Making the Most of Summer with Horses

This winter while I clenched my horses freezing metal bit between my thighs to warm it up for her I made a promise. I lifted my eyes skyward and telepathically swore to equestrian higher power Beezie Madden that I would neither whine nor wail about the heat and humidity this year if she would only hasten the arrival of warm weather and make the riding gods bring back the sun. Theres no better season than summer with horses.
The cool weather is a welcome break here in Texas but four weeks into the season the bloom is off the rose. Its dark at 4 p m. everything is dry everything is dusty and I yearn for green grass turnout and the end of dragonlongeing season.

So this year Im not complaining both because I promised I wouldnt look the gift horse of summer in the mouth again and because there are quite a few points in summers favor. That said I did take a quick peek inside the horses mouth and I have a few um notes.
The Heat is On
First you must allow me to tell you how ardently I adore the warm weather. I dont care how much I sweat. The heat is so deliciously soft on my exhausted winter skin. Short hair coats on the horses! Short sleeves! Short work of all the cleaning Ive been postponing. I can spray everything down because guess what? Itll dry!
Except ahem that its not warm. Its hot. So youll need to implement extra tactics to fully enjoy your summer with horses despite the heat.
Tis the season to down an electrolyte packet dissolved in a full water bottle before I even don my breeches. Forgetting to hydrate is an inconvenience in the fall winter and spring. In summer its a oneway ticket to my

heatstrokeriddled shell of a body being shaken awake by an alarmed spouse who has found me asleep on the floor where I sat down for a quick second to take off my boot socks.
And its sweaty. Its sweatier than an adult amateur who just realized she memorized the wrong course at her first rated show. Has anyone ever been this sweaty? Short sleeves no sleeves fully nude it doesnt matter Im going to leave the barn icky at a minimum and more likely soaking wet. Horse ownership during summer brings interesting yet rewarding consequences.
Horse Baths
Next it would be impossible for