Summer Riding: How to Ride Safely in the Heat

4 Tips for Horse Riding in Hot Weather

Summer is a great time for riding since it stays light out so late! There are pros and cons to summer riding. Below you will find ways to make it easier on both you and your horse.

1. Avoid Midday Rides

The first thing I would suggest is to avoid the heat of the day. When we give lessons at our farm, we offer them from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., skip the hottest hours of the day, and resume at 6 p.m. and run until 9:00 p.m. Riding early and late is really the best option for us and our horses.

2. Ride in the Shade or on the Trails

Unfortunately, we do not have anywhere shaded to ride. If you have trail access from where you keep your horse, riding on the trails in the shade might be a good option.

Sometimes in the summer, the flies and ticks can be bad in the woods. Make sure you fly-spray your horse and bug-spray yourself!

Also, putting a fly bonnet on your horse will keep the flies out of his ears and away from his eyes. This will make him a lot more comfortable and hopefully make for a more pleasant ride for you!

3. Keep Training Sessions Short and Sweet

If you have a young horse or are in a strict training program, taking time off or taking it easy in the summer might not be an option. If you are schooling a young horse or training for competitions, keeping up with your riding schedule is important.

In addition to suggesting to my students that they avoid midday rides, I also suggest that they keep their sessions short and sweet. Neither we nor our horses have as much patience in the heat of summer, not to mention the annoyance of flies!

Do a proper warm-up, then decide what you want to work on and school that one thing until you are happy with it. Then cool off and call it a day. If you are a pleasure rider, there is no need for you or your horse to overdo it in the heat.