IF your horse will let you, lift their upper lip and look at the gums above the teeth - they should be a healthy pink colour, shiny, moist and slippery. If they’re pale, dry or tacky, this can be a tell-tale sign of dehydration.

You can perform a quick and easy test by applying firm pressure to your horse’s gums with a thumb and seeing how long it takes for the pink colour to return after you remove your thumb. This should normally take 1-2 seconds; if it takes longer than this, your horse may be suffering from dehydration.

You can also do a pinch test by picking up a fold of skin on the neck. When you release the fold it should return to normal within five seconds.