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I hate hot weather. Today there is a heat warning. I cancelled my lesson and backed out of an outdoor party tonight. I worry about the horses in the heat. But there is nothing I can do for Ariel. She has to be outside with the herd. She has a window and fan in her stall so she will be fine tonight. Heat makes me physically sick so I can’t be outside for more than about 15 minutes. I have to trust the barn staff and I do.

I hate the 4th of July. Bob was terrified of fireworks so he spent many days sedated. I was the the barn all the time, monitoring him and letting people ramp up my anxiety. I also hate the 4th because that’s the day I found out my ex was having an affair, leading to our divorce.

I know this is all in the past and I thought I had made peace with it all. But this year the memories are hitting me full force. My plan was to spend this weekend inside with the shades drawn, but after my Friday night pity party, decided that wasn’t healthy. I have an indoor play date today with a non horsey friend and tomorrow am hanging out with my travel friend. It’s good for me to be busy.

All this happened many years ago and I’m telling myself that none of this is today’s reality.

Thank you for listening.

I can sympathize with a lot of this. To say I hate fireworks is an understatement. My little township here uses every excuse they can to set off fireworks. I expect they will start tonight and might go on for days. Different places set them off. Not sure how my new horse will react to them; the old guy is ok. But my dog (now gone) suffered so with them.

Paula, why does your barn turn out the herd in the day instead of the night during the Summer? Do they have a shed outside? I hope so. Neither of my horses will step one foot outside in this weather. It's just so brutal and puts me in a horrible mood. We have forecast of 100F coming up tomorrow.

Yeah it's rough reliving old painful memories. Just remind yourself what a fool he was for losing you and move on with enjoying life and your horse.

I want to echo the issue of daytime turnout in summer. I am south of the Mason Dixon but the same would apply to the Midwest. Everyone here to my knowledge will switch to night time turnout in summer and only go to daytime turnout in winter.

That said, when I boarded I Wisconsin I don't think they did night time turnout but it's been so long I don't recall.

In addition to day turnout, Miss A. goes out at night with the school horses. Problem is, she goes mental if she’s in during the day and the others are out. Full herd night turnout isn’t an option. I don’t know of any barn here that does night turnout. Everything will be fine. I hate to say this, but I have something akin to mild PTSD this time of year.

I don’t miss my ex husband at all. I love my life, and I wouldn’t have it if we were still married.

Hey you are entitled to something akin to mild PTSD. I felt like I had that when I had to repeat a colonoscopy prep after following the instructions and failing. My husband might have mild PTSD just dealing with me during that episode!

Tsavo wrote:Hey you are entitled to something akin to mild PTSD. I felt like I had that when I had to repeat a colonoscopy prep after following the instructions and failing. My husband might have mild PTSD just dealing with me during that episode!

You are giving me PTSD (Premature TSD) just reminding me I need to make an appointment!

Paula O, you have my sympathies about the heat. Age has made me a total warm weather wuss.

I don't like having mine out at night because cars have gone through our fences before, but when it gets too hot and/or the flies get too bad I let them stay out at night. A neighbor's horses got out at night and got in the road and they were both killed.

I went to the barn late afternoon. The horses were in, Miss A was munching hay in front of her fan. She was a little sweaty but that’s fine. The horses are coming in early when it’s this hot. My fears have been allayed. Another reason I love my barn. They really do care about the horses.

Glad you're feeling better. I too hate fireworks. Bleh

I'll join you with the whine. This excessive heat and hot weather really gets to me. I hate being confined inside when I'd rather be riding - but there is a heat advisory. I have a small barn and 6 fans blowing 24/7 and lucky for some shade trees. I come in from cleaning stalls drenched and have to peel out of my clothes to shower. Stalls doors open to outside private turnouts and horses will not leave stalls. So I feel like I'm cleaning just like in the winter months.

I lost my little heart dog Sparky last year age 5 to lymphoma on July 11. This is not a good month for me either. I now have 2 small rescue dogs and they cannot tolerate the fireworks or thunderstorms. Fireworks usually will displayed every Friday night for the rest of the month.

Josette so sorry about your Sparky. Losing an animal is a huge loss.

WE too are having a heat wave and high humidity. I won't ride if it's too hot for me - it's too hot for my horse.

I also won't let my old guy go out in this weather - the barn owner wants to let him out at 3:00, gez that's the heat of the day! DUH...But, she let's her horses out at nite. My guy is too old to stay out all nite, so I just hand graze him when the sun does down a bit. He actually has 2 fans on his stall front and one across the aisle.

I think since I work in air conditioning all day I am more apt to melt, my body just can't get use to the heat and humidity.

Hopefully, we all get a break from this soon!

I've grown up in this state and with warm (often humid) conditions, but I gotta say my tolerance is taking a real dive, probably another of those age-related thingys! My oldster (born and raised in TX!) goes out during the day into a pasture with many large, shady trees, water trough in the shade, open breeze and mental stimulation. Since it's been his routine for nearly 2 decades he'd probably crater with a change to night turnout. Plus, we have feral pigs (mostly nocturnal) which can easily run under the Horseguard fencing and trot through two of my pastures. I consider the pigs a real danger. I actually worry more about my chickens this time of year! Hang in there, this too shall pass

I wish the pastures had shade trees. That's my only beef about my barn......

Feral pigs would scare me too!