Summer Horse Keeping Tips

Filtabac is also an excellent treatment for mud fever/greasy heel if used daily.

Protect them from bothersome flies: Again, shade areas help as flies prefer bright light. Bot flies won’t follow horses into sheds or very dark shaded areas.

Find a good fly repellant and wipe it on as often as necessary. (see Product Review Page for a good one)

Remove bot eggs frequently in an area that the horses don’t eat from to reduce worm burdens and the spread of bots.

No rugs: Allow your horse to regulate their own body temperature and repel insects by rolling in dust.

Exercise in the cool hours: Horses are like us, they get lethargic when its hot so get up early or ride late to make the most of the cooler hours, expecially for strenuous exercise.

Allow access to salt and minerals: If you have them freely available, your horse will take what it needs to replace those lost in sweat. Lumps of natural rock salt are ideal and a mix of dolomite, seaweed meal and garlic will keep your horse healthy.

Soak hooves before trimming: Either make a footbath or use soaking boots to make the trimming easier and give your horse hoof mositure in very dry times.

Take care when transporting: When its hot, the inside of horse floats and trucks can be stifling. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation and when you stop, open all doors and windows to make up for lost airflow.

If your horse has a long distance to travel, ensure they will drink water by adding molasses at home to train them to drink any water. Molasses is also a natural electrolyte but you may need to give a supplement as well. Don’t put rugs on travelling horses unless they need protection from rain.