Webinar: Competing in the Summer Heat

Many horse owners consider summer to be the perfect season to enjoy their horses, no matter if their go-to activity is pleasure riding or competition. Without question, heat and humidity—the indisputable hallmarks of summer—can put a damper on the fun. Thoughtful management of your horses, however, can keep them safe and comfortable even as the mercury climbs.

In this hourlong webinar, Katie Young, Ph.D., a nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research, plunges into an overview of heat production in horses and differentiates between heat stress and heat stroke. She provides practical tips on how to recognize early signs of heat stress and how to cool at-risk horses. Further, she highlights nutritional strategies that will keep horses healthy and competitive during the summer season—from basics, such as providing clean, palatable water, to more specific points, such as fine-tuning electrolyte supplementation.

Finally, Young touches on anhidrosis, a condition in which horses do not sweat sufficiently to dissipate heat produced during exercise. For some horses, anhidrosis can completely derail their performance career.