Transporting Horses Long Distance
What are the best driving practices for long distance hauling with horses?
There are many differing opinions on what is most healthy for a horse when transporting it long distance. I will share with you my conclusions after doing extensive research on the subject.
There are many differing opinions on what is most healthy for a horse when transporting it long distance. I will share with you my conclusions after doing extensive research on the subject.
How often do I need to stop?
You do need to stop regularly when trailering to give the horse a chance to rest, but you don't necessarily need to get it out of the trailer for it to do that. During most of your stops it is probably best if the horse never leaves the trailer.
It is recommended that you stop every 2-3 hours and let the trailer sit, unmoving for at least 20 minutes. This is because, it actually takes a lot of energy for a horse to balance its weight against the constant shifting and jostling of a moving trailer. It is important to allow a horse regular rest breaks so that it may relax and rest from the hard work of this kind of balancing. The needed rest comes from lack of movement, not from being released from the trailer itself.
You do need to stop regularly when trailering to give the horse a chance to rest, but you don't necessarily need to get it out of the trailer for it to do that. During most of your stops it is probably best if the horse never leaves the trailer.
It is recommended that you stop every 2-3 hours and let the trailer sit, unmoving for at least 20 minutes. This is because, it actually takes a lot of energy for a horse to balance its weight against the constant shifting and jostling of a moving trailer. It is important to allow a horse regular rest breaks so that it may relax and rest from the hard work of this kind of balancing. The needed rest comes from lack of movement, not from being released from the trailer itself.
How often do the horses need to get out of the trailer?
It is a good idea for the horse to get out of he trailer every 5-6 hours, assuming the right conditions can be found for unloading the horse. If the right conditions are not possible, it is generally better to leave the horse in the trailer the whole day until you stop for the night. These conditions are...
It is a good idea for the horse to get out of he trailer every 5-6 hours, assuming the right conditions can be found for unloading the horse. If the right conditions are not possible, it is generally better to leave the horse in the trailer the whole day until you stop for the night. These conditions are...
- the horse is not overly stressed by new environments
- the horse loads and unloads easily and without drama
- you have a safe location, away from traffic, where the horse can be unloaded.
How do I feed horses on a long trip?
It is best to give the horse access to hay as it travels, as this will keep the horse entertained on the long journey and provide some comfort. There are many ways to do this, but the one I like the best is with Slow Feeder nets. I bought three of these nets for traveling and every morning I put two flakes of hay in each (one normal meal amount). When I stop, I check to see if each horse has hay left, and if it doesn't and we have more than a couple of hours to go yet that day, I refill the net. In the evenings, when the horse is bedded down for the night in a stall at the horse motel, I give it another normal sized meal to eat through the night.
It is best to give the horse access to hay as it travels, as this will keep the horse entertained on the long journey and provide some comfort. There are many ways to do this, but the one I like the best is with Slow Feeder nets. I bought three of these nets for traveling and every morning I put two flakes of hay in each (one normal meal amount). When I stop, I check to see if each horse has hay left, and if it doesn't and we have more than a couple of hours to go yet that day, I refill the net. In the evenings, when the horse is bedded down for the night in a stall at the horse motel, I give it another normal sized meal to eat through the night.
How do I water horses on a long trip?
Getting your horse to drink water when traveling can be difficult. Most horse refuse water while on the road. This could be due to a number of factors.
There are a number of ways to keep your horse hydrated while traveling.
Getting your horse to drink water when traveling can be difficult. Most horse refuse water while on the road. This could be due to a number of factors.
- the horse may stop drinking because it is more stressed than normal
- the horse may simply not like drinking when on the road
- many horses refuse to drink water that tastes different from the water they are use to, so if you offer them water gotten from anywhere but home, they will not drink it
There are a number of ways to keep your horse hydrated while traveling.
- Offer water at every stop, even if the horse doesn't get out of the trailer. Do this by lowering a small bucket of water to the horse through a window in the side of the trailer.
- The horse is more likely to drink if it is not in the trailer and has had a chance to walk around for a bit, so if it wont drink in the trailer, you may need to increase the frequency of the stops in which you get the horse out of the trailer.
- Bring as much water as you can from home, using the same source the horse normally drinks from. You can buy a water caddy for your trailer which allows you to haul large amounts of water or you can use large potable water jugs of 20 gallons or more capacity. Many horses refuse to drink water which tastes different form their home water, so bringing as much as you can carry with you is always a good idea.
- Because water is heavy and takes up so much space, it is rarely possible to bring all your horses' water on longer trips. In this situation, there is a trick which works with many horse but must be prepared for a couple of weeks before leaving home.
- Choose a water additive the horse likes, such as apple juice. A couple of weeks before the trip, add a cup of apple juice to your horses' water bucket and offer the bucket to the horse. You may have to play around with different flavors to find one your horse likes, but once it gets use to drinking water flavored in this way, increase the amount to 4 cups per bucket. Give the horse water flavored in this manner for at least a few days before leaving on the trip.
- During the trip, add the apple juice or other additive to the horse's water every time you offer water. This will mask the flavor of strange water and keep the horse drinking as though it were drinking its own water from home.
- It is also possible to get extra water into your horse by adding water to its feed. You can do this a number of different ways.
- Soak the hay net in water overnight
- give the horse a warm bran mash each evening and/or morning with plenty of water added. Additionally, adding a small bit of salt to this bran mash will make the horse thirsty and encourage the horse to drink throughout the day
What do I do with the horses at night on a long trip?
The safest and most comfortable thing for most horses is to make a reservation at a "horse motel" for each night of your trip. These are horse boarding facilities which offer overnight boarding to travelers. You can find such businesses almost anywhere you go in the U.S. these days.
The safest and most comfortable thing for most horses is to make a reservation at a "horse motel" for each night of your trip. These are horse boarding facilities which offer overnight boarding to travelers. You can find such businesses almost anywhere you go in the U.S. these days.