Horse Hints
Horse Hints Traveling with your horses can be a fun and rewarding experience for both you and your horse but only if you are both ready for the trip. There are a lot of things to keep in mind when you are planning for an equine excursion. Before you get on the road make sure you are prepared.

Article Sub Sections:
— Transporting Your Horse
— Traveling Papers
— Loading Your Horse
— Additional Advice

Transporting your Horse
Traveling is stressful for your horses for numerous reasons. There are few things to keep in mind to make traveling as pleasant as possible for your horse.

Confinement

• If you leave them untied or tied with enough slack they can lower their heads below their withers, they are less likely to encounter respiratory stress. It also facilitates sinus clearing and airway drainage.
• If your trip is going to require multiple days of travel to reach your destination, make sure you reserve accommodations for both you and your horse along the way. Never leave your horses on the trailer for two consecutive nights. One night of sleeping on the trailer is probably okay.
  

Dehydration

• It is important to offer your horses water at least every four hours. Some horses won’t drink during transport but you should continue to offer anyway.
  
• You should carry water with you from home but in case you run out it is a good idea to start flavoring your horse’s water a few days before leaving on a trip. If you run out of water from home, you can flavor water on the road and your horses will still drink.
  

Digestion

• Do not feed your horse grain in transit. The stress of transport can impede digestion and a horse on the road with a gut full of grain can develop colic.
  
• There are also preventative measures that will further ensure your horse does not develop any obstructions in his digestive tract. Three days before travel add Bran to your horses feed and three feedings before the trip add corn oil. This will help your horse pass all hard stool before the trip.
  
• It is recommended to put hay in the trailer for the horse to nibble on. It will work as a pacifier and help to hold water in their stomach.
  
• It is a good idea to wet the hay before loading it to reduce dust and it also increases the amount of moisture the horse intakes.
  
• You can also supplement their hay with alfalfa cubes to keep their stool moving.
  

Motion of the Trailer

• Drive Carefully! If you are swerving around other vehicles at high speeds or taking sharp corners, chances are you’re slamming your horse against the trailer wall or at very least forcing him to scramble to keep his balance. Driving erratically will quickly exhaust your horse.
  
• Tap slightly on the brakes before you actually stop and remember to allow extra stopping distance. This helps the horse prepare for the change in speed.
  
• Try putting a half full glass of water on your dash. If it is sloshing out of the top when you take corners or brake, slow down!
  
• If you’ve never towed a trailer before it is a good idea to practice pulling your trailer behind your tow vehicle before you put your horse in it.
  
• Rubber torsion suspension significantly reduces the amount of shock the horse absorbs through the floor of the trailer.
  
• You can wrap your horse’s legs to give him added support on the road, although this can be more bothersome than helpful to a horse that is not used to having its legs wrapped.
  
• Give your horses a chance to rest by planning one or two stops a day for leisurely meals.
  

Noise

• If you’ve never ridden in the back of a trailer going down the highway, you should. You’ll be amazed at how noisy it can be. Trailers that use rivets to attach the side sheets have dramatically more road noise than trailers that use VHB tape to attach the side sheets.
  
• It can also reduce noise to store equipment in a separate compartment from your horse. This will also protect your horse from the possibility of loose equipment injuring your horse.
  

Road Conditions

• Plan your trip so that you can avoid high traffic areas during busy times of the day.
  
• Plan your route on major highways rather than back roads or city streets. It will make the trip easier on the horse.
  

Health Status

• Only horses in good health should be transported. Sick horses should only be transported in emergency situations under veterinary supervision.
  
• Horses need to be vaccinated and wormed about one month before a trip in order to give the vaccines enough time to take effect.
  

Temperature

• Horses are comfortable at temperatures between 30-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
• When temperatures fall below 30 degrees horses must divert energy that would be used for performance or growth to creating metabolic heat. If you have to transport your horse in cold weather be sure to put a blanket on them.
  
• When temperatures get above 75 degrees avoid traveling in the hottest part of the day and try to keep moving. You can also carry a hose in your trailer and wet your horses down at truck stops or you can place a block of ice on the trailer floor to reduce heat from the road.
  

Exhaust Fumes

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning can occur from exhaust fumes building up inside the trailer. It is important that the exhaust system on the tow vehicle expels fumes to the side of the vehicle.
  o It is also important to make sure there is adequate airflow through your trailer. Leave the air vents and windows open. If you are concerned about a draft, ride in the back of the trailer and adjust windows and vents to redirect the airflow.
  

