Planning a trip with your horses requires immense planning and proper execution. When you start to plan any trip, you must consider several things.
Relocating your horse to a new region is a difficult job. From scheduling to packing all the necessities, the aim must be to ensure your horse is safe and comfortable throughout the journey.
Tips for Traveling With a Horse
Pointers to Keep in Mind
- Make sure that your horse is healthy when you plan your trip.
It must be in good health if you expect your horse to stand in the horse trailer while on the journey.
Typically, these horse trailers transporting your horses are too cold or too hot. The temperature depends on the season in which you plan your trip.
- When you plan a long trip, your horses can get exhausted.
Horses are usually free to roam. Restricting them to a closed space with a decreased view of the outside world and limited motion is bound to make the horse uncomfortable.
Your horse feels exhausted and spends energy while in a trailer. And especially for longer trips, the actual pressure they experience increases dramatically.
It's true that horses usually have to work hard to maintain their balance while traveling in a horse trailer.
Moreover, when unexpected speed and speed brakes occur, the horse cannot anticipate the movements.
Therefore, drive carefully and take appropriate rest breaks on your journey.
- Make sure to get your horse in good health before the trip.
Ensure you watch out for your horse's recuperation time after an exercise. Moreover, be aware of focusing on their hydration.
This is because horses tend to lose water and electrolytes during preparation, particularly in blistering environments.
If your horse's pressure, pulse, or breathing is raised for a prolonged period, it might have a respiratory sickness or be ill-suited for movement.
A short workout regimen works perfectly and helps the horses stay fit and healthy for a long journey.
- Keep your horse hydrated before you set off for the trip.
Your horse will not be familiar with the interior of the trailer stall, and it will be a new space altogether.
In addition, with the hot environment, unfamiliar sounds, and excessive sweating of the horse, your horse will be agitated. In the hot weather, the horse is likely to get dehydrated.
Dehydration is a hazardous condition during the journey; therefore, it's essential to address this situation immediately. If left untreated, it can result in colic, severe conditions, and death.
In most cases, horses might be reluctant to drink on the way. But, beginning the outing with a very well-hydrated horse is fundamental for the initial few hours.
- Make sure you begin hydrating your horse a week before your trip.
It's wise to begin a hydration program beforehand. It will not be good to see your horse suffer due to dehydration. Keep the horse well hydrated at least a week before the trip to prevent any unfortunate events.
Also, runners use the trick of starting a hydration program well before the actual event when preparing for a marathon.
Hydrating days or even weeks before the trip is also beneficial to prevent misfortune and help maintain the electrolyte level.
- Add salt to your horse's diet to increase water consumption.
You must be aware of additives and supplements available for horses. You can add them to their food to increase their water intake.
Usually, horses refuse to drink water. With these additives, they feel thirsty and consume a good amount of water.
Alternatively, you can add a teaspoon of salt to their food, making them thirsty. Either way, you will be able to keep them hydrated.
When you make any stops, offer your horse some water to drink. Take as much time as is needed and permit a lot of time for it to get hydrated. Ensuring your horse is hydrated during the outing is basic to its well-being.
- Keep a tab on any signs of dehydration in your horse.
There are several basic ways to look at your horse to infer whether it requires water.
First, examine its gums. Hydrated horses likely have pink gums. However, if they look pale, perform a "skin tent" test.
Ordinarily, a pony's skin is highly versatile. However, given that you pull up the part close to the wilts and it stays raised like a tent, it's probably dehydrated. And needs water and potentially electrolytes as soon as possible.
Let us assume that your horse has dried out. In this case, you must remove it from the horse trailer and bring it to a concealed region. Then, provide your horse with water and electrolytes as quickly as time permits.
Next, if a good amount of water is available, wash your horse and give it a nice sponge bath. And lastly, scratch off the abundance of water.
- Make your horse familiar with the horse trailer.
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When your horse rides in the trailer for the first time, ensure it's not a long journey. Your horse needs to be familiar with the trailer you plan to use. This will make the entire process of loading and unloading significantly easier.
Before beginning anything else, teach your horse to stack and dump before the trip, as this will decrease the pressure related to the journey.
Stacking a pony unfamiliar with getting in a trailer is distressing and can prompt unfavorable ailments like ulcers.
So invest adequate energy before your excursion to get your pony, however agreeable, with loading and unloading as you seem capable. Uplifting comments with treats frequently produce positive outcomes.
Along with stacking, your pony ought to be familiar with the style of trailer you're utilizing for the excursion.
If you use one of the Double D Trailers' LQ horse trailers, things get easier. They offer comfortable and unique designs according to your needs and requirements.
- Ensure the good health of your horse before a long trip.
Long before an outing, have your pony thoroughly inspected by your veterinarian. He might get an issue you haven't seen and can address before your excursion.
Veterinarian endorsements and Coggins tests are probably required while traversing state lines. These reports are needed in practically all states.
- You can wrap your horse's foot as well.
Wrapping your horse's foot and chime boots offer help and security for ponies while you are on a trip. But, be that as it may, be cautious while involving them for long excursions; they can thwart blood dissemination and cause injuries.
If you utilize wraps, check your ponies' legs during each rest stop. We wrap our ponies' legs when we pull them, yet they are accustomed to wearing leg wraps.
If I possessed a pony that never wore leg wraps, I wouldn't have wrapped the pony's legs interestingly and then loaded it in a trailer.
Recommended Safety Measures
- Use a leather halter when hauling horses.
It's better to haul your horses using a leather halter because they're likely to break under the pressure and strength of your horse.
It would be best not to use nylon straps to haul your horse while traveling. However, if you feel comfortable using nylon straps, use one with a breakaway element.
- Carry all the required paperwork.
You must complete every paper before you plan any trip. You must have permission and all the documents ready.
The organizer should incorporate an ongoing Coggins test, attested by veterinary examination, and records to lay out responsibility for your horse.
- You must have a "negative Coggins" test to travel with a horse.
A Coggins report asserts whether your horse has tested negative for equine infectious anemia (EIA) during a particular period.
EIA is a lethal viral irresistible illness that is exceptionally infectious. Therefore, a negative Coggins test implies the horse is immune to EIA antibodies.
A Coggins test reports the pony's age, breed, name, and enlistment number of the veterinarian who presented the blood test. While voyaging, affirm the Coggin prerequisites for each state where you plan to board your pony.
Many states require a negative Coggins test in no less than a year. However, a few states have a lot more limited time restrictions.
Conclusion
Planning a trip with your horse requires appropriate consideration of travel methods and specific necessities. A good work plan ensures a safe and stress-free journey for you and your horse!
Remember to keep your horse hydrated and continuously monitor its nutrition intake. Be aware of your location and be safe while you travel.
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This story is brought to you in partnership with Double D Trailers.
