Vultures, Mirrors and More Dressage!

Did you know that vultures don't like their image in mirrors? Now you are probably asking yourself, "When does a vulture ever see itself in a mirror?" Well, vultures circling about Adagio Farm in Geneva have that opportunity, thanks to the mirrors alongside the dressage ring. And according to Bruce, sand hill cranes don't like their image either. When I arrived for my lesson this morning, I was greeted by the spectacle of a dozen or so vultures hanging out around the mirrors. One, in particular, was having a one sided fight with himself. Apparently, this is a common occurrence. And the scratches along one particular mirror, Bruce explained, were from the sand hills attacking their "enemy."

Its funny...some horses notice themselves, others don't. Tucker didn't blink an eyelash the first time he saw the mirrors. Jen rode Imp over and Imp didn't react, having seen mirrors before, however, each time she passed alongside them, she would pin her ears. I guess horses are like humans...obviously, from the bare muffin tops and tight clothes, there are quite a few women who don't notice their appearance in a mirror!

Our dressage lesson was great! Bruce is very generous with his praise. We have been working diligently with our leg yields, shoulder support and keeping Tucker round and balanced.

"Don't worry about his head," Bruce told me. "Instead, keep him balanced and collected..the head set will come." And sure enough, by the end of our session, Tucker's head was flexing at the poll, coming on the vertical!

We worked more on leg yields, spirals and canter departures.

There is some communication problems however! Bruce, despite his eventing background, speaks dressage. I however, speak jumper and eventer. Just where the hell is the quarter line? And what do you mean, do a change of direction within the circle? Doesn't that mean ride to B and change direction? I am doing a 10 meter circle...oh, you mean around you standing on the center line, not between you and and rail. Years of listening to loud rock music has definitely impacted my hearing, and the wind blowing doesn't help. We laughed at our different interpretations and he explained what he was looking for.

We got some nice leg yields accomplished. Tucker felt fabulous! I can feel the transformation in him and Jen and Bruce notice it. It was a good end to a start that began with vultures attacking themselves!

AND! Jen tacked Imp and rode her...this was the first time Imp has been under saddle since February. She is sound, and as she rode Imp around the dressage ring, with Imp collected and round, they looked fantastic! Bruce wanted to know why she wasn't showing her! Who knows, if Imp can stay sound and get back in shape.....

Friends, horses and food!

Gamblers Choice

Yep, pole bending in english tack!

I belong to the Mane Event, a local chapter of the OPRC...I have to cringe a little when I say what that stands for...OLD People's Riding Club. I am not old, don't like being called or implied that I am old and while I love the club, I wish it were not called the OLD People's Riding Club.
The OPRC was founded as an adult version of the United States Pony Club. Just like in pony club, the OPRC has rallies and ratings.
I have been a member of the Mane Event since it began, which was in the early 2000's. It is a fun group of mainly horsewomen (and a few good men!) who all love their horses. We meet every month for dinner and a guest speaker, and have one hell of a Christmas party! Everything we do has 3 main components: horses, fun and food (and sometimes, some wine or champagne! At my first rating, years ago, we celebrated with champagne....we certainly didn't do that in the USPC!!).
To participate in club sanctioned events, everyone must be rated. I achieved my C2 last year, and remind Jen all the time that I will beat her to becoming B rated!
Last weekend the club hosted a rally. Since our members come from all disciplines: pleasure, dressage, driving, gated horses and eventing, we had a variety of classes at the rally.
It was a beautiful fall day, the morning started cold and quickly warmed into the 70's. An extra bonus, the OPRC President, Sheila Haviland, flew in for the event from Maryland. Our judge was Iris Bolt, an "L" dressage judge from Germany.
Our first class was trail. I was game. I wanted to show how versatile my big draftx is! Tucker was so brave...we tackled the bridge, moved a shirt from one post to another and navigated the L, forward and backwards. The trotting through cones and over poles was a breeze. Then we got to the pole on the ground, which required side passing over. Tucker suddenly developed amnesia...he wouldn't sidestep the pole. Not to the left, not to the right. Not facing the judge, not away from the judge. So our undoing was not the blowing in the wind shirt or the bridge, but a pole on the ground!
Side note, a week later, Tucker executed a perfect sidepass all the way across the dressage arena, from B to E. Go figure! I don't think he liked the pole on the ground!
We rode in dressage training test 2. We earned a respectable 60.9%, which I felt redeemed our dressage test at Rocking Horse a month earlier, where we earned a 42 on what was the first cold morning of the season (in eventing, the dressage tests are low, preferably in the 20's and 30's, whereas in dressage, you want 60's into the 70's and 80's). We took the blue for that class. Next up was jumping. We had a gamblers choice and while the highest jumpers class was only 2'3, we took the blue. Next was pole bending...hey, why not! We had the 3rd fastest time, laughing the whole way in and out of poles!
Of course, a pot lot lunch was part of the day's festivities. Friends gathered around in semi-circles, eating good food and discussing the days events so far. Recipes were exchanged, with Lew's chicken salad being a big favorite, with Jane's pumpkin cookies getting rave reviews!

