06/12/2022
HEAT INDEX WARNING FOR HORSES
Locally, we're in for an awful heatwave this week--highs in the mid to upper 90s and lows, a hot and sticky 74. Please remember the '150 rule' developed by vets. When you add the temperature and the humidity together and they total 150, proceed with caution. When it totals 160 and above, be very careful and think about light hacks or not riding at all, the point being that at those totals, the horse's body has great difficulty cooling itself off--no matter how well it's sweating. Heat exhaustion can come on suddenly. Symptoms are stumbling, lethargy and in a matter of minutes, the overheating can become lethal. WE can go inside to airconditioning to cool off after a ride. Horses can't--they get hosed down and have nothing more than a fan, stirring around hot air, for the rest of a dangerously hot day. Even horses living out in fields can suffer heat exhaustion. Please be careful. Our horses will be just fine if we miss a few workouts.
https://www.uspolo.org/news-social/news/heat-index-warning-for-horses
The United States Polo Association® was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo.
