When summer hits hard-flies, heat, electrolytes

If you have been subscribed for awhile, you may have read my post last year about keeping your horse cool in the summer, or the second one, "Flies, a summer nightmare". Well its a new year, a new summer, and with that comes new knowledge! So this is part 2, everything you need to know about horses in the summer! Starting with the biggest annoyance of all....flies! So allow me to share with you a couple different ways to protect your horse from flies in the summer!

There are dozens of ways to protect your horse from flies, fly spray, fly boots, fly masks, but id have to say the one I've found the most effective is a basic fly trap! Let me just say I'm not being paid to say any of this, so your getting the honest opinion! Fly traps can get annoying, especially if you have a mare who likes to hit them with her nose, but if you find the right kind, at the right price, they are totally worth it! We use the Amazon.com : Most Effective Ranch Green Cage with Pots- 2019 New Ranch Tools for Indoor or Outdoor Family Farms, Park, Restaurants : Patio, Lawn & Garden and this, i must say, has to be one of the best fly traps out there! Its affordable, easy to figure out, and catches hundreds of flies in minutes! Although this trap works wonders, its still not quite effective enough to get away without spray or masks. So let me share my cheap, easy, refreshing fly spray recipe: 1 part pine sol, 1 part Veninger, 1 part water. And that's it! Super quick to make and your horse will smell amazing! Now, fly masks can get expensive so it's important to shop at the right places! If you have a horse who loves to get their mask off, and rip it, i personally found the Hamilton Standard Horse Fly Mask at Tractor Supply Co. to work very well for me, however, i am still on the hunt for a cuter one!

Now lets talk about maintaining a healthy temperature when riding. It's always hard for me when trying to figure out what's to warm to ride. As a heat wimp, I found it best to enjoy sunset or sunrise rides in the cooler temperatures. That way you don't have to cut down on the intensity of the exercise as much. In addition to that, I like to ensure that I'm always cold hosing my horses legs and/or body after each ride and walking her our properly for her joints to recover. Tho if I'm on a time crunch, i will occasionally apply Absorbine Veterinary Horse Liniment Gel, 3 oz. at Tractor Supply Co. to any hot joints to allow for muscle relief & proper cool down.

Some horses sweat a lot in the summer, and some not so much. But it's important to make sure that your horse is supplied with plenty of water, minerals and electrolytes throughout the hot season. I allow my horse 24/7 access to a salt block and provide her with an electrolyte & vitamin mix to add to her grain after sweaty rides.

That just about sums up todays read, i hope you found this helpful. Be sure to like & subscribe!