As we all know, the weather in Britain can be very volatile and changes at a whim. This can make it difficult to gauge when to let your horses stay outside without a horse rug on. Typically the weather start
s to really heat up in the beginning of June and lasts until the end of September. In recent years, however, there have been exceptions to this. The summer of 2011 was notorious for its constant downpours and cold weather. This came as a shock to many people, as the previous year had seen a nationwide heat wave during the summer.
The changing nature of the British climate means you need to pay special attention to your horse during the summer months. A warm morning can quickly turn into a wet and windy afternoon. The last thing you want to do is to leave your horse vulnerable to the elements. You may need to set aside a bit more time to care for your horse, ensuring that they have plenty of water available to drink when the temperatures start rising. You may also want to consider clipping your horse if the weather gets unusually hot, in order to prevent the horse from overheating and sweating excessively. Put yourself in the horse’s situation – If you were stuck in a hot stable all day, would you want to be wearing a heavy knit jumper?
There are many good weather services available in Britain. The Met Office provides a reliable service for specific postcodes with hourly weather predictions and warnings. If you are on the go, their app for smartphones will provide you with accurate information based on your current location. This is especially helpful for when you are planning to put your horse to rest at night. August is usually the hottest month in Britain, so you will be able to put your horse back in the stable without having to provide them with horse rugs
For days when the weather is stable and not overly hot, you can put a summer sheet on your horse. This will help protect the horse from dusts and flies when alone in the stable. You can also use a fly sheet for when the horse is out on the grass, to prevent flies and mosquitoes from biting the horse. Both of these are made of thin, light weight material. The summer sheet covers a minimal part of the horse’s body, whilst the fly sheet can cover the entire body and sometimes the neck.
As we sit here waiting for the summer months to come, you probably can’t wait to be able to leave your horse at night without a horse rug. Not only will you save time, but it will also let the horse feel free of any constraints. A horse that is well tended to is a happy horse, and that should always be the goal for any horse enthusiast or owner.
For information on which horse rug to use in different climates, we would advise you to refer with a local expert or source information online.
