Staying informed about your horses

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

Another case of equine herpes virus was found in Orange County and has led to the cancellation of the Blenheim Horse Show. Thus far, there has been one reported death and one sick. In light of the sad news, there are 3 definitions you should know.

Equine Herpes Virus Definitions:

1.  Confirmed Case: A horse which displays compatible clinical signs AND has a positive laboratory diagnostic test for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1.

2.   Compatible Clinical Signs: Any one or more of the following clinical signs: fever, nasal discharge, ataxia, hind end weakness, diminished tail tone, and/or recumbency.

3.   Exposed Horse: A horse which has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1 within the last 14 days.

The current EHV-1 situation:

ORANGE COUNTY:

·  January 15, 2012: There are no new cases. Due to the holiday weekend and laboratory closure, the next posting on this website will be Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

·  January 14, 2012: There are no new cases. CDFA continues to monitor the situation.

·  January 13, 2012: Two additional horses displaying a fever have been confirmed for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. There are a total of five confirmed positive cases on the Orange County premises. All horses on the property continue to be monitored.

·   January 12, 2012: Two additional horses displaying fever and respiratory signs have been confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus- 1, on the Orange County premises. All horses on the premises remain under quarantine and being monitored for disease.

·  January 11, 2012: A gelding displaying neurologic signs from an Orange County premises was confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. The gelding has been isolated, quarantined and is under veterinary care. The large multi-discipline facility has been quarantined with no movement of horses on or off the property. The potentially exposed horses on the premises are being monitored. A full epidemiologic investigation at the affected premises has been initiated by the CDFA Animal Health Branch.

Find more information on the homepage of the California Department of Food and Agriculture

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

Staying informed about your horses

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

Another case of equine herpes virus was found in Orange County and has led to the cancellation of the Blenheim Horse Show. Thus far, there has been one reported death and one sick. In light of the sad news, there are 3 definitions you should know.

Equine Herpes Virus Definitions:

1.  Confirmed Case: A horse which displays compatible clinical signs AND has a positive laboratory diagnostic test for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1.

2.   Compatible Clinical Signs: Any one or more of the following clinical signs: fever, nasal discharge, ataxia, hind end weakness, diminished tail tone, and/or recumbency.

3.   Exposed Horse: A horse which has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1 within the last 14 days.

The current EHV-1 situation:

ORANGE COUNTY:

·  January 15, 2012: There are no new cases. Due to the holiday weekend and laboratory closure, the next posting on this website will be Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

·  January 14, 2012: There are no new cases. CDFA continues to monitor the situation.

·  January 13, 2012: Two additional horses displaying a fever have been confirmed for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. There are a total of five confirmed positive cases on the Orange County premises. All horses on the property continue to be monitored.

·   January 12, 2012: Two additional horses displaying fever and respiratory signs have been confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus- 1, on the Orange County premises. All horses on the premises remain under quarantine and being monitored for disease.

·  January 11, 2012: A gelding displaying neurologic signs from an Orange County premises was confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. The gelding has been isolated, quarantined and is under veterinary care. The large multi-discipline facility has been quarantined with no movement of horses on or off the property. The potentially exposed horses on the premises are being monitored. A full epidemiologic investigation at the affected premises has been initiated by the CDFA Animal Health Branch.

Find more information on the homepage of the California Department of Food and Agriculture

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

With the hot weather still upon us here are some tips to reduce your water bill:

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

With sustainable landscaping practices:

• Reduce your water use
• Use native & drought-tolerant plants
• Attract birds & butterflies
• Use–Don’t lose your rainwater
• Use non-toxic pest & weed control
• Reduce your fire risk ecologically
• Learn to grow food

Contact the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains at 818.597.8627 or Email Keep Your Green .

The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCD) is now providing on-site consultations for home and business owners on how to save water, money and improve water quality by initiating sustainable landscaping solutions on their property. “Keep Your Green” refers to the money (“green”) saved through a reduced water bill and (green) climate-appropriate plants.   The home consultation model is a perfect fit with the RCD’s long-term commitment toward soil and water conservation, water quality protection, erosion control, oak health, fire-safe landscaping and native habitat restoration.

