Horses, Anhidrosis, Allergies, and Surviving a Southeast Georgia Summer
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If you've never managed a horse through a Southeast Georgia summer, it's hard to explain just how brutal it can be.
The combination of heat, humidity, gnats, flies, pollen, and general weather hostility creates a perfect storm for horses that struggle with anhidrosis, allergies, or skin sensitivities.
Last summer, I was about ready to throw in the towel and board my horse somewhere else for the season.
She looked awful.
Her skin was becoming irritated and almost blistered in places. She spent most of her day hiding under her shelter with a fan. She lived in a fly mask, yet somehow the skin underneath still became inflamed. The gnats were relentless. Her udders were absolutely mutilated from itching.
Y'all, it was awful.
One of the hardest parts of horse ownership is the guilt. You look at your horse struggling and wonder if you're doing enough. You question every management decision. You wonder if keeping them at home is the right choice.
We made it through the summer.
Barely.
But we made it.
What I Changed This Year
After last summer, I promised myself I wasn't going into another Southeast Georgia summer unprepared.
Some of the biggest improvements have been environmental.
More Shade
My barn has a lower permanent roof (compared to the previous sunshades, which were wonderful, but non-permanent) that blocks much more of the angled morning and afternoon sunlight.
It sounds simple, but it has made a noticeable difference.
The goal isn't just providing shade. It's providing shade that actually works when the sun isn't directly overhead.
If you don’t have a roof, or even a barn, there are some great ideas out there on how to make a makeshift stall, most involving making a wooden fence run and attaching chainlink fence posts, then attaching sunshades to those. Yes, they are a hazard in severe weather, but they work great for not having a barn set up. Be sure to keep the tension tight and set it as a hyperbolic parabola to minimize wind issues and water retention. If you need a sunshade, I highly recommend this one, as it stayed pretty tough throughout the whole summer.
Solar Fans
Because I don't have electricity in my barn, I installed two solar-powered fans mounted to the barn ceiling with the solar panels mounted on the roof.
Game changer.
The amount of airflow they create makes the shelter noticeably more comfortable, especially during those stagnant, humid afternoons when the air feels like soup.
I will forever sing praises about these fans, the only downside is that they aren’t programmable and don’t come with a remote. If you can live going outside once a day and pushing the “on” button, they’re wonderful. Even my farrier was impressed with them and he’s not one to be easily impressed.
If you’d like to view and order, they can be found on Amazon here. I love this company too, they honored their warranty when one of mine was starting to have battery problems and I was trying to trouble shoot the issue. They sent a whole new fan.
Misters
I also have misters installed along the run.
I used them heavily last year during extreme heat events.
This year, I've needed them less, but they're still available when conditions become particularly rough.
They're not my favorite solution because they involve dragging hoses around and a little extra work, but when temperatures climb high enough, convenience becomes less important than horse comfort.
This one was super simple to set up and was extremely affordable.
Starting Early With Nutrition
One thing I've learned from talking to other horse owners is that waiting until symptoms appear often puts you behind the curve.
This year, I started my summer program on May 1st, before symptoms had a chance to get rolling.
My mare currently receives:
Triple Crown Diamond Balancer
1 pound of alfalfa pellets
Two tablespoons of salt
Two scoops of One AC
1,000 IU Vitamin E
Hydroxyzine HCl compounded molasses powder (500 mg)
For her udder irritation, I apply a compounded cream from my veterinarian approximately once a week containing:
Ivermectin
Neomycin
Nystatin
Triamcinolone
That alone has dramatically reduced her tendency to itch herself raw.
Everyone Has Their Own Formula
One thing I've found fascinating is how many different management strategies exist among horse owners dealing with the exact same problems.
Talk to ten owners of anhidrosis-prone horses, and you'll get ten different answers.
Some swear by:
A beer a day
A shot of vodka (and maybe one for yourself)
Additional salt supplementation
Commercial electrolyte supplements
Zyrtec twice daily
Transdermal therapies
Acupuncture
Specialized supplements
Chinese Herbs
And honestly?
Many of them seem to work.
Or at least work well enough for that individual horse.
The Common Theme
After countless conversations, the biggest takeaway I've found isn't which supplement works best.
It's that successful owners start early.
Whether it's:
Allergy management
Heat management
Fly control
Nutritional support
The people having the most success are usually proactive instead of reactive.
Once a horse is deep into a summer flare-up, it becomes much harder to regain control.
Work With Your Veterinarian
This is one of those situations where having a good relationship with your veterinarian is invaluable.
Anhidrosis and summer allergies aren't simple problems.
They don't have one universal solution.
What works for my horse may not work for yours.
A good veterinarian can help rule out other causes, adjust medications, monitor changes, and help you build a management plan that makes sense for your horse, your budget, and your environment.
Where We Are Now
It's still early in the season.
I'm cautiously optimistic.
The fans are running.
The shade is better.
The supplements started early.
The gnats are still plotting against us, but at least this year I feel like we're showing up with a game plan.
And sometimes, in Southeast Georgia horse keeping, that's about all you can ask for.
Disclaimer: I'm not a veterinarian. This post reflects my personal experience managing one horse with suspected anhidrosis and summer allergy issues in Southeast Georgia. Always work with your veterinarian before making changes to your horse's diet, supplements, or medications.
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