Lakeside Stables

07/18/2025

🌡️ HEAT WAVE ALERT - Keep Horses Safe! 🐴

Hey everyone!
With temperatures climbing to 94-98°F heat index around 100 next week, let’s work together to keep our four-legged friends safe and comfortable! ☀️

🕐 RIDING TIPS:
• Plan rides for early morning (before 9 AM) or late evening (after 7 PM)
• Keep sessions shorter than usual
• Bring extra water for both you and your horse!
• Keep session slower paces than usual.

👀 WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Excessive Sweating: Pay special attention to heavy sweating around the chest, neck, and front legs - this can be an early warning sign that your horse is struggling with the heat.

Colic Signs: Colic is abdominal pain that can be triggered by dehydration and heat stress.

Watch for:
• Pawing at the ground
• Looking back at their belly
• Rolling or wanting to lie down frequently
• Loss of appetite
• Restlessness or agitation

Dehydration Symptoms:

• Skin tenting (pinch test - skin stays “tented” for more than 2 seconds)
• Dark or reduced urine
• Dry, sticky gums
• Lethargy or depression
• Elevated heart rate

Extra wellness checks throughout the week to ensure every horse stays healthy and hydrated.
We’re all in this together!

💡 Remember: When in doubt, call Mike, Keri or if you know call the vet.

🚿 BONUS COOLING TIPS:

If Your Horse is Overheating:
• Hose them down with cool water, focusing on the back of their legs and chest area

• NEW INFO: Don’t scrape the water off! We’ve learned that leaving the water on allows evaporation to help cool them more effectively.

• Move them to shade immediately
• Offer small sips of water frequently
• Consider electrolyte supplements (consult your vet first) we do have new salt blocks out.

💡 Remember: When in doubt, call your vet. It’s always better to be cautious when it comes to heat-related issues.

Stay cool, ride smart, and let’s keep our horses happy and healthy! 💙

07/18/2025

No lessons from July 20th thru July 22nd.

07/18/2025

BIG NEWS
A new big rock on the ranch actually 5 💍
See comments for details 😜

07/18/2025

🚩🚩UPDATES🚩🚩

No lessons
- July 20,21&22nd

Chores will be done 1 hour earlier on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 18,19&20 due to Keri being only one around. So horses will be let out to pastures 7pm these days only.

Thank you all for understanding.
We appreciate you all.

07/14/2025

07/03/2025

Let’s play a game ! Whose nose is this? 🤣🤣

Why can’t the horses leave the salt blocks in the tub 🤣🤣

Water trough cleaning this Sunday! Anyone want to play? 🤣🤣

06/29/2025

We will have to cancel the 5p lesson. Future radar looks like a storm hitting here about 5 to 530 then going till 630. Picture for attention

06/29/2025

The storms are south of us and things are looking good for the rest of the afternoon. Lessons

06/29/2025

Pausing lessons until 2p. Large storm moving our way from Lawrence

06/20/2025

🚩We love Farnam Apple A Day products! We have the paste in tubes along with tubs of it to put aoth grain.

🚩Daily checks are increased with the heat.

🚩Please if you have a horse with dehydration issues or excessive sweating call one of us we have the paste on hand incase!

**Why Electrolyte Powder in Feed:**

Electrolyte powder provides a concentrated, measured dose of essential minerals that horses lose through sweating. We are adding it to feed to ensure each horse gets the right amount of sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium they need. The powder form mixes well with feed.

**Heat Wave Benefits and Prevention:**

During extreme heat, horses can lose enormous amounts of electrolytes through sweat - sometimes several pounds per day of hard work or stress. Supplementing prevents dehydration, muscle cramps, weakness, and fatigue. It helps maintain their appetite and encourages proper water consumption. Most importantly, it prevents serious conditions like heat exhaustion, muscle tying-up, and metabolic imbalances that can become life-threatening.

**Salt Blocks in Dry Lots:**

We will be replacing ALL THE Salt blocks in the dry lots, which provide free-choice sodium and chloride, allowing horses to self-regulate their intake based on their individual needs. They encourage water consumption, which is vital for temperature regulation through sweating and preventing impaction colic.
The blocks also give horses something to occupy themselves with, reducing boredom in confined spaces.

Together, the powder ensures baseline needs are met while blocks allow for additional intake as needed - a perfect combination for hot Kansas summers.

06/17/2025

🚩🚩NO LESSONS🚩🚩

We gave been checking the radar closely we are concerned about lighting and flash floods for those traveling too and from the barn.

We HATE canceling lessons but it is best for students and the horses.

Apologies.

Thank you all for caring and understanding.