RCD Conservation Biologists, trained in Sustainable Landscaping, Habitat Restoration and Permaculture Design are currently conducting these timely consultations. The idea for RCD home consultations arose from the many site-specific questions and concerns from local residents who needed to meet their reduced water budget allocations from local jurisdictions. Many folks also felt the need for a site-specific evaluation of what sustainable landscape solutions work best for their yard, slope, soil, shade/sun, trees etc. These practices may include planting native and climate-appropriate plants for water conservation and habitat value, downspout re-directs, rain gardens, and rainwater storage with cisterns and rain barrels. Some of these solutions can be implemented by homeowners or their gardeners. For professional assistance, the RCD can provide a list of Sustainable Landscape Professionals.

The RCD is not funded to provide this service, so there is a fee of $175 for a 90 minute consultation.

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

What you need to know this year

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

Here is some valuable information that you cannot live with out:

Why get vaccinated?

Influenza (“flu”) is a contagious disease. It is caused by the influenza virus, which can be spread by coughing, sneezing, or nasal secretions. Anyone can get influenza, but rates of infection are highest among children. For most people, symptoms last only a few days. They include:

• fever/chills
• sore throat
• muscle aches
• fatigue
• cough
• headache
• runny or stuffy nose

Other illnesses can have the same symptoms and are often mistaken for influenza.

Young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions – such as heart, lung or kidney disease, or a weakened immune system – can get much sicker. Flu can cause high fever and pneumonia, and make existing medical conditions worse. It can cause diarrhea and seizures in children. Each year thousands of people die from influenza and even more require hospitalization.

By getting flu vaccine you can protect yourself from influenza and may also avoid spreading influenza to others.

Inactivated infl uenza vaccine 2
There are two types of infl uenza vaccine:

1. Inactivated (killed) vaccine, the “flu shot,” is given by injection with a needle.
2. Live, attenuated (weakened) influenza vaccine is sprayed into the nostrils. This vaccine is described in a separate Vaccine Information Statement.

A “high-dose” inactivated influenza vaccine is available for people 65 years of age and older. Ask your doctor for more information.

Influenza viruses are always changing, so annual vaccination is recommended. Each year scientists try to match the viruses in the vaccine to those most likely to cause flu that year. Flu vaccine will not prevent disease from other viruses, including flu viruses not contained in the vaccine.

It takes up to 2 weeks for protection to develop after the shot. Protection lasts about a year. Some inactivated influenza vaccine contains a preservative called thimerosal. Thimerosal-free influenza vaccine is available. Ask your doctor for more information.

Who should get inactivated influenza vaccine and when?
WHO:
All people 6 months of age and older should get flu vaccine.

Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of severe influenza and their close contacts, including healthcare personnel and close contacts of children younger than 6 months.

WHEN:
Get the vaccine as soon as it is available. This should provide protection if the flu season comes early. You can get the vaccine as long as illness is occurring in your community.

Influenza can occur at any time, but most infl uenza occurs from October through May. In recent seasons, most infections have occurred in January and February. Getting vaccinated in December, or even later, will still be beneficial in most years.

Adults and older children need one dose of influenza vaccine each year. But some children younger than 9 years of age need two doses to be protected. Ask your doctor.

Influenza vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines, including pneumococcal vaccine.

Some people should not get inactivated influenza vaccine or should wait.

To read more, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

Overcome one-sidedness with these exercises

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

Most riders have a dominant side, one that is stronger than the other and bears more of the rider’s weight in the saddle to compensate for the weaker side; however, many aren’t aware that they have straightness issues. Elizabeth Hanson developed Equestrian Pilates, a fitness program featuring three routines, to help riders become aware of and fix common posture, balance and flexibility issues while strengthening the areas of the body that are most important for proper riding. Here, excerpts from Hanson’s “Equestrian Pilates” e-book provide insight about one-sided weaknesses and exercises to remedy this common problem.

