Re: RC: Summer Breeze

[Maureen Mathisen <blueoak@snowcrest.net>]

April,

It has been VERY hot here last week(l03 to l07 most of last week).  I
had a baby(horse) that suddenly got diarrhea at 3 weeks(don't have a
clues why--neither does vet or bloodwork) but IVS  and had to have 
medicine  and many shots (in a shunt, thank God(and one week later shunt
if out and filly is great we are down to 3 pills daily(HEY__I can handle
THAT!).  Anyway, to make a long story short, I used at the end of her
run(she insisted on lying in the SUNNY end, of course, and sweating) the
flexilble green-type screening stuff that rolls out and makes a nice
shade while still letting in light and any winds there might be.  Garden
Shops, Homebase, and places like that carry it and it sells for about
$200. a foot and is(I think) 6 feet across.  I was lucky enough to get a
"scrap"(which was actually 20 feet long, so they charged me  half price.
It is light and flexible-you can use wire to tie it anywhere or they
sell  fasteners.  It is really nice, and perhaps you  could rig it from
the trailer to some  tall posts or something?  Just an idea.  

Then someone else metioned a "mister machine" some barns use in their
stalls for the heat.  HOWEVER, we have a very dry heat, and perhaps your
humidity wouldn't be good with this?  Anyway--just a few thoughts.  Good
luck.OH--I for years, always wet my horse down completely before I left
camp on hot rides, and tucked a wet washcloth(now they have professional
things) under the poll of the bridle.  Also wet a cloth inside my
helmet  if it was really bad!  Then you can re-wet these at creeks or
from your water bottle.

Good luck,
Maureen

April Lee wrote:
> 
> Hi, gang,
> 
>   I'm getting ready for Summer Breeze and I'm getting a little nervous about
> the weather.  Here in Southern TN, we're having 90s with high humidity.
> Fine for us this time of year, but also hard to get decent conditioning
> rides in without riding in the middle of the night.  So I started thinking
> about the actual ride.  I think we're conditioned enough (well, HE is!  ;>),
> but the heat?  I'm thinking of opting out of it and waiting for cooler
> weather maybe.
> 
> Do I just sponge as often as possible and electrolyte like crazy?  He's
> drinking well on our conditioning rides (pleasing to me), and I put powdered
> electrolytes in his feed after EVERY conditioning ride.  We ride after 6 or
> 7 pm (lowest humidity of the day and temps starting to lower) and our trails
> are often shaded.
> 
> I'm also worried about after the ride.  The ride entry says that there is
> limited shade in camp, which means that I will probably be in the middle of
> a field with no shade for Apache.  I don't like that idea, either.  Any
> ideas for this new kid?  Am I just worrying about nothing?
> 
> Thanks,
> April & Apache
> AERC #20813
> Chattanooga, TN
> 
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=