06/23/2025
☀️ 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭: 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞
A significant heat wave is on the way, and it’s more than just uncomfortable, it poses a real threat to horse (and human) health. When both temperature and humidity climb, a horse’s ability to cool itself becomes compromised. The signs of heat stress can be easy to miss until they become dangerous, which is why it’s critical to go into these hot days with a science-based plan. Knowing how to reduce risk through smart management, recognizing the early signs of trouble, and understanding how to respond quickly and effectively can make all the difference. Prevention is always easier than treatment, so let’s stay ahead of the heat.
The first thing to consider is when it is acceptable to work your horse. There are two heat indexes commonly used: one was developed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and takes the sum of the temperature (°F) and relative humidity (%). The other was developed by the National Weather Service (NWS) and uses a more comprehensive formula. Considering the NWS guidelines are more conservative, I tend to follow their recommendations out of an abundance of caution.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐖𝐒 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬:
🟢 125: Use extreme caution and avoid any exercise or activity while implementing preventive and vigorous cooling measures.
While these recommendations can guide your decisions, remember that many individual factors may influence heat tolerance, including fitness level, age, hydration, ride intensity, and acclimation.
𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬:
💧 Provide unrestricted access to clean, plain water ideally between 59–77°F (15–25°C)
🌳 Ensure shade is available
🧂 Add salt or electrolytes to the feed per manufacturer’s recommendations
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞:
🌅 Restrict activity to early morning or late evening hours
⬇️ Reduce ride intensity
🚿 Cool horses by continuously applying cold or cool water, do not scrape it off
⚠️ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 — 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬.
• Panting or flared nostrils
• Rapid or labored breathing at rest
• Elevated heart rate that doesn’t recover after exercise
• Lethargy, dullness, or unwillingness to move
• Dry, tacky, or dark gums
• Muscle tremors or incoordination
• Increased re**al temperature
If you see any of these signs, act immediately, move the horse to shade, apply cool water continuously, and call your veterinarian if the symptoms persist.
Let’s be proactive, not reactive, and make sure our horses stay safe and supported during this extreme heat.
Stay cool everyone!
Dr. DeBoer
