# Good heat/humidity tolerant horses?



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

My Arab does fine with heat. Mind you, our heat doesn't compare to your heat, but since they originate from the desert, I think they are just far happier in a warm climate than a cold one. He is miserable in our cold, Canadian winter and needs layers of blankets! Look for breeds that come from hot climates.


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## seabiscuit91 (Mar 30, 2017)

If you try buy something in your area/that has been through your summers before, that could be a good way to go.

For instance, where I'm from it's extremely hot/humid/tropical throughout the entire year (No winter at all)
And it can completely depend on the individual horse, Some TBs handle it great, some don't, same with quarter horses, same with horses bred here, I have an Australian stock horse, who should ideally handle the climate, and just doesn't at all.
But I've seen big percherons / clydies who you would think may struggle, handle it far better than the lighter horses. 

Any horse can get Anhridrosis at any point in their life, so it can be tricky.
I think any horse that's been living that climate and always handling it well, is probably the safest option!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Carolina Marsh Tacky, if you can find one. They're bred for your kind of climate. Other US breeds from hot humid climates are Florida Crackers, Rocky Mountain Horse (from Kentucky), Tennessee Walker. All of these are gaited.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I have a pinto (probably a Paint that lost all of her history when sold to the dealer) that came from Florida. She copes really well in the humid heat as does our IDSH who's got majority TB blood. Interestingly our Clyde x arab who looks like a mini Clyde also copes well with the heat/humidity
Our Irish Draft really struggles and so does our WB though not quite as much


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I hauled my Hunt-Type Paint to Texas for a year (from much more temperate Colorado), and he handled it just fine 
So long as you stick to purchasing something local, you're more likely to find a horse accustomed to the weather.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

I'd say American Paints, Mustangs, Arabians, QH, TB's.

Honestly, I live in SE Oklahoma we share the same heat. The joke is when New York and Jersey are shutting down beaches when it hits 85 and humid, we're all like, WOO HOO... We call that COOK OUT time!

I see all breeds, from Shetlands to Percherons and Haflingers to TB race horses, Mustangs and ordinary QH ranch horses here. All seem to do well if you provide shade, lots of water, mineral and salt blocks, and do try to keep your riding down to mornings and evenings or at the very least, ride under heavy shade if you can. I've not noticed this myself but people with a lot more time owning horses than I are telling me to be careful with the sweet feed this time of year, it makes them sweat out a lot more, which is dangerous when it hits 110 with an 80% humidity, to say the least.

No matter what you get, IF you have them in a barn/boarding situation, better make sure the barn is well ventilated and they have a turn out - I grew up living right behind a cutting horse trainer/breeder (I'm a 70's/80's kid so this was in the mid-80s), he had two magnificent stud/stallions, one of which was black as a crow's wing and he was worth a huge amount of money for the time, $75,000 for the horse alone, that's not including his cutting work, shows, events, and stud fees. He was also a sweetheart and so well behaved.

Owner went to Vegas for an event one July or August, I can't remember which, left the ranch in the hands of his hired help... who simply didn't show up for the entire week - the studs were left locked in their stalls with only the top part of the door left open.

The caramel colored palomino suffered a heat stroke but lived, the black horse was dead on the floor. The summer heat had baked them.

Owner nearly beat that guy to death. 

On a lighter note:

I HAVE seen local people set up, lol, those huge fan shaped lawn sprinklers in round pens and corrals, even smaller lots where horses are confined, sometimes those big plastic kiddie pools, and those horses seem to just love playing in the water like little kids.... so whatever you get, you might consider that too to help beat the heat.


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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

Depends on the individual horse!


My Texas-born senior Arab mare seems perfectly comfortable during the 9 months of summer in the Dallas, TX area and then fluffs up beautifully for cold winter nights. My Texas-born 6yr old Quarter Horse spends the entire summer breathing heavily with sweat pouring down him just from being alive, but he'll beg for his blanket if it drops below 40°F in the fall.


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