Charlotte Rowe Eventing

Sadly we have made the decision to Withdraw today. 😔😢it’s been a very tough call and one I have lost some sleep over 🙈

Ross is sound and well but knowing him aswell as I do I know he is not going to enjoy the quicker ground . Huge thanks to Bicton Arena for doing all the can 👌 . We will save him for another big event just around the corner 🙏🏻

For now we will do the rain ☔️ dance 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Morning massage ahead of jumping this afternoon 🙏🏻✅

Please do try to come down to Bicton Arena to support it looks amazing 🤩 and there is fabulous day of sport lined up ✅✨

Ballaquane 🩷💙🩷

The most beautiful, kind ROR you could wish for .

Will soon be looking for a new home 🏡

Make beautiful hunter, dressage , ROR showing .

PM before his advert and price goes up .

Sadly we have made tough call to Withdraw all our horses from Tweseldown Horse Trials tomorrow 😔

Welfare comes first and many hours in a hot 🥵 lorry and competing in temperatures they aren’t used to .. we felt safest to leave them in their cool stables.

Disappointed for owners, myself and all the team involved… but there is always another day 🙏🏻✅

ARE YOUR HORSES HEATWAVE READY??

With temperatures set to hit 30 degrees Celsius in the next couple of days, how will you ensure your horses don’t suffer in the heat?
Yes, horses cope with much higher temperatures abroad, but for our horses, these are extreme temperatures.

1. STABLING
If you have a reasonably cool stable, and no shelter in your paddocks, then stabling during the day is by far the best option. Wooden stables can get quite hot, but if not facing the sun, and if no clear plastic on the roof, they are still likely to be cooler than your horse standing in direct sunlight for the whole day.
Brick and block stables are ideal, and should definitely be utilised over the next few days.
If your stables get extremely hot, and you can’t improve the ventilation by opening windows, then your horse may be better off out.....

2. SHADE IN FIELDS
All of my seven horses are in fields with big field shelters. I don’t have any big trees/natural shade in my fields, so this is necessary.
If you have natural shade in your fields for most of the day, then it’s perfectly fine for your horses to stay out, and the best place to be. It may be worth checking that they are actually using the shade/shelter however, and maybe pop some hay and buckets of water in the shade if not. I have seen horses go to sleep in one spot, in direct sunlight, and then by the time they realise it’s too hot to stay there, heat exhaustion has already started to kick in, and they don’t feel like moving.

3. RIDING
Either don’t ride, ride very early, or just go for a light hack.
A couple of days off, or walk hacks, won’t kill them, but galloping around in the heat could.

4. FLY RUGS
I use fly rugs on all of mine. I don’t find that any of my horses are hot under them. I use the white Amigo Aussie Allrounders and the Equilibrium Products fly rugs. They keep the burning sun off their backs, and stop them being eaten by flies. Always ensure a fly rug is mostly white if using in very high temperatures.

5. CLIPPING
If you have a horse with a thick summer coat/one with Cushings, then I always advise clipping them out during the Summer months. Just be careful if they are pink skinned, as they will definitely need a light fly rug on to prevent sunburn if so.

6. ELECTROLYTES
It is a good idea to feed electrolytes throughout the summer months, but if you haven’t been using them, then it’s too late to load up now for tomorrow. I don’t advise putting them in water, as you don’t want to put a horse off drinking, but adding to the feed is a sensible move. This is a huge topic, and I’ve written articles on this before, but the main point right now, is don’t try to load up with electrolytes now if you haven’t been using them.

7. WASHING OFF
If your horse seems very hot in the next few days, then washing off with cold water is a good idea, and the best way of quickly cooling a horse. Ideally, hosing with water at 5-7 deg is the best option, and hose all over the horse. No need to scrape, just keep hosing!

8. TRAVELLING
In 30 degree heat, trailers and lorries with no fans or temperature regulation quickly become microwaves. This includes travelling to the beach. Travel horses very early or extremely late (evening temperatures remain high until about 7pm) and remember that horses will very quickly overheat when sat stationary in a long queue.

So, to summarise.....in an ideal world, your horses are best in either a shady area of a field, or a cool stable for the next couple of days (or whenever it is hot).
If you are completely stuck, and only have a field with no shelter, then check your horse regularly, and every time you do, offer some water if possible. They may end up feeling too hot to bother walking to the trough. Sloppy feeds and soaked hay will also help prevent dehydration if your only option is a hot field.

Most of this is clearly common sense, but all worth thinking about as the weather is meant to hit the 30s for a couple of days.

If your horse seems very lethargic, and/or isn’t interested in eating, then call your vet straight away.

Feel free to share, but not to copy my words as your own.

🌡️ HOT WEATHER & HORSE WELFARE 🌡️

As temperatures rise, it’s important to understand how heat affects horses and what riders can do to reduce the risk of Exertional Heat Illness (EHI).

Research shows horses perform best in temperatures between 5–25°C — and even acclimatised horses cannot perform as well in hot weather as they can in cooler conditions.
In the heat, horses:
• Tire more quickly
• Recover more slowly
• Are more likely to make mistakes
• Become hotter during exercise
• Face increased risk of heat illness, colic and laminitis

⏱️ Horses need time to acclimatise
Most horses need around 10–14 days of exercising in hot conditions to acclimatise effectively.
If the weather suddenly becomes hot, horses will NOT be acclimatised — and a few days of riding in the hottest part of the day can actually make things worse.
If you don’t have time to acclimatise your horse:
• Reduce workload and intensity
• Shorten warm ups
• Train during cooler parts of the day
• Allow longer recovery periods
• Prioritise cooling before and after exercise
• Consider dropping down a class if needed

🐴 Horses at greater risk of overheating include:
• Unfit or overweight horses
• Large or heavy breeds
• Very young or older horses
• Horses with dark/heavy coats
• Horses with health conditions such as asthma or PPID
• Horses carrying heavier rider/tack combinations

🚿 The BEST way to cool a hot horse?
Research strongly supports:
✅ Continuous cold water application
✅ Cooling the entire body
✅ Using fans and airflow
❌ NOT scraping water off
A wet horse cools faster than a dry horse — and scraping slows the cooling process.

💧 Top cooling tips:
• Apply plenty of cold water all over the horse
• Keep water flowing continuously
• Use shade and airflow where possible
• Offer free access to water before, during and after exercise

🚨 Signs a horse may be dangerously hot:
• Heavy or rapid breathing
• Excessive sweating
• Flared nostrils
• Muscle spasms
• Lethargy or distress
• Unsteadiness

If concerned, start cooling IMMEDIATELY and seek veterinary advice if the horse is not improving quickly.