Understanding One-Sidedness

The muscles of the stronger side are shorter, causing the rider to lean to that side. Straightening the rider’s posture requires stretching the muscles of the dominant side and strengthening the muscles on the weaker side. Riders who are stronger on their right side should stretch their lower back and both the right and the left leg, focusing more on the right side. The left leg and abdominal muscles need to be strengthened so riders can support themselves with their core to be able to open the hips and use the legs as aids instead of using them to stay in the saddle.

To read further about equestrian Pilates, go to: http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/equestrian-pilates.aspx

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

The talented Robert Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg in his Captiva Studio

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg was the defining force in contemporary art for nearly sixty years, creating a wealth of art (painting, photography, sculpture, performance, and printmaking) more varied than that of any artist of the twentieth or twenty-first centuries.  For him, painting entailed not only using a brush, but also silkscreening, collaging, transferring, and imprinting, and he did so on the widest array of materials from canvas, board, and fabric to sheet metal, Plexiglas, plaster, and paper. He has been called a forerunner of virtually every postwar American art movement since Abstract Expressionism, however, he remained fiercely independent from any particular affiliation throughout his protean life.

Rauschenberg was born Milton Ernest Rauschenberg in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1925. He briefly attended the University of Texas at Austin to study pharmacology before being drafted into the United States Navy in 1943. He enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute on the G.I. Bill in 1947 and at the Académie Julian in Paris the following year. From 1948 to 1952, Rauschenberg oscillated between the Art Students League in New York and the avant-garde Black Mountain College in North Carolina. At Black Mountain College, he studied under Josef Albers and befriended composer John Cage and dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham, with whom he would later collaborate as a set and costume designer off and on for his life.

Rauschenberg’s artistic vocabulary—including sequences and progressions through time; grid formats; doublings, mirrorings, and reversals; contrapuntal shifts between building up and stripping away; and a sense of human scale—was established within the first four years of his career, which began in earnest in 1949.  From that time forward, he has drawn from, reused, and looped back through this vocabulary, imbuing each artwork with fresh ideas.  In 1951, Rauschenberg created his seminal White Paintings, seemingly blank surfaces activated only by the viewer’s shadow. This initial investigation into the direct relationship between the viewer and the artwork became a consistent line of inquiry that stretched throughout the artist’s entire career.

Rauschenberg’s celebrated Combines (1954–64) brought real-world images and objects into the realm of abstract painting and countered the traditional divisions between painting and sculpture. These works initiated his ongoing dialogue between the handmade and the readymade, the gestural brushstroke and the mechanically reproduced image, and between mediums. Like most of the artist’s work to follow, the Combines were permeated with art-historical and mass-media references, making use of reproductions from newspapers and magazines, while emphasizing autobiographical subjects and utilitarian objects. Animals, body parts, modes of transportation, fine-art reproductions, lettering, and diagrams are many of the motifs that were central to Rauschenberg’s oeuvre, which was typically produced in series.

Rauschenberg returned to two-dimensional painting in 1962 when he introduced a new body of work using transferred images culled from his own photographs and contemporary news sources via the silkscreen technique. In 1963 a major exhibition of his work was mounted at the Jewish Museum in New York and in 1964 he was awarded the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale that established his international reputation.  For the remainder of the 1960s, Rauschenberg concentrated his art practice on printmaking, performance (mostly his own choreography), and technology-based works. Rauschenberg’s lifelong commitment to collaboration—with performers, printmakers, engineers, writers, artists, and artisans from around the world—is a further manifestation of his expansive artistic philosophy informed by his belief that “painting relates to both art and life.”

With his move in 1970 from New York to Captiva (an island off the Gulf Coast of Florida), Rauschenberg cleared his palette. Retreating from urban imagery, he now favored an abstract idiom and the use of natural fibers, creating assembled works on paper, cardboard, and fabric. His lifelong quest for new materials and new ideas led him to continuously explore innovative and often untraditional avenues.  In 1976, he was recognized as America’s bicentennial artist with a retrospective exhibition at Washington’s National Collection of Fine Arts (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum), an exhibition that traveled to four other major American cities.

