Summer in the Okanagan with Scottish Horses

We are in the middle of summer in the Okanagan, and most people think of spending time on the lake, mountain biking, floating down the river, or touring local wineries. For us, our summer season looks a little different. We work during the week, and book events with our horses on weekends. That means weddings, fundraising events, birthday parties and other milestone celebrations. Adam is often up very early to work horses in an effort to beat the heat. This year has been extremely dry although not as hot as we have experienced in the past few years. Our horses are managed differently in the summer vs. the winter. In summer, they are locked into a large paddock area in the daytime. It is set up so that the horses are on free choice hay and water under shelter, with shade cloth all around, to help keep them cool and protect them from sunburn. If we can get fly masks on them all it’s a small miracle (and why it’s worth taking a photo when we do, they hate them!). They get various bug deterrent lotions on their bellies if they need it and a good scratch in their ears just because. Then in the evening, we turn the horses out and they roam around their field looking for even a morsel of grass left after a very dry season. The Clydesdales are content, the constant breeze is a life saver, and we hardly have any bugs worth complaining about. But, it’s also hot, and it’s the middle of wild fire season, and that has us on edge all the time. In 2021 we were evacuated from our home. The horses were all transported to neighbouring communities well in advance for safety. We bundled up our essentials and joined them for the 3 days we were officially on evacuation order. Thankfully, we were able to return home and all was well. But forest fires in the Okanagan are real. They are everywhere. All we can do now is be prepared for the unexpected and that’s a tall order when you have a small herd of draft horses (and a very special donkey named Willow!). Our trucks and trailers are full with fuel and read to roll should the need arise. We have water totes and water trailers ready as well. We experienced another fire in 2023, right across the street from our farm, but thankfully it was doused quickly. We have decided we will no longer travel during the peak of the summer season so we are always home just in case. We have also chosen to not book as many events as we used to for the same reason. July and August are now months we spend at home, getting odd jobs done around the farm and working the horses lightly. Our favourite season is every season but summer. The heat is hard on us and harder on heavy horses. We make the best of it and wait for cooler temperatures so we can be busy once again doing fun activities with our beloved Clydesdales.

Stay safe and stay cool everyone!