With regards to my last post:

Right, then.  Back to the horses.

A few tips & tricks that help us to deal:

Horses In: during the day.  The stable is insulated, cool and dark, and the biting flies stay out.  Keep things clean & dry to keep flies down.  Even leftover hay attracts them.  We hang sticky strips in the stable, too, and change them regularly.  

Fly spray: I like Bronco which is cheaper and has longer-lasting permethrins, Herbacoat which has neem oil, Swat, and Wipe.  Fly masks during day turnout and bonnets during rides are cheaper in the long run than sprays, as long as your horses aren't playful geldings that love to shred the masks off eachother.

Horses Out: during the night. If I manage to ride in the morning, the ring is shaded and the horses don't need much warm-up time.

Water: We tuned up the water system in the stable; otherwise the air pressure tank fills with water over time and overworks the well pump.  The automatic waterers in the stable are great for conserving water, and I'm conscious of our consumption when bathing horses.  

​Sweat: Horses have to be washed if they are very sweaty to avoid skin problems and to keep them from overheating.  A nice compromise is to go for a trail ride in the cool forest after a workout, then maybe they are dry enough to get away with a bucket & liniment sponge bath afterwards.  

Did you know that mouthwash and horse liniment have identical ingredients (alcohol, methyl salicylate and essential oils thymol, eucalyptol, menthol), but mouthwash is 1/5 the price?  A few glugs of plain rubbing alcohol or vinegar in a little wash water will clean & cool, too.

White horse legs are susceptible to skin problems when constantly wet from morning dew and bathing, so I use diaper rash cream on heels before bathing.  My horses also get scraped and towelled off after bathing.  The faster they dry, the cooler they'll be with less skin problems.

Sweat will slowly kill your tack, too, so wash it well. Bridles & girths can be safely sprayed or dunked in water to be cleaned thoroughly later, and the seats & undersides of saddles must be wiped off.  Riding boots need a chance to dry out between uses, and the stitching at the ankle needs to be kept clean.  Helmets & gloves hang in the tack room to dry.  I bought an inexpensive, well-vented helmet for summer schooling that has a removable liner.  

Barn Fridge: Water, obvi. Drink before you're thirsty and it's too late.  Gatorade if it's been a long day.  Cold beer is for when the work is done.  Ours has carrots, too.

Sunshirts: I'm admittedly a victim of this fashion trend for riders: long sleeved, technical fabric.  Cool & covered.
Body Glide: Finally found at Sport Chek. Antidote for saddle-butt.
Sunscreen, sunglasses, big hats and sun-blocking lip balm are waiting in my tack locker so I never go without.  I also keep a cheap pair of rubber boots to save my shoes while washing horses.

On the one hand, we have to respect our bodies in extreme weather, and recognize that most horses are cooler-weather creatures, but we're both adaptable and with a little extra care and attention, there's no reason to stay grounded when the furnace is on outside.  

I grew up in Brockville, just down the highway from Kingston, where The Tragically Hip are from, and I took their music for granted.  It played on the radio and at parties, and like many young adults, I was looking for something newer and less ubiquitous.  I'd seen them at Edenfest in Barrie in 1996 and I got pummelled in the aggressive crowd that seemed to follow them around.  It was sad news to hear of the lead singer's terminal diagnosis in May.  When their music was played again, my husband was surprised to hear me singing right along.
​
At the show in June, Ludi and I warmed up alone in the rain.  The show had a nice sound system and was playing some music during breaks.  As we rode around in the lush green fields to relax between tests, the first track from 'Day for Night', 'Grace, Too' came on.  Some have written about that song as being very dark, but I'm not so sure. I sang along to Ludi and let the music work it's magic.  

We had our best test of the day right afterwards, and life went on. The tour was announced and I knew there was no hope of getting tickets, but then I won a pair to the Kanata show.  I had mixed feelings; the premise of the tour was so sad to me, but my husband was excited to go.  Gord punched it out and danced around with such wry humour, and when 'Grace, Too' came on, it seemed like the crowd's favorite song.  I cried when he said goodbye and told us to take care of eachother.  ​

When the Kingston show was broadcasted, it was concerning to see that Gord seemed to have deteriorated in just 2 days.  They chose 'Grace, Too' near the finale and it was heartbreaking to see his anguish. 

How does one ever climb out of the abysmal grief of impending death? 
One looks for beautiful things. 
By writing poetry, making music, going into nature, by creating and coming together.  
Here's a beautiful thing: Leslie Feist singing 'Flamenco for Gord' - CLICK HERE