Be Prepared to Prevent Heat Illness in Horses and People When Summer Temperatures Soar

By USPC Safety Committee

Horses and humans alike face danger during extreme heat and humidity. With soaring temperatures in many parts of the country during the summer rally and show season, it may be beneficial to refresh your knowledge of the heat-related illness training module, which is required for all USPC volunteers and useful for everyone. If you have not completed the training, you can learn more here.

On days with high heat indexes, Pony Club members, parents, and volunteers could be at risk of succumbing to heat illness. Knowing the signs of heat illness and understanding how to stay safe when riding and working in the heat could help someone if you are out and about at summer events or live in an area experiencing high temperatures.

Heat-Related Illness in Horses

Humans are not the only ones affected by heat. Since humans are the ones making the decisions about when and where our horses will work, we need to be aware of the risks and recognize when our equine partner is suffering from dehydration or heat illness. Horses can dehydrate quickly, which can bring on the potential for colic. Be aware of the signs of dehydration and heat illness in your equine partner and be ready to take action on their behalf. Please learn about heat-related illness in horses in the USPC Safety Handbook on pages 17-18.

It’s important to be aware and be prepared for extreme weather conditions, including heat and humidity. The USPC Safety Committee would like everyone to be aware that there is an updated Heat Index Chart that includes low to high humidity on the chart; also available here.

Use the Helpful Heat Safety Tool

There is also a new Heat Safety Tool that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have developed that is a useful resource for planning outdoor work activities based on how hot it feels throughout the day. It includes real-time heat index and hourly forecasts, specific to your location, as well as occupational safety and health recommendations from OSHA and NIOSH.

The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool features:

• A visual indicator of the current heat index and associated risk levels specific to your current geographical location.
• Precautionary recommendations specific to heat index-associated risk levels.
• An interactive, hourly forecast of heat index values, risk level, and recommendations for planning outdoor work activities in advance.
• Editable location, temperature, and humidity controls for calculation of variable conditions.
• Signs and symptoms and first aid information for heat-related illnesses.

Learn more about the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool app, which is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Together with USPC’s heat-related illness training, you’ll be prepared to help horses and humans stay safe in the heat.