b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY TOO HOT TO HANDLEthe magazine A rizona summer can Mike Barna bring extreme heat. This can cause owners Publisher to worry as they struggle to help their horses ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com adjust, stay healthy, and remain comfortable. But with a well-thought-out management plan, horses can stay Erika Smith Royal cool and comfy in the midst of summer.Editor Its not just the rising temperature that puts your horse at risk; its other factors such as high humidity, erika963realcountry@gmail.com lack of airflow, and direct sun rays that combine to make the outdoor environmentlet alone exercisinguncomfortable if not downright dangerous. Thats Misty Voitovski because horses, like humans, cool their bodies Creative Director primarily through the evaporation of sweat. However, if the air is already high in moisturelike it is when the humidity level is high during the monsoonthen Contributing Writers this process doesnt work very well. And if theres no air moving or no shade available, then a horse canSigns that your horse is suffering from heat stress are Lee AndersonBob Boze Bell overheat even more quickly. lack of a desire to play or eat, or come when called. Justin LeglerBetsy Lemaire Unnatural behaviors like this are great indicators, as Two more things to factor into the equation: isis lethargy in general. Heart rates may go up and the Naomi LoomisDodge Marshall your horse is acclimated to the weather and is hehorse may appear to pant. If the temperature (taken conditioned for the exercise? Likewise, a horserectally) is higher than 105 degrees, you may want to Randy MillerJim & Bobbi Jeen Olson thats already fit is going to tolerate exercise on anconsult a veterinarian. Bill RobertsAlan Rockman exceptionally warm and muggy day better than a horse thats just been standing around and hasntWhen electrolytes are lost through sweat, important Bob RoloffJohn Samsill become efficient at cooling. vitamins and minerals are lost as well. This can lead to bad blood circulation and even blood thickening, Michele Wilson That said, there is a Rule of 150 that many peoplewhich is never a good thing.Temperature and rely on as a gauge for when they should take ithumidity combine to create painful tissue injuries easy and when its safe to exert themselves outside.and other areas are affected as well. This can lead to 801 W. Wickenburg Way Basically, the rule is if you add the temperature toataxia, which has to do with the horses lack of ability the humidity and its above 150, you should thinkto control the movements of their muscles. Wickenburg, AZ 85390 twice about exercising during that time (examples would be 90 degrees F and 60% humidity, or 100 FThe gastrointestinal tract, especially the cecum and (602) 254-6644 and 50% humidity). And if theres no breeze and nolarge intestine, is an important reservoir of fluids that shade, the body can get overwhelmed pretty quickly. are rich in nutrients and electrolytes from the horses ArizonaRealCountry.com feed. The blood will also draw a lot of fluid from In essence, use common sense, make sure your horsethe spaces between his cells. If the horse continues always has fresh water available (even right aftersweating to the point where these reserves are running a workout), and dont be afraid to bring his bodylow, his body will start to draw fluid from inside of his temperature down quickly with cold water or even icecells. At this point, however, he is becoming seriously (yes, right after a workout).dehydrated. Horses that sweat too long without continued on page 7Follow Arizona RealTemperature (F)Country for news, events, giveaways and more!Relative Humidity (%)Arizona Real Country is owned and published by Barna Broadcasting LLC. No person, organization or party can copy or reproduce the content on our website and/or magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the editors panel and the author of the content, as applicable. The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work.ArizonaRealCountry.com July 2022 5'