The hot weather and humidity can take a physical toll on all animals, but it particularly affects horses as their large muscle mass and comparatively small body surface area makes it difficult for them to cool themselves.

In good news though, there are plenty of ways you can help keep your horse safe, happy and cool during these warmer months.

It's important to provide your horses with plenty of clean and accessible drinking water. It's always better to have more than not enough, so ensure abundant supply is available at all times.

Did you know a horse drinks up to 30-50 litres of water a day?

Horses will consume even higher amounts on warmer days as they tend to sweat more and use up water reserves in their body.

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It is also important that horses always have access to shade (trees or shelter) as they will become stressed and overheated if they're not able to find shade.

This is especially important for horses who have white skin over areas such as the nostrils and, therefore, get sunburnt easily.

If you have the resources, you could consider building one very large shade or shelter, rather than a small one in each paddock, that all of the horses can get to on a daily basis.

This can be situated in an area that is linked by laneways to the various paddocks and means the shade/shelter can be used year round.

Paddocks can then be rested and rotated while allowing horses to exhibit social behaviours.

Stables tend to be too hot to shade in during hot weather, due to the enclosed sides and often aluminium or steel construction.

If you have metal shed, be sure to have a shaded outside yard attached.

Many people rug horses in summer in order to prevent their coat from fading in the sun.

This is not advised as it may trap heat and reduce the horse's ability to cool off.

When temperatures exceed 25 degrees, horses are at risk of heat stress. Using rugs on horses in summer can be a welfare issue.

A horse naturally has a sleek coat which reflects the sun and they will seek shade when they are hot as a natural response.

Horses are one of the few animals that rely on sweating to cool down.

Rugs impede this process by preventing air from passing over the body, which evaporates the sweat to regulate temperature.

During the hottest part of the day in summer (between noon and 3pm) it's best to avoid riding or working your horse to reduce exposure to heat and physical exhaustion.

When riding in hot weather, it's best to stick to shaded areas, keep rides short and take frequent water breaks.

It's important that horses are not exercised on very hot days, as they are prone to high water loss through sweat and over-heating.

After your ride, ensure you cool your horse down by hosing it with cold water and giving it plenty to drink.

In addition to plenty of water, give your horse a salt block to replace lost electrolytes.

With these tips you are no doubt on the track to keeping your horse heathy, safe and cool as temperatures climb.

For more information you can visit the RSPCA Knowledgebase.