Hello Again!

Hot, hot, hot. That's the weather forecast for the next few weeks. In this kind of weather, heat stress is a dangerous possibility. There are four ways to decrease the risk of equine heat stress:

1. Increase the ventilation in your barn. Open windows and doors. Add a fan if it can be done safely. Let the breezes blow! This is a low tech solution, but one of the best.

2. Get your horse to drink up. You can easily increase your horse's water intake by soaking her hay. This can add up to two gallons per day.

3. Supplement with electrolytes if necessary.

4. Get your horse in shape. The better her condition, the better she'll cope with the heat.

How does your water taste? If you haven't had your water tested recently, you might want to think about it. If you're on a municipal water supply, you can call your water company for a test. If you're on well water, it's up to you to run these tests.

If you're concerned about water safety, there are water testing resources available on our website.

Happy riding!

The Practical Horsekeepers

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