HorseIllustrated.com readers cast their vote in the weekly poll on “What summertime problems has your horse had to deal with?” to find out the most common summertime horse health problems among our readers. Catch the results on this page, along with more resources on the topic.
Did you know that horses can become dehydrated or get sunburn in hot weather—just like you! If you live in an area that heats up in the summer, you should protect your horse from hot-weather hazards. Here are 20 things you can do to keep your favorite horse or pony healthy and happy in warm weather.
- Make sure she gets enough fresh, clean water every day. Your horse must have a constant source of water in her pasture. A horse may drink more than 10 gallons of water a day. If she doesn’t get enough water, she could get dehydrated and become sick.Check the water trough every day and fill it if it’s low. If the pasture has an automatic waterer, check it once a day to make sure it’s working.Clean out troughs if they fill with algae and turn green.
- Keep a tube of SPF 30-plus sunscreen in the barn and put it on both you and your horse! Horses with white markings on their faces may get sunburn, so you may have to apply sunscreen on a daily basis.If a horse’s face gets burned, you’ll notice red patches and peeling skin. These patches can turn into sores that could get infected if you don’t treat them quickly. If a horse suffers from severe sunburn, you may have to put a fly mask on her that offers UV protection or keep her in the barn in during daylight hours. You can buy a long mask that covers her nose too.
Read the rest of the list of 20 Tips for Summer Horse Health