While Rauschenberg’s references became increasingly international throughout the 1970s, this engagement reached an official and consolidated manifestation when the artist founded the Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI) in 1984. An evolving exhibition of over 200 works, the project was a tangible expression of Rauschenberg’s belief in the power of art and artistic collaboration to bring about social change on an international level and the culmination of his long-term commitment to human rights. From 1984 through 1991, he traveled to ten politically repressed countries. This experience incited direct cultural references in his own works during this period in which he explored the use of metal as a support for paint, tarnishes, enamel, and screenprinted images. Beginning in 1992 through to his death in 2008, Rauschenberg utilized an Iris printer to make digital color prints of his photographs, which he transferred by hand with biodegradable, vegetable dyes.  The resultant high-resolution images and luminous hues of these large-scale works underscored his life-long interest in the latest advances in technology as well as echoed his concerns for the environment.  Rauschenberg was honored with his third and last retrospective in 1997, a 450-work exhibition that filled three New York museums and toured internationally.

As Rauschenberg’s career developed, he took full measure of the world. He came to incorporate images—mostly his own photographs—from around the globe into his ever-expanding repertoire. Both as an artist and as a person, he knew no boundaries. In effect, Rauschenberg served as a global ambassador in much the way that Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens did. Rauschenberg’s artistic vision invariably evinced optimism, hope, and humor, while at the same time sustaining serious insight into the human condition. His social activism embraced racial equality, anti-war efforts, ecological issues, artists’ rights, and human rights in general. Like Thomas Jefferson—one of America’s foremost statesmen—Rauschenberg possessed an innate belief in philanthropy and a grand sense of goodwill.

In 1990 the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation was created in New York, which embraced a socially responsible mission in the arts, creating works for organizations involved in such issues as education and world hunger.  Rauschenberg was an artist who thought, acted, and painted globally, and for over half a century, he produced a truly inventive art.

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

The hot weather is upon us and if you are a horse owner there are some things you should consider.

Nancy Prosser my horse trainer at WestView Farms recommends that “you not over exert your horse in the hot weather, give your horse lots of cool baths, shade and plenty of fresh water.” I learned a great tip from my trainer Nancy:  Since you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink, try filling a large tub with water, carrots and electrolytes and watch what happens.

Here are a few tips to keep your horse cool in hot weather:

Shelter from the sun
Searing heat and sweltering humidity can be dangerous for horses. Every year, numerous cases of colic, dehydration, and respiratory distress are attributed to warmer summer weather. Worse, potentially fatal heatstroke or exhaustion causes a few deaths each summer. Thankfully, however, responsible horse care and vigilance when the temperatures rise is all most horses need to cruise through summer in comfort. To help your horse beat the heat, keep the following tips in mind:

Water – use a suitable water bucket to frequently offer fresh, cool, clean water. Average size work horses can consume over 25 gallons of water per day when the temperature is above 70°F. Also, keep water troughs and stock tanks clean and free from insects to promote consumption.

Shade – offer an escape from the sun while in the pasture with a run-in shed. In addition, turnout your horse as early as possible in the morning to help avoid the heat. To combat early morning mosquitoes and flies, use suitable repellents, fly masks, and sheets.

Electrolytes – replenish salt loss during excessive sweating with a suitable electrolyte supplement, especially with work horses or when the combined temperature and humidity exceeds 140°F. Serious electrolyte loss causes fatigue, muscle cramps, colic, and more.

Ventilation – cool your horse while he rests in the barn with appropriate stable fans. If possible, leave barn doors and windows open and install misting fans near each stall. Choose a run-in shed with an open-end design to promote airflow.

Baths – sponge cold water over your horse, especially down the large blood vessels under the belly and neck and inside the legs. In extreme heat, spray a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and cold water over his body to aid sweating.

Fodder – feed quality hay, especially as warm weather slows grass growth and pasture quality declines. Hay offers energy, which your horse needs to help regulate his body temperature and power his natural cooling processes.

