Aiken stables beat the heat with tips for horse owners

AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) — When we talk about heat safety, most people think about kids, pets, and older adults.

But in Aiken — horse country — you’ve got to add our four-legged athletes to that list.
At the Aiken Training Track, it’s all about beating the heat early. Horses head out around 5 or 6 a.m. and finish by late morning. “Try to get everything done by nine o’clock so that they’re avoiding, you know, working up a big sweat on the horses and stressing them,” Track Superintendent Bill Allyn said.

To stay cool, trainers use fans, misting systems, and shaded areas. Their biggest concern is dehydration. “They’ll drink up to 10 gallons a day and you have to make sure it’s fresh. At this time of year you can get a little algae in the water if you leave it. You’ve gotta clean the water troughs regularly,” he added.

Signs of overheating are heavy breathing and sweating at rest. Here at the Training Track, if a horse hits a body temperature of 103 degrees, it gets hosed down with cold water and rubbing alcohol. Temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s are risky. “There’s a racing rule at Saratoga that if the heat index goes over 105, they cancel racing. And that can happen right in the middle of a day.” Allyn shared.

Horses don’t sunburn like humans — but they can get dry skin and bleached coats. “There’s an adjustment because most of the horses and people come from out of this area, they usually come from the northern, the northeast or the Mid-Atlantic,” Vice President of the Aiken Training Track Suzy Haslip said.

Haslip recommends clean water, electrolytes, fly control, and riding before 10:30 a.m. “A lot of people that have moved here have brought older horses, and I have found with the older horses that I brought here, I would clip them in the summer just to keep them a little cooler,” she added.

And the most important tip? Don’t wait until a horse looks sick to act. If you see signs, call a vet.