Horse management in summer in 10 steps

Summer is definitely the busiest time for riders and horse owners, whatever the discipline, from endurance competitions to hill rides to riding competitions. In this season we are able to spend more time in the company of our horses and it is right to take into consideration some advice on how to properly manage the horse: running into mistakes, even trivial ones, can compromise its wellbeing

Discover all Equiplanet’s tips for managing your horse in summertime

1. Rehydrating the horse in summer [ Back to menu ]

It is now common knowledge that electrolytes lost through sweating must be replenished through complementary feed based on mineral salts such as Reidral + CY, Master Lyte or Reidro Fast. Few, however, are aware of the fact that when travelling or competing, some horses are squeamish about water that tastes unfamiliar or new. In these cases, we suggest flavouring the water in advance, so that it is also palatable when going out. For this eventuality, Reidral Cy lends itself well to the purpose, as it is water-soluble and tastes very palatable to the horse. If the horse is very tired or hot after the competition, it may not drink. It is important to provide a litre of water every quarter of an hour until he is sufficiently watered. When administering mineral salts one must always leave water available and at will, to avoid the opposite effect and worsening the state of dehydration.

If the horse is very tired or hot after the competition, it may not drink. It is important to provide a litre of water every quarter of an hour until he is sufficiently watered. When administering mineral salts one must always leave water available and at will, to avoid the opposite effect and worsening the state of dehydration.

Another aspect that many horsemen do not take into account is that dehydration of the horse, leads to a generalised loss of liquids, so salivation and intestinal secretion are impaired, which can lead to constipation. Furthermore, the loss of electrolytes that are not replenished affects muscle contraction and nerve conduction. It is now clear that dehydration leads to a drop in performance.

It appears that for every one percentage point decrease in hydration of the horse in summer there is a 4% drop in performance. The use of mash is also a way of giving higher amounts of water to the horse, Pastone H new is a ready-to-use complementary feed that can encourage the horse to drink and restore water lost through sweating.

2. 2. Managing stress when transporting the horse in summer

The horse experiences transport stress in the summer and this can be reflected in the thirst reflex. A horse may lose a significant amount of sweat during the journey, potentially up to 18 litres in a 10-hour trip. Hierarchies may be established and the horse may become stressed due to other individuals having to travel with it in a confined space and not cope well with living together.

During transport, the horse may also not feed, particularly by reducing its intake of hay that stimulates drinking and salivation. Stress in fact reflects on fasting and the longer it is prolonged, the more it favours the onset of gastric disorders.

In defence of the stomach mucosa, it is important to use complementary feed that supports normal gastric physiology such as Trophogast Pellet, whose efficacy in healing moderate ulcers has been tested by the University of Milan.

It is advisable to start feeding a few days before departure and extend it until return to the stable, although a fully active sport horse should always have its ration supplemented with this type of complementary feed. Certainly, during transport it is useful to maintain thirst and hunger.

3. Maintaining a horse’s body weight in summer [ Back to menu ]

We often think of weight loss in horses as a winter problem, when they need more calories to keep warm. However, horses also need calories to keep cool when it is very hot.  Some studies report that there is a temperature range of 5 to 25 degrees Celsius in which the horse is able to maintain an internal body temperature without metabolic effort: heat production and loss compensate. When temperatures exceed 25 degrees, the horse uses evaporative cooling to lower the temperature. The higher the temperature rises, the more energy the horse consumes to disperse heat. This explains the horse’s weight loss in summer.

Compared to the increase in digestible energy required in winter, it is more difficult to manage this requirement of the horse in summer because it will certainly have a reduced appetite. How to increase the calories ingested by the horse in summer? By providing a feed with a high fat content such as Fat Fiber, in fact high fat concentrates are useful because fat reduces the heat load. The same effect can be achieved by simply adding an oil such as Oil Performance to the ration. Dealing with high temperatures is more difficult in the beginning, as horses take two or three weeks to acclimatise. Once they have adapted, their metabolism returns to near temperate.

Protein intake in the horse in summer? Avoid excess protein, as it may have a negative effect on body heat production. For this reason, equine nutritionists do not recommend administering large quantities of alfalfa in summer to horses struggling to maintain weight. The metabolic demand to break down excess protein may result in a greater loss of calories and the horse will have to consume more water to excrete excess nitrogen.

