Re: [RC] Horse Management in Excessive Heat - Sky Ranch
Shade, and fresh drinking water. Free choice
pasture and/or grass hay. Free choice white salt block, avoid the
'pink' mineral blocks because some horses will avoid it because it tastes bad to
them. Let them loaf. Don't "make" them work when it's this hot,
unless they're acclimated. If you're not acclimated, it's ok, you'll just
faint and fall off <g> and then the horse will rest.
Horses can handle the heat, heavy bodied QH and
other breeds have done it for years in Texas and other southern states,
where heat and humidity are a killer combination.
I didn't move to Colorado until I was 44 years old
and I grew up in horrible, horrible heat and humidity in the flatlands between
Houston and Galveston. My grandfather bred QH for 40 years in that
environment, with no problems. It was HOT and HUMID and guess what, that's
why I'm here now! Where it's hot but at least it's not
humid!! <grins> so of course we don't feel it.
<sure>
Like much of the other parts of the U.S., northeast Texas is in the
grip of a major heatwave. Consecutive days above 100 degrees.
Today it was 96 by 10 am; it's now just 2 pm and already 104. Night
temperatures aren't going much below the low-mid 80s so the horses aren't
getting a "cooling break" even during the night.
Am interested in some discussion about horse management during heat
waves (beyond the obvious--access to cool fresh water, free choice salt,
shade). Change in feed protocol? Mandatory e-lyte
supplementation to make up loss during excessive sweating? Change in
amount of forage, which produces heat?
Thanks!
Beth
Denton, TX
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