It was a beautiful day to share with friends and our horses.

Visualizing Dressage!

My daughter, Jen, has a t-shirt that lists the top 10 things about eventing. One of them is that "eventually dressage and show jumping will go away," leaving just cross country!
While that is wistful thinking, it isn't going to happen...if you want just cross country, there are eventing derbies and fox hunting to give you that. Without dressage, while eventers moan about it, is a necessary evil to eventing...that test of training and response on the first day is what makes a great eventer responsive and in tune with his rider on the cross country course.
Even when I was a teenager and didn't know anything about dressage, I still knew that it was important to ride my horse on the flat. I had a hot headed grey jumper, a Perch-QH-Arab cross by the name of Sir Tally. I bought him in his late teens for $800, and he had alot of baggage that came with him...he could jump, but his nick name was Silver Streak. It didn't matter what type of bit we used....kimberwickes, pelhams (God, I hate double reins!), elevators, gags....nothing mattered. Finally, in desperation and frustrated by my lack of control in the show ring, I turned to flat work. No jumping for 6 months. Instead, we did leg yields, circles, transitions and more transitions. When we showed up at our first horse show in a snaffle, at least five people asked if I had lost my mind...after we rode our first course in a cool, calm and controlled manner, everyone was asking what I had done! It was a proud moment for me, and a major turning point in my riding career. I suddenly realized, that any horse can go in a snaffle, if properly trained with flat work...no matter the chosen discipline of the horse.
In eventing, a good dressage score is the opposite of traditional dressage, where the good scores are high...60's, 70's and 80's. Few achieve scores in the 90's. In eventing, the good scores are low. Low 30's is the norm. A few break into the 20's. Jen would pretty much always score in the low 30's, and it was a difficult task to achieve those scores on her hot Thoroughbred mare, yet she made it look so easy. In upper level eventing, such as Rolex, scores average in the 40's and 50's.
Tuckers first horse trial earned us a 38. Not great. It was ok. His conformation, with his short thick neck, makes bending at the poll difficult. We constantly struggle with this. Our next outing, last month at Rocking Horse (see post about the fire breathing dragon!), was horrible...the first cold front of the season meant I was happy to just keep him within the dressage ring without jumping out, or bucking along the way. It was a disastrous 42. Clearly not the direction we were hoping to head in.
The week before that event, I had taken a lesson with Bruce Patti of Adagio Farm. After complimenting my hands and seat, Bruce immediately pinpointed what I needed to work on: getting Tucker more uphill, creating smoother transitions to the walk and getting him to flex through the poll.
Bruce is a visual instructor. I like that. Having images to compare my movements to really helps me. For the transitions to the walk, he told me to imagine that we were about to crash into a padded wall. The impact would result in Tucker doing a boing-boing-boing movement. In other words, when asking for the walk, don't let all the energy dissipate, resulting in a boring, flat walk. Instead, move into the walk and keep the momentum, resulting in a bouncy, forward and animated walk. Now, when I do my down transitions, I simply imagine that padded wall in front of us!
For his heaviness on the forehand, Bruce wanted me to try different half-halts than I was already doing. He wanted them quicker but stronger, so he instructed me to visualize coming down a hill at the gallop, with a log jump at the bottom. Such a ride would entail strong half-halts to get the horse collected and on his haunches, ready to make the jump. So now, when Tucker is starting to get strung out and too heavy on the forehand, I give him the necessary half-halts, just as I would if we were about to approach that jump at the bottom of a hill.
The other instruction I got from Bruce was to increase the transitions. Constantly be changing gaits to keep Tucker guessing what was coming next, which would aid with the bending and flexing as well as getting him off the forehand.
We practiced these every ride and at the next lesson, last week, Bruce commented that it showed that I had taken his instruction to heart and was practicing. "Why wouldn't I?" I asked....to spend good money for someone's advice and then not follow it would be a waste of money.
We worked more on the bending as well as learning to do a rein back and ask for a canter. I had never done a rein back into a canter. Again, a visual example: imagine that I am asking Tucker to move forward, but there is a closed door and the only way to move is to go backwards. Keeping him round and supple, he must take a few steps backwards, then stop and immediately proceed into the canter. We need more work on that task! We were able to keep him round and collected, and a few movements got him getting the hocks under him and pushing off, but he was a bit confused and Bruce instructed me to work on this task only in lessons for now, so as to not further confuse Tucker. Our take home work included more transitions and doing 6-8 meter circles with the inside rein leading wide out...."like a witch stirring her cauldron"...yet another visual image....and then to ask Tucker to leg yield on the bend. Bruce explained this is something that he would not instruct a beginner to do, and doesn't use this method often, but with Tucker's conformation, he feels this will help with the flexing. "Anyone other than a reiner may question why you are doing this, but don't worry about what people think" he said. We also lengthened my stirrups and worked on my position at the sit trot...less up/down and more sliding with my seat bones forward and back, like a snow skier. It is a challenge doing this in an all purpose saddle, but Bruce kept encouraging me to allow my calf's to stretch down and keep my knees away from the saddle blocks.
Our lesson today was more challenging. Bruce is asking us to raise the notch a level, and let me say, I am ready for the challenge! Lots of leg yields with more outside rein support, doing our small circles with leg yields, and reinbacks into the canter. Tucker is a tough cookie with his stiffness to the right. We have our work cut out for us, but I say, bring it on! I want to be competitive come January at the Longwood South Horse Trials..with $20,000 in prize money...yes, you read that right, I want to come home with some of that loot!
I can't wait for next week's lesson!

