Summer is here, and with it, the heat! Long days, warm nights and hopefully tons of barn time! Summer brings some of the most fun events of the year, from showing, to clinics, to hacks and more. While this is typically the most eventful, busy time of year, every rider struggles with the same thing: the heat. We asked some riders how they deal with the heat of the summer, and for some tips on how to stay cool, for both horse and rider! Here are some of our favourites.
Dress for the Heat!
The first tip on our list may seem obvious, but it’s more complicated than you may think! We spent a remarkable amount of time in leather and dark colours, especially if you have a darker coloured horse, and it all adds up when you’re out in the sun. Here is what our riders recommend:
- Wear light, breathable shirts
- Wear thin breeches
- Wear thin socks
- Use thin, breathable saddle pads
- Wear and use light coloured clothing saddle pads
You may not think the colours you wear when you ride make a difference, but it all adds up! We got curious about what the best colours are for reflecting heat, and here’s what we found!
According to an article we read, here is the ranking of the best colours to wear in the heat, from best to worst!
- White
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Indigo
- Violet
- Black
Does this order sound familiar to you? If it does, it’s because it’s the same order as the colours of the rainbow! So, if you’re ever stuck not knowing what to wear to your lesson in the heat, just think of the rainbow, and remember that the lower on the rainbow you are, the less hot you’ll be!
Change Your Riding Schedule
You may find that this happens to you anyway, whether from changes in your availability caused by school or work, or to get away from summer camp kids, but changing your riding schedule can be a great help in avoiding the heat! Riding early in the morning or later in the evening, when the sun is not so high in the sky, is typically a more mild time of day, and our preferred time for riding.
Water, Water, Water!
Again, another thing you may find yourself doing more anyway, whether it’s from the mud from a rain storm or to prepare for a clinic or show. Baths are a great, typical way to refresh and cool down after a ride! Throw on some shorts for yourself and get it on the fun yourself! It’s also important to make sure that you have a water bottle on you at all times, and that your horse has enough water too!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our first blog post, stay tuned for more, a new one will be released every month!