Staying cool in the summer is exceptionally important for the equine athlete.  Today we continue our series on keeping your horses cool with great information from #TeamDiO Ellie VanLeeuwen.

Summer is my favorite season, but sometimes it gets too hot for my horse. Here are some ways I beat the heat, but still enjoy the season of summer with my horse. I always check the weather for the week, so I can try and plan my rides out. My hard workouts are adjusted and will be on the coolest day and towards the end of the day. Riding while the sun goes down makes my horse feel better and work better. Hotter days I will stick to trail riding and being in the woods because it is so much cooler and very relaxing. If it is too hot, I will not ride at all. 

If I don't want to sweat like crazy, why make my horse irritated and sweaty? After riding, I always make sure my horse is cooled down. I will wash her down and use the sweat scraper after to get the remaining water off. I provide a fan for the horses in the barn so they can have a breeze when there isn't one. They always have shade and plenty water. I also leave out salt and mineral blocks because those encourage drinking.On competition days I make sure to find a shady spot or I bring a canopy if it's not too windy for the horses to stand under. I provide a water bucket at all times with some electrolytes. Afterward, I sponge the horses down and make sure they are cold enough to get on the trailer. While driving all trailer windows are open, but all the bars are up, so no accidents are waiting to happen. Having airflow in the horse trailer will make it way more comfortable for the horses.