Taking Care of Your Horse During Drought and Heat

After 30 days of over one hundred degree temperatures and essentially no rain in over two months, the horses in central Texas are showing signs of stress. Since most of us have had to care for our horses during extreme heat and/or drought at some time or other, I have put together some action items that we can take to help our horses cope. 

For All Horses

1. Keep fresh water available at all times.
2. Offer both a salt block and loose salt free choice.
3. Feed probiotics such as Fastrack or Simplexity Essentials to help keep gut bacteria functioning. Indigestion from heat stress is a common cause of colic, and some of these colics can be very serious if the population of healthy bacteria has decreased enough to allow an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.
4. Check hooves for cracks and apply hoof dressings or poultices to add a bit of moisture to the feet, especially if you bathe your horse regularly. Since hooves are healthiest when conditions are consistently either wet or dry, water from bathing or occasional wetting can cause hooves to crack.
5. Reduce the amount of grain you feed or offer small meals more frequently. If possible, feed during the cooler times of the day since a horse who is overheated or dehydrated is more susceptible to colic.  

For Stalled Horses

1. Hang a fan on the stall to keep the air circulation. For safety, ensure that your horse can’t reach the power cord.
2. Keep water buckets topped up with fresh water and cut back on hay and grain if your horse decreases his water consumption.
3. Remove fine bedding that could contribute to dust.
4. If possible, take your horse out of his stall and wet him down during the heat of the afternoon. Be sure to scrape the excess water off so that it will evaporate quickly. If you can’t hose off your horse, consider sponging him off with a diluted liniment solution to cool him down.

For Pasture Horses

1. Offer additional green foods such as blue green algae or a small amount of alfalfa to substitute for the lack of pasture.
2. Offer free choice minerals such as ABC Stress System or Equilix from Equipride to replace the minerals your horse normally gets from grass.
3. Provide a run-in shed for horses if your pasture does not have any trees. Make sure the shelter is situated to maximize the breeze. Ideally it should be open on at least two sides: to the south and the east.
4. Offer a vitamin mix that contains vitamin A. Blue green algae is a good source of beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. ABC Stress System also contains Amix, which gives the horse a source of Vitamin A. My horses crave vitamin A or beta carotene when they lack grass but don’t when the grass is plentiful.
   

For Performance Horses

1. Add electrolytes to your horse’s feed on days when your horse is working hard. Imbalances or lack of electrolytes can cause your horse to tie up and have stiff muscles. Severe electrolyte deficiencies can affect heart function and a sustained deficiency can lead to lack of sweating (anhydrosis). It is best to only give electrolytes when your horse has lost them from excessive sweating. Use well formulated products such as Vita Flex Acculytes, ABC Ride Rite, or Stress Pak, since products that contain too much salt can aggravate stomach ulcers.
2. If possible only work your horse during the early morning or late evening. If you must work during the heat of the day, take short breaks and allow your horse to drink. Stop work immediately if your horse stops sweating or if his respiration becomes fast and stays fast.
3. If you must haul your horse in the heat, wet him down before loading him or sponge him with a diluted liniment. Make sure all vents and windows are open to allow maximum air circulation in the trailer. Remove all dusty bedding that could be blown around and be inhaled. Keep your trailer in motion, even if this means taking a longer route to avoid traffic.

About the Author

Madalyn Ward, DVM, owns Bear Creek Veterinary Clinic in Austin, Texas. She is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy and Equine Osteopathy. Memberships include American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Texas Veterinay Medical Association and the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy. She has authored several books and publishes the monthly newsletter, “Holistic Horsekeeping.”

Contact
Madalyn Ward DVM
11608 FM 1826
Austin, TX 78737
303-575-1170
www.holistichorsekeeping.com
www.horseharmony.com
www.horseharmonytest.com
www.yourhorsebook.com

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