How to Handle the South Texas Heat
This post is not about “How to beat the heat”. It’s about how to handle the heat.
Heat advisories were issued all over South Texas today with heat indexes ranging from 110 degrees to 119 degrees. If you’re out on the ranch like we are, you are NOT going to beat that kind of heat. So here are some tips to handling the South Texas summer heat:
Hydration
US - This one is a no brainer and everyone knows the rule. BUT - it’s hard to do when you’re outside all day. Freeze bottles of water and try to keep one with you. Or, keep a thermos full in the truck so that at least you’ll have it when you get back.
CATTLE - Best idea is to check water and leave them alone. If we must work them, try to do it near a water source. We actually use water traps to catch cattle this time of year. That way they all have access to water while we’re penning and they have it again as soon as they leave the pens. Another tip for cattle - having salt readily accessible will promote more water intake.
HORSES - Dehydration is probably the number one cause for colic in horses. It’s a year-round issue, too, not just summer time. Be sure to offer water before and after workouts and at least twice a day if they’re tied - even if they’re tied in the shade. (this time of year, they shouldn’t be tied in full sun anyway)
Attire
US - Get out of that short sleeved shirt. You’ll always catch us in light-colored, long-sleeved shirts made of thin material. (almost always including some percentage of cotton) This will give your sweat somewhere to collect and evaporate - making you cooler. Hats and caps are good water trough water filters. Hats cover your ears better. Caps wick moisture a little better.
CATTLE - Nothing really to say here other than to try keep the flies off of them. There are lots of ways to do that, but we use a dust bag and a feed through that you can just dump in the mineral. That way you don’t have to work them to tag, spray or apply pour on.
HORSES - Wool pads. Mohair cinches. Leather boots or no boots. No neoprene. Those neoprene boots, pads and cinches are nice and we use them plenty. BUT, they have a real hard time letting out the heat and moisture - and that’s a no no this time of year.
Activity
US - Take breaks. Apply water to wrists, arm pits and neck to cool down. Cool off gradually. A moving truck with the windows down is a better option if you’re overheating than jumping into a 59 degree truck cab with the AC blasting.
CATTLE - Leave them alone. If they must be worked, let it be early in the morning or late in the evening. If you’re mothering calves, or weaning shippers, or have any reason to have cattle in two pens - BE SURE that both pens have access to water. Cattle don’t colic like horses, but they’ll buckle and get down if they overheat and are moved around too much.
HORSES - Rinse legs and consider a recovery paste. We have not started using a recovery paste consistently, but we have used them and consider them useful this time of year. Take multiple horses to do the job even if it’s a small job. If your mount feels spent, give them a break and get a different horse. Switching horses doesn’t take near as long as hauling one off and digging a hole.
Take care of your animals. And take care of yourselves. It’s hot out there.