“Out Of The Frying Pan & Into The Fire” – Email 6

Hi ,

Okay, I have to say it! This weather is getting a little… boring.

I know, I know, I shouldn't complain, but it is what us Brits do best, right?

Jokes aside, for those of you who've been facing the heat along with me these past couple of weeks, I truly hope you're all coping okay. Let's be honest, this weather is such a rarity in the UK that when the sun comes out, we're pretty useless!

Some of you might have been wondering recently: what on earth do I do with my horse in this heat? So, I thought I'd try and help answer a few of those questions in this week's email.

I figured you're likely seeing a fair bit of advice on heat already, so to give you something a little different and avoid too much overlap with other mailing lists and Facebook posts, I'm going to focus primarily on the training and activity side of managing your horse in the heat.

For any of our readers around the world who are used to the heat, maybe you could share your tips and tricks so I can pass them on to other IH members and followers?

Give Them A Week Off!

A week off?! I thought I was giving you ideas of things 'to do', rather than things 'not to-do' 🤔.

Well, that's true, and while I will give you some ideas of things you can do later, my first tip is something some of you may need to hear… your horse will not suffer from a week off, or even two! Yes, that's right, the physio gives you permission to give your horse (and yourselves!) a break.

"But what about all my hard work and training?!" Well, here are three research based points for you to consider (don't worry, I've translated them for you):

1. Horses hearts and lungs are tougher than you think! Even after 10 weeks of just pasture turnout, a horse's overall aerobic fitness (that's their heart and lung capacity) pretty much stays stable. Light activity like walking or being in the field helps maintain those gains.
2. Muscle adaptations are resilient, but need a little nudge! While things like specific muscle fibre types can start to shift back if there's zero activity, general muscle endurance adaptations are much more robust. If your horse is still moving around – even just turned out and walking – those gains decline much slower with very little changes seen in the first two weeks of detraining.
3. Even high-level fitness isn't instantly gone! Studies on racehorses found that even after 5 weeks of rest in a pasture, their lactate thresholds (a key measure of endurance) remained unaffected. And just a few minutes of light canter a day (think 3-5 mins) can maintain significantly higher fitness levels in trained horses, even during a 12-week detraining period.

So, What Does This Actually Mean For You & Your Horse?

It means a week or two off from full training will absolutely NOT ruin your horse's fitness, their training, or all your hard work!

For most horses, a couple of weeks break with turnout and walk work won't set them back at all. They'll maintain excellent cardiovascular fitness, and their muscle health will be preserved.

For those of you with horses at a very high level of fitness (think serious competition horses), if you can manage to squeeze in just 3-5 minutes of light trot and canter work during the cooler periods of the day, that can help maintain their peak fitness levels without over exerting them.. But honestly, for the vast majority of us, there's absolutely no need to worry!

Enjoy the break, because honestly, most of us are much more likely to get flustered and frustrated training in this heat anyway, and as all IH'ers know… That seldom leads to anything productive.

Groundwork's Gold

Deciding to forgo a ridden training session during a heatwave isn’t just about giving your horse a break — it’s smart science. Horses primarily regulate their temperature through sweating and convection. When they sweat, the evaporation of that sweat cools them down. Saddles and a rider can trap heat and hinder this evaporation, making it harder for the horse to cool down effectively.

It’s the perfect opportunity to dive into groundwork activities that offer incredible physical and mental benefits. From both a training and a physiotherapy perspective, getting things right on the ground first is crucial — it builds the foundation for everything that follows under saddle.

Removing the rider’s weight minimises strain on the body, making groundwork a fantastic way to develop these skills without added stress.

Why Groundwork Triumphs Over Ridden Work In The Heat

• Carrying a rider increases heart rate and energy requirements: Researchers found that adding a rider increases heart rate by 10–20 bpm compared to an unridden horse walking or trotting at the same speed. The extra effort comes from supporting the rider’s weight and balance — the horse’s back, core, and limb muscles do more stabilising.
• The more weight, the higher the metabolic cost: A rider that’s about 15–20% of the horse’s body weight can raise oxygen consumption (VO₂) by up to 20% at walk or trot. Horses with heavier riders show higher lactate levels at the same speed, meaning they switch to anaerobic energy sooner than unridden horses.
• Saddles and rider motion affect balance effort: If the rider is unbalanced in the saddle, energy costs increase even more — heart rate rises, stride becomes shorter, and the horse’s back muscles work harder to stabilise.

Putting this all together, swapping ridden work for groundwork will reduce the risk of overheating when working your horses in the warm weather. Ridden work, even at a walk, adds weight, friction, and heat trapping, meaning the horse works harder to move the same distance. So for heat management, groundwork wins for: lower metabolic cost, lower cardiac load, and easier thermoregulation.

Your Chance to Win?

This August, our Members Exclusive prize draw is a £100 voucher kindly sponsored by Red Horse Products, redeemable for anything in their shop!

So, if your in need of a top up on fly spray, skin care, hoof care, supplements and so on… make sure you sign up. Don't forget to click the link in the confirmation email sent to you after you have submitted your completed online entry form!