Body Clipping 101

Imp before being clipped..the wooly beast! Imp after....

body clipping: the act of transferring all of the hair on your horse to your body.

I don't know of any horse owner who enjoys body clipping. Many, are willing to fork over more than a hundred dollars to pay somebody to perform this chore.

It is back breaking, takes hours to do, the horse usually doesn't cooperate and requires being sedated, and when you are finally finished, you are covered in itchy horse hair.

For some, it passes sheath cleaning on the "yuck" scale of horse chores.

I have been pretty lucky. For years, I have had very little clipping to do.

Imp, our Thoroughbred mare, never had much of a winter coat. When she was competing, I never had to clip her.

Tucker, my draft cross from Canada, did have a coat. But because he was young and not going anywhere in the winter, I never bothered to clip him. Which was good, because when he was younger, he had an aversion to clippers and even the simple act of clipping whiskers and ears required a twitch. (I am happy to report that he outgrew that aversion!)

Dolly, our little Quarter Horse mare, unfortunately did require clipping. She had an even worse aversion to clippers than Tucker did. And you simply did not come near her with a twitch. It just wasn't going to happen. So, like alot of things with the aged mare, we compromised. She allowed me to do a modified trace clip and in exchange, she only popped me in the face with her knees a few times instead of kicking me to a pulp. It was a good compromise.

Like much in life, things change.

Dolly has crossed the rainbow bridge to greener pastures. Tucker has adapted to Florida and doesn't grow much of a winter coat. Ironically, about the time he stopped growing a coat was the time that Imp did start growing a coat. Imp is now a wooly mammoth. It is strange. The year we retired her and she had her knee surgery, she started growing a coat, which every winter since, gets longer and longer.

I am a regular visitor to the Chronicle of the Horse website and every year, there is a thread about wet clipping.

