How to help your horse have a happy summer naturally

Hopefully summer brings drier weather and lighter and longer days, which as a horse owner is a huge bonus, after what can sometimes feel long winters.

But as much as summer brings many benefits, it can provide some challenges, to help your horse or pony really enjoy it. So what can you do? Here are 5 top tips to help your horse or pony love their summer!

1 Fly Protection

Your horse, pony or donkey can wear a fly mask or fly fringe to help protect against flies irritating his/her face.  Also fly rugs can be bought to help reduce the bother of flies.

There are a number of herbal remedies that can be used to help repel flies. Garlic is one of these, and can be added to your horses feed on a daily basis (usually in powder, granules or as a liquid). There are others too, including some like tea tree oil which can be used topically onto the skin. Read more on herbal remedies for your animal here.

Do look out for skin irritations caused by flies and other flying insects. Sweet itch is a distressing condition that affects some horses, ponies and donkeys, read more about how a holistic approach can help here at this advice page.

2 Transport

If you travel your horse to shows, then plan your horse’s journey carefully.  If it’s possible, don’t transport your horse in the middle of the day (12-3pm) when it’s likely to be hotter.  Make sure any horse box or trailer is well ventilated and as comfortable as possible (taking care to avoid draughts). If you usually travel your horse wearing a rug, consider if a rug is needed at all, or if a different sheet designed for summer is better. Are any travel boots likely to minimise overheating? There are many different types on the market, so look to see what will help your horse or pony the best.

Don’t leave your horse in a parked vehicle when the weather is warm, the vehicle will get even hotter than the outside temperature, and could prove fatal.
Obviously if you’re travelling any distance you never know what traffic hold-ups may occur. So check the travel news, and have a plan. Do you know what you will do if you end up having to have your horse in the horse box longer than planned?

If your horse or pony finds warm weather causes greater anxiety when travelling, then veterinary homeopathy such as Cocculus can help with travel sickness. Read more about Veterinary Homeopathy and how it can help your horse or pony here.

3 Rugs and shelter

Some fly rugs for horses are marketed as saying they can help reflect heat and help your horse stay cooler. But getting the right rug can be a bit of a trial and error, so do have a good look at the options. Would one with a neck cover be useful? Is the material and design going to help your horse feel not too hot and also keep the flies away?

Ensuring your horse or pony has shelter to keep away from flies and the sun is important. Ideally this will be from good hedgerows and trees, which make fabulous field boundaries. If not possible, then a field shelter is invaluable. I’ve often found my own horses and donkeys in the field shelter at certain times of warmer days, not because it’s raining but to help stay away from the flies. Living the life they choose when they want to do things is giving them freedom, a central point of a healthy lifestyle.

If your horse or pony's mood changes in the summer, as they find the warmer weather a bit stressful. Or even any change of routine causes them to feel a bit over-excited or a bit down, then Bach Flower Remedies are a great natural solution. There are 38 different remedies to choose from! Read more about Bach Flower Remedies here at the Taranet directory.

4 Water and hydration

It goes without saying that a constant fresh source of water is essential for any animal.  Keep in mind that in the summer, your horse’s water is more likely to attract flies and insects, so it may need replacing more often, so your horse or pony still finds it palatable to drink.

Also the warm weather can mean water buckets need cleaning out more often, to help keep them and the water fresh.

5 Exercising

Summer provides great opportunities for longer rides. With lighter evenings and drier weather (hopefully!) it means it can be easier to fit in different rides and even explore new places.

First of all though, do keep wearing fluorescent and reflective clothing whilst riding out. It really helps other road users to see you, especially if it is really sunny, and drivers can find the sun dazzling. Safety awareness is important any time of year.

If you are going somewhere new, do check out the ground. If it's down bridleways and tracks, they may have been wet and muddy and although dried out, are now a bit uneven and could even be still a bit boggy if near a water source.

Don't forget different therapies like equine massage or physiotherapy can be used anytime of year for any type of horse, even for leisure horses - not just competition horses. And if you're going out on longer rides or riding more often, build your horse's fitness up gradually and support them to feel great with a therapeutic massage. You can even go on a course to learn massage techniques yourself that you can use on your own horse or pony. Read more on equine massage here.

In conclusion

These are just 5 tips to help your horse have a happy summer. There are of course many more! Read more on summer animal care tips at this advice page, and also browse this Taranet website to learn more about a large range complementary therapies and holistic approaches to help your horse (or other animal) be happy and healthy naturally.


Do you know someone who'd find this information on summer horse care tips helpful? Please share, the more we can spread awareness of the benefits of natural therapies the better! :)

Find out more about other natural animal therapies here at Taranet. Or read other articles in this Natural Pet Health Blog. Take a look at the sitemap here to explore!

About the Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse


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