09/04/2026
☀️🐴 BETTER HORSES: KEEPING YOUR HORSE COOL IN THE HEAT 🐴☀️
Summer heat can be tough on our horses, especially when the temperatures and humidity climb. A little extra planning can make a BIG difference in keeping them comfortable, healthy, and performing their best.
Here are a few simple things you can do:
💧 Keep fresh, clean water available at ALL times.
Check water buckets and troughs throughout the day. Hot weather means horses need more water, and some horses are picky about water that’s warm or dirty.
🌳 Provide shade and airflow.
Shade is important, but so is air movement. Fans, open-sided shelters, and good ventilation can help horses get relief from the heat.
🧊 Offer additional ways to hydrate.
Some horses will drink more readily if you offer a second bucket of fresh water or provide soaked feeds when appropriate.
🧽 Cool them properly after exercise.
After a workout, hose your horse with cool water, scrape off the excess, and repeat as needed. Don’t just hose and walk away—help that heat leave the body.
⏰ Change your schedule.
Whenever possible, ride and exercise during the cooler parts of the day—early morning or later in the evening.
👀 Know your horse.
Watch for excessive sweating, unusual fatigue, rapid breathing, weakness, stumbling, or a horse that just doesn’t seem right. Heat stress can become serious quickly.
🌡️ Pay attention to humidity, too.
Sweating is how horses help cool themselves. When humidity is high, that cooling system becomes less effective, so adjust your plans accordingly.
❤️ Sometimes the best horsemanship is knowing when NOT to ride.
Our horses give us so much. Taking a few extra minutes to keep them cool, hydrated, and comfortable is one of the easiest ways we can give back.
Better care creates Better Horses. 🐴❤️
What’s YOUR favorite trick for keeping your horses cool during the hot months? Drop it in the comments—we can all learn from each other!