In years past, when I had to body clip, I did the normal method: you wait for a warm day, bathe the horse, wait hours for the horse to dry and then start clipping. Proponents of wet clipping advocated that you could skip the hours of waiting for the horse to dry and start clipping the horse while wet. I was intriqued.

This is the second year that I have clipped Imp while she was wet. I love it!

Immediately after bathing her, I scrape the excess water off and immediately start clipping her. Fortunately, Imp's impeccable manners carry over to clipping and she demonstrates perfect manners throughout the clipping, although she is ticklish on her left flank and I had to remind her a couple of times that I was standing next to that cocked hind leg. Having a well mannered horse makes clipping so much easier and faster.

With wet clipping, the biggest bonus is that I am not covered in itchy horse hair! The wet hair either drops right to the ground or stays on the horse in a clump, which with a swoop of the hand is removed. You really realize how much hair does not land on you when you get to the final 10% and the hair is dry and flying straight off into your face....I should have re-wet her at that point, but wanted to keep going.

The other advantage to wet clipping is that there are no clip lines. Also, the clippers stay cooler and I don't have to lubricate the blades as often...in fact, this time around, I couldn't find my lubricant and didn't use any at all.

The pictures above are the proof that wet clipping works. Some posters on COTH say it doesn't work for them. I don't know if there is a difference with clippers (I use the Oster Clipmaster), if there is a difference in hair or what, but I do know it works for me, and it is nice to finish the job and not be covered in hair!

How to Ride a Fire Breathing Dragon!

October 1 was not only our first horse trial in over 2 years, it was also the first day that fall finally made an appearance!
I had been anticipating the schooling show at Rocking Horse for some time. Finally employed again and somewhat healthy (although still dealing with a torn miniscus and occasional cramping from last years blot clot in the calf), I am ready to finally start seriously showing Tucker!
My fellow pony club mom Pam, was talked into going with me! Even though Pam hasn't ridden her Thoroughbred, Copper all summer, her daughter Brittany volunteered to ride him in a dressage test. Whenever I want to go somewhere with Tucker, I call upon Pam to come with me. Tucker travels best with a companion, and Pam and I always have so much fun!
We decided to go up to Rocking Horse Friday night, rather than having to get up at the crack of dawn.
Unfortunately, that thing called work meant a late departure and we didn't arrive at Rocking Horse until almost 10:00 at night. We got the horses, who traveled perfectly, tucked in their stalls and made a beeline for the ever so quaint Fox Den, a few miles away.
For those not familiar with the Fox Den, it is, according to their website, a renovated 1950's era hotel. It is clean, but I believe they renovated it with furnishings from a vintage store! It is a hodgepodge of 1960's and '70's furniture, but that just gives it more of its charm.

The whole reservation was done by email...

ME: "I need a room for this date"...

FOX DEN: "the door will be left open, leave the key and the cash or check on the desk when you leave and lock the door behind you."
When we arrived, there was a sticky note on the door, welcoming the Tankel Party!
You don't get that kind of service at the Hilton!
This kind of service makes Pam nervous however, and we had to check under the beds and the closet, and I will admit however, that as I showered, I did envision Norman Bates lurking outside the room!
As I said, Saturday was the debut of the first day of fall. The temps were in the mid 50's, which was about a 20 degree drop for us.
Needless to say, my normally sedate Tucker was replaced by a FIRE BREATHING DRAGON!
Giving him a much need bath at 7:30 probably didn't help!
As I attempted to hand graze him, he spooked at the food caterer. He would buck. He would jump at the grass blowing. He spooked at the golf carts and scooters. I realized that drinking my hot tea and trying to hold him would not work.
I am really terrible at managing my time, and suddenly, I realized I needed to have been on and warming him up about 20 minutes ago. Our dressage test was at 9, I wanted to be on him at 8 and here it was 8:20.
We tacked up and headed out to the big front field where the dressage rings are. I didn't realize how bad he was behaving until a woman on a horse trying to come through the gate stopped to let us pass first, and commented how "we should have the right of way." "What does THAT mean, I wondered?" Meanwhile, Tucker was snorting and bucking and than broke into a handgallop.
I ride Tucker in a snaffle.

