How far should one travel with a trailered horse before stopping for a rest and checking the horse?
Load up, drive down the driveway, and get out to check everything over before you pull out onto the road. Check over your trailer hitch, make sure the ramps are up, the doors are closed, and the horses are tied. Make this part of your routine every time you take you trailer out After that, current information suggests that as a general rule, 10 hours is considered a long trip for a horse. There are many variables to this rule, however. The health, temperament, and experience of the horse make a difference, and weather conditions should always be considered. It is most important that the horse does not become dehydrated, since dehydration can be the cause of several other conditions such as heat exhaustion, colic and shipping fever. If your horse drinks while in the trailer, stopping to check and water your horses when you need to stop for your own breaks should be sufficient. If, like most horses, yours doesn’t like to drink when he is in the trailer, it would be a good idea to plan a
Load up, drive down the driveway, and get out to check everything over before you pull out onto the road. Check over your trailer hitch, make sure the ramps are up, the doors are closed, and the horses are tied. Make this part of your routine every time you take you trailer out After that, my co author of Hawkins Guide: Equine Emergencies, veterinarian Dr. Jim Hamilton suggests that as a general rule, 10 hours is considered a long trip for a horse. There are many variables to this rule, however. The health, temperament, and experience of the horse make a difference, and weather conditions should always be considered. It is most important that the horse does not become dehydrated, since dehydration can be the cause of several other conditions such as heat exhaustion, colic and shipping fever. If your horse drinks while in the trailer, stopping to check and water your horses when you need to stop for your own breaks should be sufficient. If, like most horses, yours doesn’t like to drink
