Summer
Horses in hot weather: riding and cooling down
Adapt exercise to the horse and conditions. Provide accessible water, shade and ventilation. If you suspect overheating, stop exercise, call your vet and start cooling.
Before you ride
- Assess behaviour and recovery alongside the weather.
- Choose a cooler period and adjust duration and intensity.
- Check water, shade and who checks again later.
- Carry water for transport and check ventilation.
Cooling and getting help
UC Davis recommends continuous cool water over the body to cool an overheated horse. Repeated scraping is unnecessary. Call promptly for suspected exhaustion, dehydration or overheating and follow instructions while cooling.
What to record
- Time, activity and how recovery progresses.
- Behaviour, breathing, water and shelter access.
- Safely obtained measurements, with units and time.
- Telephone instructions and who takes over care.
In Halster
Keep a record after cooling
Once your horse’s care is arranged, note when you cooled them and how breathing and behaviour changed in Halster.
Test Halster for iPhone
Install the test version through TestFlight.
Read next
Sources
- UC Davis: Keeping Horses Healthy In Hot Weather (2026-10-11)