Suddenly, I wished for a piece of barbwire in his mouth.
Our warmup was, well, entertaining. I am sure we gave several riders quite the scare.

But, I soon realized, we weren't alone. There were other fire breathing dragons warming up, some worse than Tucker.
Long story short, I contained Tucker and got the bucks out of him so that we could ride our test. It was not pretty. It pretty much sucked. We blew through our transition from a trot to a medium walk. His free walk was horrible. He was stiff. He wouldn't bend. He was hollow. I felt like I was riding a camel. I didn't need the comments from the judge to confirm what I already knew. But you know what? He didn't buck, he stayed in the ring and I didn't fall off! So, despite our score of 42, I would have to say it was a success!
He walked out of the dressage test suddenly a much mellower horse. Could we have a do over, please?

Stadium jumping was calm and collected and focused.
Cross country was a total blast! I did not have time to walk the course....remember how I mentioned how I am not good at managing my time? I had arranged with a friend to use her ATV to do the walk, as I was afraid that if I walked the course with my torn miniscus, I wouldn't be able to ride. Well, not thinking, I figured I would have time in the hour between stadium and cross country. Well, first, the cross country had started by the time I finished stadium, so I couldn't take the ATV out, and second, there really wasn't that much time! So we headed out to the course, map in hand, and I watched the other riders go. And eventers, being the kind people they are, gave me tips. Comments like "after fence 9, be looking immediately for the opening in the woods and be ready for jump 10," and " after you come out of the woods, look for the 2 big intermediate benches and the ditch will be on your left," really saved us!
We came out of the start box, looking for the jumps that had numbers on a yellow background and off we went! Imp could count down and would shoot out of the start box like a rocket. Tucker hasn't learned to count backwards yet and it takes a few strides to get him up to speed. Once we got going, Tucker ate up the ground, attacking every jump like a seasoned pro. We settled into a steady pace. At one point, I thought I would emmulate the great Ralph Hill, who is known for singing rock songs as he barrels his way cross country. The first song that popped in my head was Old McDonald Had a Farm....my voice caused Tucker to bolt a bit (not surprised, my singing has that affect on everyone). I belted out that Old McDonald had a horse, EIEIO and then decided that while singing may help Ralph breath, it was having the opposite effect on me, so I quit! I think Tucker was happy that I did!
We went double clear, finishing on our dressage score. I couldn't be happier! The last time Tucker was out on cross country was last spring, and we hadn't even jumped anything since then, until last weekend, when I set up some of the jumps at the new barn. I remembered to look up over each jump, as pictures from our first event shows (as evidenced in the photo above, which was from our first trial in 2009) show me looking down at the jump, as if I were saying to myself, "wow, we really are jumping that!" Tucker was pretty well recovered, so I am happy that our conditioning plan works. The optimum time was 5:47. We rode it in 5:04. Funny, it didn't feel that fast, so I guess we need to work on his pacing. His huge stride really covers alot of ground. Final results had us tied for 6th.
Next up, December at Rocking Horse! Look out, we are ready for some serious cross country fun!

Flying Turkeys, Black Cows and Dressage Tests...Oh! My!

Tuesdays and Thursdays, I arise at 5:30 so that I can be at the barn and on Tucker by 7am. Feel that you missed something? Well, earlier this month, Nikki, who has boarded with me for over 6 years, bought a farm and I moved the horses to her new place in Geneva....hence, the early wake up time.
It is a beautiful time to be on Tucker. There is a mist that is still settled over the field. The sun is just rising, and there is wildlife to enjoy. LOTS of wildlife!
We are entering a schooling horse trial at Rocking Horse in just a little more than 2 weeks. Last weekend, I decided it was time to print out the test (Beginner Novice Test B) and start learning it.
I realized Tuesday morning, the first time trying to ride the test, several things:

1) It is really difficult to learn a test without a dressage ring and letters.
2) It is even more difficult when the field you are riding in was just bush-hogged the week before and is therefore...rough. It is not flat. It is not manicured. There are slopes and the grass is still a good 8-12 inches tall in areas. Prime for stumbling.
3) I am not at my sharpest and clearest thinking at 7am.

