Travelling horses: how to have a safe, stress-free journey

Travelling goes hand in hand with owning horses, but a bad journey can have dire consequences. Here are 14 ways to make transporting your horse as stress-free as possible for both of you…

1. Take the time to pack everything you need – both for the journey and in case of emergency – before you load the horse. This will ensure he doesn’t spend any more time standing on the box than he needs to. Use our horse travel kit checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything.

2. On long journeys of more than three hours, pull over and untie the horse so that he can lower his head and drain mucus from his airways. This helps decreases the risk of pneumonia or shipping fever.

3. Use appropriate protective travel boots or bandages – a lot of damage can be done by hooves and legs becoming trapped under a partition or kicking at the sides, but make sure your horse is comfortable and confident wearing them. A tail bandage or guard will protect the tail from being rubbed.

4. Avoid over-clothing your horse – they do not need the same thickness of rugs they would standing in the stable. They have a wider thermoneutral zone than humans, which means they don’t feel the cold as much as we do. Too cool is preferable to too warm, especially given that they expend energy while keeping their balance during transit, and trucks can often get quite hot with livestock on board, even on winter days.

5. Keep your horse’s management as normal as possible. For example, using your own hay and feed means there is no sudden change in diet. Offer water at regular intervals, too.

6. Take out emergency rescue cover that includes horses and store the membership card in your vehicle – and make sure you’re confident in what to do if you breakdown.

7. Make sure your horse’s passport is on board as it’s illegal to transport your horse without it.

8. Ensure that you carry extra hay and water for your horse, plus warm clothes and refreshments for you, just in case.

9. Work out where veterinary practices are along your route. Mark them on a map and record their contact details.

10. Consider leaving earlier and stabling overnight if you can – a long, hot and bumpy ride will takes its toll and tire your horse. The quality of driving effects the effort a horse must make to maintain balance, so drive smoothly and at reasonable speeds.

11. Allow plenty of time to load and don’t rush, as this can be a stressful part of travelling for horses. Always make sure you stay calm, too, and never get cross. If your horse is young or inexperienced, practise loading into your vehicle before he is due to travel. Park the lorry or trailer next to a wall, to help channel him into the box.

12. Plan frequent rest breaks to offer water and hay from the ground, again allowing the horse to stretch his head down. Dehydration can trigger respiratory problems and increase the risk of colic.

13. Allow adequate ventilation and cleaning out the vehicle regularly en route to prevent respiratory problems. Avoid dusty hay or bedding, too.

14. Always use a well-fitting headcollar, with the lead rope tied using a quick-release knot to a piece of baler twine. This will allow quick and easy release in an emergency. A leather headcollar or other type of safety headcollar is recommended as these will break if the horse pulls back.

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