HELPFUL HINTS FOR THE CHANGING SEASONS

• During the spring time the footing in the pastures and training arenas can be risky and the chances of a horse injury can be higher. That’s why during the SPRING season it is recommended to put tendon boots with straps on horses when turned out. This is because if you put tendon boots on your horse, your horses forelimb flexor tendons and suspensory ligaments will be more secure . Why straps? ..because the straps wrap around the fetlock and provide support.

• High temperatures during the spring and summer cause the horses blood to heat up and risen their normal temperature, it goes from the skeletal to the skin. The heat produced from exercising exits the horses body through the skin with sweat.  Sweat helps the horses core temperature to lower. Higher temperatures increase the sweat during the horses exercise which decreases the horses hydration, fluids, electrolytes  and the volume of blood.

• It is also very important to pay close attention to the horses heart rate, remember a horses normal heart rate is about 32 to 36 beats per minute, but typically increases to 230 to 240 beats per minute during exercises. Higher beats per minute indicate that a horse is dehydrated and/or overheating.

• Taking your horses anal temperature is a good way of knowing whether the horse is over heating. Temperature above 103 F and bad behavior such as unwillingness to work and interest of its surroundings can indicate you should change your training system, cutting the rides and making them shorter and cooling down your horse. Usually  the normal temperature of a horse is from 99.5 to 101.5 F . 

• A good warm up and cool down are very important for a good workout, you can modify them according to the weather conditions. When its HOT your horse will need close attention after riding him/her to make sure it cools down properly. Remember this is important because body temperatures rise during the first couple of minutes of the exercise, it is very important to cool down the horse in the HOT WEATHER.  Typically a horse can be cooled downed by getting walked 10-20 minutes and being hosed off with semi warm water. Using fans can help the horse recover more quickly as well . One very important thing to take into consideration is the limits of your horse’s health. 

• YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR HORSE AND KNOW HIS/HER LIMITS!