So Tuesday morning, I am trying to learn the test. And I am thinking, wow, this is a really difficult test. I am trotting a circle and having to stop, pull the folded up test out of my pocket, study it again, try to figure where M is in relation to K and just where the heck is G, and try again. And again. And again.

Did I mention, that while I am doing this, there are deer and cattle in the field next door? Did you know that cattle and deer EAT horses? Just ask Tucker. He is absolutely convinced that they do!

So we are trotting circles, stopping to read the test, snorting at cows and trying to establish a walk on a free rein...no, Tucker, that does not mean you can trot.
Finally, after an hour, I have to stop. Unfortunately, there is that thing called work that I have to get home to and get ready for.
This morning, I am once again on Tucker at 7. Another glorious morning. Mist, sun, the full moon. Absolutely beautiful. We start out at our warm up walk. And we are walking towards the neighbors field. With the cows. The black cows that eat black horses. The cows that are laying down next to the fence line and purposely shaking their head, just to scare Tucker even more. And of course there are the deer. Frolicing deer. They are celebrating the morning, running about in the field, doing pirouttes.
And then, there are the turkeys.
In the 1970's, there was a tv show called WKRP in Cincinatti. It was about a bunch of nincompoops that run a radio statio. Burt Reynolds then-wife, Loni Anderson starred in it. There was an episode where the station decides to drop turkeys from a helicopter. Except, instead of dropping the frozen kind, they drop live turkeys. Apparently, live turkeys don't fly. The tv audience is left to imagine what must have happened after that line.
So I guess I never thought about whether or not turkeys really can fly. Every turkey I see is walking. They love to cross the road in a single file...never in a group. They love to hold up cars by doing so. Turkey humor.
So I was really surprised, that while trying to convince Tucker that the cows were not going to eat him, I suddenly looked up and there in a tall pine tree, was a turkey. And in another tree, was another turkey. Suddenly, turkeys were gliding to the ground. It was like the WKRP helicopter was dropping turkeys from the sky.
They kept coming. And coming. In the end, there must have been 30 or more turkeys that dropped out of the sky.
Amazingly, Tucker was totally oblivious to all of them...he was still thinking about those damn cows!
Oh, and that dressage test? Well, I must have been more alert this morning. I realized that not only is the test pretty easy, it is pretty short. It was still difficult riding it so it looked pretty, but I think we have the test memorized and will worry about the pretty stuff later!

Horses and Extreme Heat

It is only a few more months until we can enjoy winter, although this type of fun, as my mother and grandfather were able to enjoy in 1940's McMurray, Pennsylvania, is elusive to those of us stuck in Florida!

Tucker, Imp and Tyke, grazing reluctantly in the evening heat.

My horses are wimps. They are like me: they simply do not like the heat. And unfortunately for all of us, we happen to live in Florida, where heat is something we must deal with for at least half of the year.
My horses do not want to go outside anymore. They have become the ultimate couch potato. If I ever had to do a long term stall rest, I would not have any complaints from them! They are inside during the heat of the day, fans blowing on them. They have hay in front of them. Fresh, cool and clean water. Deeply bedded stalls. And when evening arrives and the temperatures drop to, oh, 88-89 degrees, they don't want to leave those stalls. It is like having a 1200 pound teenager who doesn't want to leave their tv, computer and unlimited food supply to venture out into the real world!
After dinner time, we turn the horses out. In the winter and fall, we can simply open their stall doors and stand back as they rush out into the field. Nowadays, however, we have to walk them out and if we aren't quick enough to close the gate back into the barn, they will run us down as they try to rush back into their stalls. Even when the weather doesn't cooperate and they have spent nearly 24 hours in their stalls due to heat and storms, trying to get them out in the morning for a few hours is like trying to budge an elephant. And once we get them out? They stand there at the gate, giving pathetic looks. Trying to convince us that they are going to either melt in the 82 degrees heat or the bugs will devour them. It is ridiculous!
Most of America is under extreme heat warnings right now. Hard to believe, but there are places in the north where it is even hotter than in Central Florida.
The good news for them is, it won't last too long, unlike here in Florida, where we are just a little more than half way through our heat. So how should one cope with the heat?

