Dealing with the Heat

[Sightunseen]

SO being in a Northern Ca valley the temperatures around her hover somewhere above 105, we have a dry heat, which I think is better then humidity all day, BUT we are having a horrible fire season and the air quality is HORRENDOUS, like you can look at the sun all day because of how much smoke there is in the air. So the heat is even worse, or so it seems. So my horse lives in a 12X12 stall with a 12x100 run with misters. Yesterday when I went to the barn he was drenched in sweat. Literally he was wet from the tips of his ears to his four feet. He was still bright eyed and bushy tailed, but I feel SO bad for him. My current plan is to try to get a fan for him, but I do not know if it will be OK with the BO/BM especially because the cord would have to cross the barn isle. SO my question is what do you do to keep your horses cool on hot days?:confused:

[ThirdCharm]

Why do you need a fan if you have misters? Or am I misunderstanding what the misters do?

Could you run the fan cord OVER the aisle?

Jennifer

[Sightunseen]

Yeah the plan would be to run it over the aisle, its just doing it. We have a pre-fab MD so I am not positive if there is anything to run it across. So the misters mist water...probably like you were assuming, but they are just not cutting it.

[KBG Eventer]

I live in the southeast so we have humidity although it is not nearly that hot right now! My two horses go out at night (gets down into the mid-70s usually) and have fans on full blast in the upper corner of their stalls during the day. They seem comfortable. I would hook up a fan if you can. Sorry for no other advice! A nice sponge down everyday perhaps? :)

[Speedy]

If your horse is getting wet from the mist and then standing around like that in the heat/sun, there is a good chance that it is actually the water (in combination with your horse's body heat, the air temperature and the sun) that is causing your horse to overheat. So, I think I'd turn the mister off, add a fan, and see how he does with that. Unless you are scraping, you may not be doing your horse any favors by adding water on a hot day.

[Sandy M]

I guess it must vary how they react to the heat. I'm in the Bay Area (East Bay), and like the Valley it hit 105-106 yesterday. My horse has a stall with a large paddock (roughly 150 x 30). When I visited him (not going to RIDE in that heat!) he had some sweat marks, but was not seriously sweaty. Not even much evidence of dried sweat (and he is NOT anhydrotic). I'd love to put up a fan, but no electricity in the shed row where he is stalled. I'm giving him appropriate electrolytes and he has plenty of water. He was born in Bakersfield. Maybe he's just used to it? He's also half-Arabian. Another "heat resistant" factor?? I MAY ride tonight - at about 8:30 P.M.!!

[bludini]

The original misting research that was conducted was in California, on dairy cows. (I know the guy who's master's thesis it was) The important thing to remember is that it is the combination of the cool mist AND fans that bring the benefit.

So, if your barn will allow it, mount a fan at the front of his stall. One good selling point for the BO/BM is to put the fan on a timer so that you're being dilligent to mitigate electrical shorts. This was a rule when I boarded in VA. I forget the time limit, but the fire department required every fan to be on a timer.

Good Luck.

[wingedmare]

I am beginning to think that my horses are just really good at dealing with the desert. I never find the boys sweating or uncomfortable. But then it could be our set up. They are on 24hr Turnout in a 6 acre lot and have 3 run-ins 2 of which have the water tubs in them. HOwever, I rarely see them in there. Heck, I'm on my way out to ride now honestly.
But, back in Ohio we ran fans on them all summer it was so stagnate and the fans helped.

Sorry you are stuck in the smoke up there; so far we arn't doing too bad with it down here I hope it stays that way for once.

[Sightunseen]

So talked to the BO and she says no fan. Cuz then everyone would want a fan, which I get and the whole power expense thing. So misters it is. And hopefully he will keep up with the drinking, he is on electrolytes and has a salt block, I just feel really bad for him...

[FolsomBlues]

Ok, so I know she said no fan, but, could you offer to pay an extra $20 a month or something during the summer? And if you get a timer (available at WalMart for about $5) then it will only be running 1/2 the day. At a barn I boarded at in VA every stall had fans mounted around the middle of May and taken down in the middle of September. If you wanted your horses fan to be on it was an extra $20-25 per month, well worth it to me for the peace of mind. Just a thought. Good luck!

[LKF]

If your horse is getting wet from the mist and then standing around like that in the heat/sun, there is a good chance that it is actually the water (in combination with your horse's body heat, the air temperature and the sun) that is causing your horse to overheat. So, I think I'd turn the mister off, add a fan, and see how he does with that. Unless you are scraping, you may not be doing your horse any favors by adding water on a hot day.

Speedy is right about this. You're actually making the horse hotter.

I'm here in Georgia and the humidity is making me work double time to try to keep the horses cool. I'm hosing and scraping off a couple times per day, each stall has 2 fans, lots of cold fresh water to drink, electrolytes in the AM/PM feed, barn aisle has a big industrial fan blowing through, and night turn out if the weather is okay. I'm also up at 4:30 and riding as early as possible to get it over with.

[Bobthehorse]

I live in southern Ontario, where its been in the high 20's (Celsius) but the humidex often pushes it well over 30. Its sticky as all hell.

I have an older horse, and he us growing more hair every year. This year, I have toyed with the idea of bodyclipping him. But he is a chestnut. They show every little mistake, and just dont look as good as bays and grays.

This weekends event is supposed to be 35 without the humidex, and well into the 40's with it. So even though I only have 3 days for him to normal out after a clip job....I am thinking I may have to do it. And he'll just have to look terrible.

He is turned out 24/7 on pasture with a fly sheet (bugs are brutal because of all the moisture) and he rarely comes in sweating. But once he is the stuffy barn, he gets quite sweaty. He isnt a very sweaty guy, either.