4. The horse’s gut microbiota in summer [ Back to menu ]

A recent study has shown that an increase in plant diversity at pasture can be beneficial for the horse’s gastrointestinal microbiota in summer and thus for maintaining its well-being. However, care must be taken during transport and in stabled horses by providing complementary feeds based on prebiotics and probiotics such as Enterovet.

5. The horse’s respiratory well-being in summer [ Back to menu ]

It often happens that when entering the paddock many horses suffer from respiratory problems, due to the presence of pollen or particular plants, atmospheric dust, heat and humidity that can irritate the respiratory tract. It is important to help the horse in summer with products based on botanical extracts such as Horse ImmunoFluid, which are particularly useful during the change of season.

6. Cooling after the horse’s work in summer [ Back to menu ]

We must prevent the horse from overheating, so it is necessary to work in the early morning or late afternoon. Cool the horse through frequent showers and consider the introduction of sprayers in the stable. If the horses are in paddocks, provide them with shade, through the presence of plants or sheds.

7. Skin protection from sunlight in the horse in summer [ Back to menu ]

Prevention is important to protect horses from sun damage. Owners are advised to keep at-risk animals, those with white marks and pink skin on the face or the rest of the body, out of the sun, especially during the hottest hours of the day. Add fly masks and sun creams to help protect particularly sensitive areas from harmful UV rays. Beware of creams for human use: do not use those containing para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).

Sun exposure is also responsible for the phenomenon of photosensitisation, which occurs when toxins in the horse’s skin interact with the sun’s rays, causing severe skin irritation. It can be caused by something toxic, such as a plant, or be secondary to liver dysfunction. It is in fact in the liver that a metabolite of chlorophyll is excreted, which if not excreted reacts with ultraviolet rays.

It is recommended to check the pasture that it is free of plants such as red clover or buckwheat and to assess liver function. To support the latter it may be useful to consider the use of Epatoliv, a liquid complementary feed that can support normal liver physiology.

8. Insect bites in the horse in summer [ Back to menu ]

Hypersensitivity to insect bites is an allergic reaction to insect saliva, he explains. Culicoides spp are mainly responsible for skin lesions. It is important to protect the horse in summer using environmental precautions in the fight against insects and with topical products such as repellents and complementary feed to be given to the horse throughout the season when flies and mosquitoes are present. This topic was the focus of one of our previous in-depth articles. Here is the link to read it again: https://www.equiplanet.it/?p=4240&lang=en

9. Caring for the horse’s hoof in summer [ Back to menu ]

In summer, the horse’s hoof must be cared for because the heat generated by the bedding increases. The bedding must be chosen lightly and must be changed often. It is also recommended, in order to maintain the well-being of the feet, to carry out daily hoof cleaning in association with exercise during cooler hours. Cleaning the hoof allows us to check its integrity as dry, hard soils, typically in summer, can damage the hoof and the structures in it. For more information https://www.equiplanet.it/the-wellbeing-of-the-horses-joints/?lang=en

10. The first aid kit for the horse in summer [ Back to menu ]

Managing the horse in the summer certainly includes a first aid kit to keep in the stable, in the van, but also to take with us if we go for rides where it is easier to injure oneself with shrubs or plants. It is best to always have disinfectants, gauze and dermatological creams with a healing function or that can act as a screen against insects by mechanically protecting wounds, such as derma new.

Correct horse management in summer is important in order not to jeopardise the well-being of our horses. If you would like personalised advice for your stable or your horse, please send an e-mail to info@equiplanet.

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Bibliography

• A Survey-Based Investigation of Human Factors Associated With Transport Related Injuries in Horses. Barbara Padalino, 2018

• Inhalable and Respirable Particulate and Endotoxin Exposures in Kentucky Equine Farms. Jooyeon Hwang, 2020

• Investigations of the maintenance system of the Konik Polski horse and its effects on fecal microbiota activity during the winter and summer seasons. Jerzy Juśkiewicz, 2021

• Horses With Pasture Asthma Have Airway Remodeling That Is Characteristic of Human Asthma. Claudenir R Ferrari, 2018