With hot Arizona summer temperatures already upon us, looking at ways to keep your horses safe from the heat is essential. In this three-part series, we will take a closer look at the essentials and how you can be sure to keep your horse safe this summer.
Water
Obviously, water is an important part of keeping your horse safe in the hot heat of summer. Not only should the water be clean, but it also needs to be kept fresh and cool. Water can easily become quite hot as it sits out in the Arizona sun, so you should check it at least twice per day to make sure it is clean and not overly hot. An automatic water trough can be particularly helpful. In addition, you should add an extra bucket to the field or stable to ensure your horse has plenty of water available.
Shade
Shade is also essential when it comes to keeping your horse safe from the heat. Having some sort of shelter available with proper ventilation will give your horse a respite from the sun. It is also a good place to keep water in order to help keep it on the cooler side. We will discuss more about ventilation in part two of this three-part series.