Coat Care – clip your horse’s coat and keep his mane and tail trimmed. Apply a zinc oxide sunscreen to pink noses to help prevent sunburn. Use shampoos with added sunscreen to help protect against UV rays and sunburns.

Signs of heatstroke
A common misconception is that hot summer weather only affects work or show horses. This is untrue. While active horses are more susceptible to a rise in temperature, extreme heat can quickly take its toll on any horse. In fact, heatstroke can occur whether your horse is plowing a field, standing in a stuffy stall, or traveling in a trailer.

Heatstroke occurs when your horse is unable to rid his body of excess heat. Your horse’s body has a natural cooling process. However, extreme heat and humidity can overpower your horse’s ability to cool himself. To compensate, the body redistributes blood flow closer to the skin, which aids cooling. However, this mechanism causes internal organs and the brain to receive less oxygen. Add excessive sweating into the mix, which causes a loss of fluids and electrolytes, and the results can be disastrous. Signs of heatstroke – also known as heat stress or heat exhaustion – include:

Elevated Respiratory Rate – between 40 to 50 breaths per minute, shallow breathing, and breathing that remains elevated after two minutes of rest

Elevated Heart Rate – a pulse of more than 80 beats per minute that doesn’t slow down after two minutes of rest

Increased or Absence of Sweating – full-body sweating or, worse, if your horse stops sweating entirely

Elevated Temperature – a rectal temperature of 103°F or higher

Lethargy – signs of depression, disinterest in food, stumbling or collapsing
Heatstroke is a serious condition. Severe cases of heatstroke lead to collapse, seizures, or loss of your horse. If you suspect your horse is suffering from heatstroke, immediately take measures to help cool him. Contact your veterinarian if symptoms persist or his condition worsens. To help cool your horse:

Stop Activity – cease workouts, rides, or farm work immediately

Bathe Immediately – douse him with cold water or a water/alcohol mix

Offer Water – allow your horse to drink as much water as he desires

Find Shade – get your horse out of direct sunlight and into the shade

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

Lauren Rauschenberg on "Luka"

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

Bell Canyon Equestrian Center is having a horse show on June 4th that will offer a wide range of classes for all disciplines. From hunters & jumpers to western and dressage, come by this event to get a wide range of fabulous classes.

Get the competitive edge and enter one of many events or come to watch and cheer on all of the horses and riders. The horse show is still scheduled despite the EHV-1 virus.

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

By: Lauren Rauchenberg

Bell Canyon Equestrian Center is spending time, energy, manpower and money to get the arena footing just right. Barn Manager Karen realizes the importance of proper footing for horses and is currently working to prevent some of the issues that often accompany poor footing in horse arenas. This is an interesting article by Jody Gilbert:

Give your horse consistency, cushioning, traction and support.

Poor arena footing can take the fun out of riding. Even worse, poor arena footing can create untold hardships for your horse, compromising performance, stealing confidence and putting him at risk for injury and degenerativeproblems such as osteoarthritis. Yet installing and maintaining safe, effective arena footing can be difficult,in part because of the many variables involved.

To help you sort out your arena footing options, we’re going to look at some factors to consider when deciding what type of arena footing makes sense for your situation. If you understand the benefits and limitations of different types of footings and how they’re likely to behave under particular conditions, you’ll be able to make smart,realistic choices and arrive at what works best for you.

How you use your arena will determine what kind of footing is best. Driving a cart requires a more compacted footing than a jumping arena because a shallower footing will help your horse pull the cart more efficiently.

For more information on sand, particle size, mineral composition and many other details, go to http://www.equisearch.com/farm_ranch/arenas/horse-arena-footing/

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts

By: Lauren Rauschenberg

The hot weather is upon us and if you are a horse owner there are some things you should consider.

Nancy Prosser my horse trainer at WestView Farms recommends that “you not over exert your horse in the hot weather, give your horse lots of cool baths, shade and plenty of fresh water.” I learned a great tip from my trainer Nancy:  Since you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink, try filling a large tub with water, carrots and electrolytes and watch what happens.

