How do i keep myself from over heating during arizona weather?

hi

well tomorrow it going to be 110 degrees. and i have to ride my horse right after school witch is the hottest part of the day. How do i keep myself and my horse cool during that weather? i definitely know after i ride him im going to rinse him off (im not that mean not too!). i ride my horse about an hour to an hour in a half. any suggestions?How do i keep myself from over heating during arizona weather?
Well I know exactly what you have to go through because where I live it gets super hot too. I know it can take some fun away from riding and it can distract you...not fun!



What I do is



1. Try to wear shorts. If you can't, then wear reeeeaaallly cool pants. Also wear a cool shirt. Tank tops are the best.



2. Get a travel mug and fill it with a lot of ice water. Mostly ice because it melts so fast.



3. Take breaks and let your horse drink as well.



4. Keep your hair up. If you leave your

hair down it heats up your neck.



5. Don't wear black or brown. Dark colors hold heat.



6. Hose down your horse after wards but remember to dry him off. Maybe even see if you can hose down his legs before hand as well.



7. If you are desperate, fill a spray bottle with water. I know it sounds crazy, but taking time to hose yourself down feels really good in that heat!



8. Try to take it easy. Like someone already said, do smaller jumps if possible and try to keep a slow pace.



9. Try to ride indoors if you can. If not, try to see if you can change your riding time to in the evening.



Anyway, that's what I do. I hope I helped you.
Wear cool clothing. Stop regularly so you and your horse can have a drink. When you rinse him off, make sure you don't leave him wet because going from really hot to cold can make him sick.



EDIT: Don't do as high jumps or do less jumps and then have a break then go again....



All the best, I hope I have helped :)How do i keep myself from over heating during arizona weather?
Honestly I would try and avoid riding in the late afternoon - which is the hottest time. Heat stroke and exhaustion can happen to you both very quickly even if you are hydrated. No animal would ever be found anywhere but having a snooze under a tree at that time. Can you arrange your schedule to ride before school or in the early evening so it is pleasanter...and safer for you both?



If you HAVE to ride, rinse him first (not too much, you want to cool, him down, not stop him being able to sweat). Keep at a walk, maybe take a trail ride in a shady area. Monitor his breathing, make sure you take water breaks (for both of you) and listen to him if he feel sluggish. Make sure he is well cooled off (I like to walk them without a saddle when we get done) and only then cool him off with water.
If at all possible, try to change your riding times to early morning or late evening.

Wear light-colored, breathable clothes to ride in.

If possible, ride inside out of direct sunlight - riding in the shade makes things cooler.

Drink plenty of water before, during and after riding.

Despite it being hot, make sure you wear your helmet.



Make sure your horse is fit enough to work in the heat. Let him get acclimated to the hot days slowly by doing light work until he gets used to the heat. If it's just one hot day, just do a light workout. But if you live where it stays very hot all summer, make sure you keep your horse in regular work, but slowly let him get used to doing it in the heat.



The lenth of your ride may be a bit much for the hot weather. But, it depends on how much is actually hard work. I know when I ride, it's usually about 10-15 minutes for warmup at the walk, then trotting for about 15 minutes, then lots of transitions, then cantering for about 15 minutes, mixed with lots of walk/trot/canter transitions. Then some bending exercises. Then 10 minutes of cool down at the walk. So while I'm out there about an hour, my actual "work" is maybe about 20-30 minutes.



As for hosing him off, make sure that you cool him off totally first. While some say this is a myth, I wouldn't shower a hot, sweaty horse with cold water in hopes that it will cool him off. Walk him around first, let his breathing return to normal and stop sweating. Then hose him off if you want.How do i keep myself from over heating during arizona weather?
This won't help for tomorrow, but I do highly recommend these products. I have a vest for me, a cap liner, my horse has a vest and a poll cap. We both like them very much; they help keep us cool. For me, it makes me feel about 15 or 20 degrees cooler, and with a breeze, even more.



https://www.coolmedics.com/categories.ph鈥?/a>
Don't go outside. Don't ride.



Seriously... It sucked, but I never rode my horses during the summer when I lived near Phoenix, unless I trailered them off where it was cooler.



Unless you have access to an indoor, air conditioned + misters arena... It's just not worth it, imo. I experienced Heat Stroke, after a bicycle ride once... It was not fun at all, and I never want to experience it again if I have any say in it.
For yourself, bring a change of clothes so you can cool down quickly after the ride. Bring lots of cold water. For you horse, I would narrow down your ride time if possible. I am a jumper too, and there is no way in hell I would ride my horse for an hour and a half in the blazing sun. I can get plenty of work done in half an hour. Also, I am assuming you only ride outside? if not, try to ride inside. I've been to Arizona horse shows so I know what the sun is like, even in the winter. The best you can do is try not to overheat him. If he is covered with sweat then you are probably over working him. Cool him down really well after, walk him, take off the tack, etc.... You want to walk him really well after you ride. I only cold hose my horse after she has cooled down and started to breathe normally.
Hang a bucket on the fence and fill it with cool water before you mount. Let your horse drink his fill, and take a walking break every 15 minutes, more often if you're doing harder stuff like jumping anything higher than 18" or if there's no breeze or if it's humid. If there's a shady spot to hang the bucket, put it there, and hang a dish towel next to it so you can dunk it and cool yourself off, too. If you have access to an indoor, use it to stay out of the sun.