If flies are wreaking havoc on your horse’s legs, but he constantly removes or destroys expensive fly boots, it may be time for a bit of creativity. Grab a pair of tall old socks (knee-high crew socks work well) and make your own inexpensive fly boots! Cut the toe off the sock and then slide it over your horse’s leg. The sock should be tight enough to not slide off your horse’s leg, but not so tight that you can’t easily get two fingers in between the leg and the sock. These should only be used during dry weather – wet socks are a recipe for trouble!
On especially hot days, wet your hair under your helmet before riding to keep cool under your helmet. Once you dismount, spray your barn hat with water before placing it on your head. This will help lower your body temperature and refresh you after a sweaty ride!
If your gloves and helmet go into your riding bag or tack trunk covered in sweat, you may as well be sending an invitation to mildew and bacteria to move in! After sweating in either, wipe them with a clean damp cloth and let them air dry before storing. Fabric softener sheets can help to keep odor down, and helmet liner deodorizers or cleaners can help rid your helmet of stinky bacteria.
Lumps and bumps on your horse can be hard to navigate with traditional sweat scrapers, but you still may need to remove water from your horse’s coat after hosing. Grab a piece of baling twine, pull it tight and gently run it over your horse to take off excess water.
If your water troughs sit out in direct sunlight, they may get hot in the summer. Research has found that horses prefer water that is between 45° to 65° F. While you can dump and refill troughs with cooler water if you need to save water you can also get creative in cooling down your horse’s trough. Cut the top off of a gallon jug, fill it with water and then leave it to freeze. Once frozen, dump the giant ice cube in your horse’s water to cool down the water temperature and encourage your horse to drink more. Bonus, some horses like to play with the floating ice cube!
On top of fighting the heat and constantly sweating, summer means extra work to keep the horses in your care safe and happy. StableSecretary is ready to lend a hand with organizing your barn management routine so you can spend more time enjoying the fun parts of summer! With health tracking, appointment reminders, and a single place to record information about every horse in your barn, you may even have time for *gasp* a vacation!?
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