectious illness this doesn't have to just be equine flu - we should also always be mindful to not spread other infectious disease such as EHV or strangles.

⚠ Movement of horses is one of the biggest risk factors for spreading equine influenza.

With outbreak numbers currently very high, it's important to implement strict health checks if you're planning to travel your horse. Look for the following signs of equine influenza...
😷 Dry, harsh cough
🤒 Fever
🤧 Nasal discharge
😴 Lethargy
😖 Enlarged lymph nodes
🤐 Loss of appetite

🌡️ We advise checking your horse's temperature twice a day in the 72 hours leading up to your outing. Do not travel if they show a reading above 38.5˚C

🦠 If your horse has been in contact with another horse suspected of having flu, it's important not to travel them, even if they aren't showing symptoms themselves. Infected horses can spread flu before they appear ill, so not seeing signs doesn't necessarily mean your horse is safe to travel.

For more information about equine influenza, visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/BEF_EquineInfluenza_Info

26/05/2026

❗️🐴 Important notice for anyone competing at Royal Cornwall Show 🐴 ❗️

Are you planning on competing at Royal Cornwall Show next week? If so please take note of this important update - we are really pleased that shows are taking these important and sensible steps in protecting against disease 😍🐴🦠🌡️💉

🐴 Important Information for Equine Exhibitors 🐴

With the recent rise in equine influenza cases across the country, we would like to reassure all exhibitors that the Royal Cornwall Show Equine Team is following all necessary biosecurity procedures to help keep horses and ponies safe throughout the event.

Please note:

- All horses and ponies attending must be fully vaccinated against equine influenza
- On arrival, exhibitors will be directed to a waiting area whilst passports are checked before entry onto the showground
- Passports are required for ALL horses/ponies on site, including companions
- No arrivals before 5am
- Horses/ponies must not attend within 7 days of vaccination
- If your horse/pony shows symptoms of equine flu (cough, temperature, nasal discharge, lethargy, reduced appetite), please do not bring them to the Show

All stabling will be disinfected prior to arrival, with additional disinfectant available from the Stable Manager’s Office if required.

If you are an equine exhibitor with us this year, you should have received a more in-depth email from our Show Team.

Thank you for your support and cooperation, we look forward to welcoming you to the 2026 Royal Cornwall Show next week.

22/05/2026

Really good reminder on how to cope with the rising temperatures we are seeing today and over the weekend 🐴🌞🌻