Separation from the Herd

• Transporting your horse with his stable-mates is likely to put him more at ease than transporting him alone or with horses he is unfamiliar with.
  

Unfamiliar Environment

• Horses are naturally afraid of new things so keep your horse acquainted with your trailer even when you don’t have an upcoming trip. Take him for a short ride periodically just so he remains used to being in the trailer.
  
• Do not plug generator into a wall outlet.
  
• Operate on a firm, level surface.
  
• Use with a carbon monoxide detector.
  

• Proof of Ownership – If your horse is purebred, its registration papers can serve as proof of ownership. If it doesn’t belong to a breed registry you can either carry a copy of the bill of sale for your horse or obtain a brand inspection from the state department of agriculture. The brand inspection certificate is required in some states.
  
• Negative Coggins Test – The Coggins Test determines whether or not a horse is a carrier of Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). You must carry a form stating that your horse has been tested with negative results.
  
• Certificate of Veterinary Inspection – A Health Certificate from your veterinarian documents that your horse is healthy and shows no signs of infectious disease. A CVI is only good for 30 days and must be obtained for every trip your horse makes.
  

It is also a good idea to make up a packet of Emergency Information that should include:

• Emergency Contact Numbers of Family Members
  
• Mechanic’s phone number
  
• Veterinarian’s phone number
  
• The phone number to the boarding facility where your horse lives
  
• The phone number to the boarding facility where you are taking your horse.
  
• Doctor’s phone number
  
• Copies of all your insurance papers including policy numbers and contact information for your medical, truck, trailer, horse, insurance providers.
  
• Limited Power of Attorney form designating someone to make decisions concerning your horse’s care if you are unable to do so.
  

• First evaluate your trailer for weaknesses. If your horse feels any give in the flooring he may refuse to load.
  
• Never load a horse into an unhitched trailer and never unhitch a trailer while a horse is still in it. Unhitched trailers are unstable.
  
• Open all the doors and turn on all the lights. Your horse is much more likely to load into a well lit trailer.
  
• Always leave the chest bars and escape doors open so that you can safely exit the trailer in case your horse gets excited while your trying to load.
  
• Before getting started make sure all doors are tied back so that they can’t shut on you or your horse while you are trying to load.
  
• Try not to use a nylon lead or at least be sure to wear gloves when loading your horse, in case your horse runs and pulls the lead through your hands. Nylon leads can blister and cut hands.
  v In a slant load trailer load the heaviest horse in the front. In a side-by-side trailer load the heaviest horse on the left.
  
• Teach your horse cues to go forward and backup. For “go forward” start by lightly tapping your horse on his upper hip and turning its head the direction you want it to go. Then gradually increase the tapping pressure. Stop the tapping as soon as the horse moves forward. For “backup” gently pull on a few tail hairs.
  
• Practice these cues away from the trailer first. Cue your horse through a gate or over a log.
  
• Take it slow and be patient! Let your horse take its time sniffing the trailer.
  
• Always load your horse up the center of a ramp so that he doesn’t step off either side.
  
• Never loose your temper! A wise horse trainer once said – ‘if you act like you have all day the horse will probably load in ten minutes but if you act like you only have ten minutes the horse will take all day to load!’
  
• Before you ever shut the trailer door behind your horse, practice loading and unloading it until its comfortable.
  
• Secure the butt bar before tying the horse’s head and when unloading untie the horse before lowering the butt bar.
  
• Once your horse is comfortable loading at home, practice loading him in different situations.
  

Additional Advice

• Keep up with the maintenance schedule of both your tow vehicle and trailer. In transit is a bad time to find out something should have been taken care of.
  
• Make sure that you have all your maps and driving directions in order before you leave.
  
• Pack the equestrian equipment you’ll need on the road separate from what you will need once you reach your destination so that you can access it quickly when you need it.
  
• Remember to remove tack from the horse when transporting him.
  
• Leather halters are a safer choice when hauling your horse because they are less likely to burn your horse’s head in the event of an emergency.
  
• Attach a tag with your name and contact information on your horse’s halter when you travel just in case he gets away from you.
  
• Never throw lit cigarettes or matches from the window of a tow vehicle. It could be blown back into the trailer.
  
• If you leave your rig unattended at a stop on the road, be sure to check everything again.
  
• Portable generators can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
  
• Never use one inside the trailer.
  
• Only use outside in well-ventilated, dry areas, away from trailer windows, vents, and other areas where fumes might leak in.
  

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