Adequate hydration is important for both human and equine athletes in the summer months. When riding in the heat and humidity of an Eastern PA summer, dehydration and heat exhaustion are real possibilities for horses and riders. Keeping yourself and your horse cool and hydrated will ensure that you can enjoy riding all summer long.
Access to clean water is the most important thing you can provide for your horses. Clean water buckets and troughs frequently, especially if you have a horse who likes to “dunk” his hay while eating. Wet hay will quickly ferment in the summer heat and render the water undrinkable. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t drink the water, it’s time to clean your horse’s buckets! Automatic waterers should be checked daily to ensure that they are functioning properly.
Salt is also an important part of keeping horses hydrated and healthy – it replaces minerals lost in sweat and encourages drinking. Whether you provide a salt block or add salt to your horse’s meals, salt is an essential. Electrolyte supplements can also be helpful if your horse is working hard and sweating copiously.
If your horse is not a ‘good’ drinker, soaking his feed or flavoring his water with apple juice or Gatorade can help ensure that he gets an adequate amount of water each day. Some horses also appreciate cool water in the summer. To make some giant horse-friendly ‘ice cubes’, fill empty milk jugs with water and then freeze them, and add the frozen jugs to water troughs.
Don’t believe the old wives’ tale that a hot horse shouldn’t have water – a horse that’s been working hard in the heat and sweating should ALWAYS be allowed to drink if they are thirsty! In the same way that you need a long drink of water after exercise, horses need water after exertion as well. Drinking water while still hot is not a colic risk, and providing water to a horse that has been sweating heavily can actually help prevent colic
Riders need to pay attention to their own hydration, too. Be sure you are well-hydrated before swinging up into the saddle, and keep a water bottle with you during your ride. Timing your rides for the early morning or late evening hours when the sun is not as hot is also a good way to help prevent dehydration and other heat-related illness
Summer is one of the best times of the year to enjoy horses and riding in Eastern PA. Taking a few simple steps to keep yourself and your horse cool and hydrated will allow you to make the most out of this beautiful season.
Eastern PA Horse Property Specialists – Call Us Today! ( 610) 849-1790
Our extensive knowledge of the eastern PA horse properties for sale market allows us to guide our clients intelligently. Whether you are looking to buy, sell or invest, we have one mission – to provide you with exceptional customer service throughout the entire transaction. We assist buyers and sellers within the following eastern Pennsylvania counties:
- Berks County PA equestrian properties
- Bucks County PA equestrian properties
- Carbon County PA equestrian properties
- Chester County PA equestrian properties
- Lehigh County PA equestrian properties
- Northampton PA equestrian properties
- Poconos PA equestrian properties
- Schulykill PA equestrian properties
For sellers, we also offer property evaluations and have acquired the knowledge over the years of how to effectively perform an accurate market analysis of PA horse farms for sale, general farms and PA back yard horse properties. Please give us a call today or fill out our online contact form and let us know how we can best assist you with your eastern PA horse property real estate needs!
Cindy Stys, Broker/owner
The Premier Equine Realty Firm Serving Eastern PA
Tel.: 610-849-1790
720 Smith Hill Rd
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
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