Here are a few tips to keep your horse cool in hot weather:

Shelter from the sun
Searing heat and sweltering humidity can be dangerous for horses. Every year, numerous cases of colic, dehydration, and respiratory distress are attributed to warmer summer weather. Worse, potentially fatal heatstroke or exhaustion causes a few deaths each summer. Thankfully, however, responsible horse care and vigilance when the temperatures rise is all most horses need to cruise through summer in comfort. To help your horse beat the heat, keep the following tips in mind:

Water – use a suitable water bucket to frequently offer fresh, cool, clean water. Average size work horses can consume over 25 gallons of water per day when the temperature is above 70°F. Also, keep water troughs and stock tanks clean and free from insects to promote consumption.

Shade – offer an escape from the sun while in the pasture with a run-in shed. In addition, turnout your horse as early as possible in the morning to help avoid the heat. To combat early morning mosquitoes and flies, use suitable repellents, fly masks, and sheets.

Electrolytes – replenish salt loss during excessive sweating with a suitable electrolyte supplement, especially with work horses or when the combined temperature and humidity exceeds 140°F. Serious electrolyte loss causes fatigue, muscle cramps, colic, and more.

Ventilation – cool your horse while he rests in the barn with appropriate stable fans. If possible, leave barn doors and windows open and install misting fans near each stall. Choose a run-in shed with an open-end design to promote airflow.

Baths – sponge cold water over your horse, especially down the large blood vessels under the belly and neck and inside the legs. In extreme heat, spray a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and cold water over his body to aid sweating.

Fodder – feed quality hay, especially as warm weather slows grass growth and pasture quality declines. Hay offers energy, which your horse needs to help regulate his body temperature and power his natural cooling processes.

Coat Care – clip your horse’s coat and keep his mane and tail trimmed. Apply a zinc oxide sunscreen to pink noses to help prevent sunburn. Use shampoos with added sunscreen to help protect against UV rays and sunburns.

Signs of heatstroke
A common misconception is that hot summer weather only affects work or show horses. This is untrue. While active horses are more susceptible to a rise in temperature, extreme heat can quickly take its toll on any horse. In fact, heatstroke can occur whether your horse is plowing a field, standing in a stuffy stall, or traveling in a trailer.

Heatstroke occurs when your horse is unable to rid his body of excess heat. Your horse’s body has a natural cooling process. However, extreme heat and humidity can overpower your horse’s ability to cool himself. To compensate, the body redistributes blood flow closer to the skin, which aids cooling. However, this mechanism causes internal organs and the brain to receive less oxygen. Add excessive sweating into the mix, which causes a loss of fluids and electrolytes, and the results can be disastrous. Signs of heatstroke – also known as heat stress or heat exhaustion – include:

Elevated Respiratory Rate – between 40 to 50 breaths per minute, shallow breathing, and breathing that remains elevated after two minutes of rest

Elevated Heart Rate – a pulse of more than 80 beats per minute that doesn’t slow down after two minutes of rest

Increased or Absence of Sweating – full-body sweating or, worse, if your horse stops sweating entirely

Elevated Temperature – a rectal temperature of 103°F or higher

Lethargy – signs of depression, disinterest in food, stumbling or collapsing
Heatstroke is a serious condition. Severe cases of heatstroke lead to collapse, seizures, or loss of your horse. If you suspect your horse is suffering from heatstroke, immediately take measures to help cool him. Contact your veterinarian if symptoms persist or his condition worsens. To help cool your horse:

Stop Activity – cease workouts, rides, or farm work immediately

Bathe Immediately – douse him with cold water or a water/alcohol mix

Offer Water – allow your horse to drink as much water as he desires

Find Shade – get your horse out of direct sunlight and into the shade

Lauren Rauschenberg

Lauren Rauschenberg, Estate Broker at Ewing and Associates Sotheby's International Realty, is a practicing civil litigator and emerging Realtor. With nearly 10 years of experience in real estate law and as a title company manager, Lauren discovered a broader demand for her estate expertise.

Website - More Posts