Ride in the Coolest Part of the Day!

As I stated, I hate the heat. As I get older, I despise it even more. A northern girl, I have always preferred the winter. I would rather bundle up and get warm than to sweat and stink and stay hot. We have experienced record cold winters in Florida the last few years, and I loved it!
For me, our summers are like the north's winters. Horsemen in the north find their riding days limited during winter months, unless they have access to an indoor arena or can head south to show. So for me, I simply limit my riding. I have to ride very early in the morning. This means getting up at 5:30 and riding by 7am. I don't ride long. Just enough to keep Tucker and myself somewhat in shape and fresh. I don't do a whole lot of extreme riding...no cross country jumping. Instead, I focus on doing lateral work...leg yields, turn on the haunches and forehand, and we are practicing walking on a loose rein. Now is the time to practice for horse trials in the fall and to work on our dressage!
Another good idea is to hose your horse off before you start to ride. This helps to keep him cool, especially if he has trouble sweating or is a draft cross like Tucker. Did I mention he hates the heat as much as I do?
Pay attention to the heat index. There are several available online, including www.weather.gov/om/heat/index.shtml
Know what your horses limits are as well as your own. If either of you are out of condition, or as I mentioned, a draft or draft-x like Tucker, the heat will take an even heavier toll on you.
Drink lots of water, before, during and after. Make sure your horse has access to water and give him water breaks frequently.
Dress appropriately! There are so many options for hot weather riding! As horrible as it sounds, wear long sleeve shirts as well as sun screen! My favorite shirt is this: http://www.equiinstyle.com/
Jackie's shirts keep you cool, they are fashionable enough to wear out to dinner or shopping, and they offer UV protection.
For breeches, several companies make several styles that leave you dry and help wick moisture away: http://www.tropicalrider.com/ and http://www.equissentials.net/

So what about your partner?

As I mentioned, mine are inside during the heat of the day, fans blowing on them. When you consider a fan for the barn, invest in a good quality metal fan. Household box fans are not safe for barns, and there have been recalls over the past few years involving Lasko fans, which have caught fire. Make sure you utilize outdoor extension cords and that the fan and cords are not accessible to the horse. http://www.farmtek.com/ has a good selection of fans.
Cool, fresh water is essential! Horses colic in the winter due to their water troughs being frozen over and inaccessible. I have a feeling that a lot of summer colics are also the result of horses not drinking enough. I am flabbergasted at the number of farms that I have been to where outdoor water troughs are hot and dirty. Even inside, extreme temperatures can heat up water buckets. If you can not refill buckets during the day, I suggest adding ice to at least one bucket. Horses should have at least 2 buckets. Imp has 3. Know what your horses drinking habits are. I do not like the idea of using muck-style buckets for water in the horses stalls: they take up a lot of room, being low on the ground makes them get dirty easier and if the horse doesn't drink all of that water, they are heavy to empty and clean....yes, water buckets should be dumped DAILY! They should be scrubbed at least weekly, more if you have a horse that is prone to dunking his hay or otherwise getting his bucket dirty.
If your horse needs electrolytes or salt, be sure they have access to it either in feed, water or in loose form.

As I mentioned above, make sure you and your horse are in top condition. If you are competing, make sure your horse has adjusted to the heat. When I used to compete in the summer, I rode my horse during the heat of the day, so that we were both used to the heat and didn't pass out at shows. Know what weather conditions are like if you are planning on traveling out of state. Years ago, at the 2004 USPC Champs in Lexington, Kentucky, the temps were perfect for the southern region teams, with highs in the 70's and nights in the 50's. Our kids were teased because they put sheets on their horses at night! Yet for teams from the northernmost states, the humidity (humidity? It was about 50%....come to Florida and see what 100% humidity is like!) really bothered them! It was funny to talk to these competitors and to compare their impression of the weather (too hot) to ours (perfect!). Needless to say, I think the southern horses were better suited at that competition!

August is just getting started...for some, the extreme heat has given way already to normal summer temps. For us in Florida, we have at least 2 months of heat to deal with. But fall is just around the corner, and with that, perfect riding and showing weather! Hang in there!