Summer Horse Care Essentials | LV Tack

Summer Horse Care Essentials | LV Tack

 

Summer Horse Care Essentials: Fly Control, Grooming, Hydration, and Heat

Summer is a beautiful time to be a horse person — long evenings, trail rides, and horses that are actually cooperative in the warm weather. But it also brings a whole new set of challenges: biting flies, sweat-soaked coats, scorching temperatures, and horses that would rather stand in the shade than trot around the arena. Staying on top of your summer horse care essentials before the heat really hits makes the entire season smoother for both of you.

Fly Control — Your First Line of Defense

If you've ever watched a horse completely lose his mind over a single horsefly, you already know: fly season is serious business. Beyond the irritation factor, flies spread disease, cause skin conditions, and can lead to eye infections if left unchecked. A solid fly control strategy involves layers — not just one product.

Start with a good fly spray applied daily, especially before turnout and rides. Wipe-on formulas work well for sensitive facial areas where you can't spray directly. Add a fly mask to protect eyes and ears, and consider a fly sheet for horses that are especially reactive or prone to sweet itch and skin sensitivities. Lightweight fly sheets breathe well and can actually keep horses cooler than you might expect by blocking direct sun.

For the barn itself, hanging fly traps near stalls and manure areas, keeping bedding clean, and using fans to keep air moving all make a noticeable difference. Flies breed in wet, organic material — so the cleaner the barn, the fewer flies you're fighting.

Explore everything you need in our Fly Gear collection — from masks and sheets to sprays and traps.

Shop fly masks, fly sheets, and fly spray in our Fly Gear collection at lvtack.com/collections/fly-gear

Grooming in the Heat

Summer coats are a gift — they're short, they shine up beautifully, and a good curry brings out the natural oils that make your horse look like a show horse even on a Tuesday afternoon. But summer grooming is about more than appearance.

Regular grooming in the heat helps you check for bot fly eggs (those tiny yellow dots stuck to your horse's legs and chest), skin funk from sweat and moisture, and any irritation under tack areas. After every ride, rinse or sponge off sweat, especially under the saddle pad, chest, and between the hind legs. Leaving dried sweat on the coat leads to skin issues and discomfort.

Keep your grooming kit stocked with a good shedding blade (yes, some horses still shed into early summer), a finishing brush, and a detangler for mane and tail care. Products that repel moisture and condition the skin are worth every penny in humid climates like ours here in New Jersey.

Stock up on grooming supplies and skin care products in our Horse Care collection.

Keeping Your Horse Hydrated

Horses need a baseline of 5–10 gallons of water per day — and that number climbs fast in the heat, especially if your horse is sweating heavily during work. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of impaction colic in summer, so this is not an area to be casual about.

A few practical tips:

  • Check water sources daily. Troughs heat up fast in direct sun, and horses often refuse warm water. Keep tanks in the shade and scrub them out regularly to prevent algae.

  • Offer electrolytes after heavy sweating. Electrolyte supplements help replace what's lost in sweat — sodium, potassium, and chloride. You can offer them in water or top-dress them on feed, but always provide a plain water option alongside electrolyte water so horses can choose.

  • Watch for signs of dehydration. The skin pinch test (pinch the skin on the neck — it should snap back in under a second) and checking gum moisture are quick field indicators.

  • Salt blocks matter. A loose salt or mineral block in the stall encourages horses to drink more and replaces trace minerals lost to sweating.

Managing Heat and Sun Exposure

Horses can overheat, sunburn, and develop conditions like photosensitivity — especially gray horses and those with pink skin around the muzzle. Here's how to keep the heat manageable:

  • Adjust ride timing. Early mornings and evenings are dramatically cooler than midday in peak summer. If you're riding in the middle of the afternoon during a heat advisory, keep it light.

  • Provide shade and airflow. If your pasture doesn't have natural shade, a run-in shelter is worth the investment. Box fans in stalls help enormously — horses cool primarily through sweating, and moving air accelerates evaporation.

  • Watch for anhidrosis. Some horses (particularly in hot, humid climates) stop sweating properly. If your horse is huffing loudly after minimal exertion without sweating, talk to your vet — this is a real condition that needs to be managed.

  • Don't forget the rider. You're out there in the heat too. A lightweight sun shirt with UPF protection keeps you cooler than a tank top and protects your skin. Browse our Sun Shirts & Base Layers for options built for riders.

Summer Tack Care

Heat and humidity are tough on leather. Sweat contains salts and acids that break down leather fibers over time if tack isn't cleaned regularly. Summer is actually the season when you should be cleaning your saddle and bridle more often, not less — even if that feels counterintuitive when you're already tired from riding in the heat.

After every ride, wipe down leather with a damp cloth to remove sweat before it dries and sets. Once a week (or more if you're riding daily), use a good leather cleaner followed by a conditioner. Store tack out of direct sunlight when not in use — UV exposure dries and cracks leather just like it does skin.

Don't overlook your saddle pads either. Rinse or wash them regularly; a bacteria-laden saddle pad sitting against your horse's back every day is a recipe for skin irritation and back soreness. Check out our Saddle Pads collection for breathable, easy-care options that hold up to summer washing.

What to Keep in Your Summer Barn Kit

Think of this as your seasonal refresh for the barn medicine cabinet and grooming area. If you don't already have these on hand, now's the time to stock up:

  • Fly spray (one for daily use, one wipe-on for faces)

  • Fly mask (and a backup — they disappear in the field)

  • Fly sheet for sensitive or turned-out horses

  • Electrolyte supplement

  • Wound spray and antiseptic — summer turnout means more scrapes

  • Sunscreen for pink-nosed horses (yes, this is a real product and yes, they need it)

  • UPF sun shirt for you

  • Extra grooming brushes — these get gross fast in summer, rotate them out

  • Leather conditioner for weekly tack care

Having everything in one place means you're not scrambling when a fly sheet gets torn or you run out of spray mid-week.

Summer doesn't have to be the hard season — with the right setup, it's genuinely one of the best times to be riding. Whether you're managing a herd of three or just one horse in a backyard barn, a little preparation goes a long way.

Shop everything you need to get ready for the season at Long Valley Tack & Supply:

We're a small, woman-owned shop based in Long Valley, NJ, and we ship nationally. We love what we do, and we love helping fellow horse people find the right products without the overwhelm. Feel free to reach out anytime — we're riders too.

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