Bonfire's going on a trip

[Tootsie4U]

...which presents me with a problem.

While Bonfire trailers fairly well, he ALWAYS comes off the trailer soaked in his own sweat - and Im talking wet to the bone here. For the holiday, we're boarding them at a stable approximately twenty minutes away and I just know he'll be soaking wet after the ride. With temperatures being what they are in upstate NY this time of year (20 degree's Farenheit if we're lucky!) how could this affect him?

Obviously I'll be bringing coolers along for after the ride, but how should I go about handling this issue? Should he be blanketed for the ride? If he does get a chill, what to do? What about eating and drinking under those extreme circumstances? Things like that....

Thanks

[shandy84]

Personally I would not rug, little and often on the water front and if there is any way of damping any hay he may eat without making it drip maybe that would help replace the water loss and remember to help replace his electrolytes (think thats what I mean) when he has arrived :)

How are you both haven't heard from you in ages?

[Tootsie4U]

Thanks for that Shandy. Any idea what I should look for to tell me that he has gotten a chill? What is the danger of that?

We've not been up to much since the baby's been born. Not enough time. I was able to get on him twice though without any issue. He hadn't forgotten a thing! It was a big deal seeing that the last person to try getting on him while I was pregnant almost ended up in a hospital! :eek:

[shandy84]

Just shows he loves his mum :) ;)

I am not very good on medical things I'm afraid, having problems with my own on this front at the moment :)

[Harry Hobbes]

Any idea what I should look for to tell me that he has gotten a chill? What is the danger of that?He'll be shivering; and have a distressed/worried look in his eye.

The danger is in him remaining chilled. If you take moderate precautions and steps after the trip, the risk is minimal.
...how could this affect him?The worst-case scenario is that he gets chilled and contracts pneumonia; but that pretty much requires that he be left out in the weather while soaked, and develops a significant chill; and that isn't going to happen during a short ride down the road.

The problem is not one of keeping him warm until he's dry - he's sweating because he's overheating. The problem is allowing him to him cool off and dry off safely. If he's cooled off and dry, the risk of a chill is almost non-existant.

For this trip, if not cooled out after his ride, he may get the sniffles for a couple of days. But not if you ensure that he's dry before you put him up.
I'll be bringing coolers along for after the ride, but how should I go about handling this issue?Put a cooler on him for the trip before you load him into the trailer, and tie a circingle (twine, light rope, etc.) around his heart girth to keep the cooler on him; and make sure that there is ventilation into the trailer (i.e., one window is opened), else he'll create his own steam bath and become even wetter (and hotter).

Your cooler should be just that: it must wick moisture, not trap heat like a horse blanket. (If the steam rises off the cooler, it's doing its job.) You want him to cool off (and dry off), not overheat. If you do not have a wool or "polar fleece" cooler, then a surplus G.I. (olive drab) blanket makes a great cooler, as does most light-weight wool bed blankets. (You can purchase a G.I. blanket at the Army/Navy surplus store.)

When you arrive at the destination, get him out of the trailer, and check him to see if he's wet. If so, then lead him around at the walk for 30-60 minutes to cool him out. He will cool out and dry off within this timeframe.

When you put him up, take the cooler off, and give him a couple of flakes of hay immediately; hay does more to warm a horse (from the inside out) than just about any other feed. (I wouldn't feed him in the trailer during the trip, as he will heat up even hotter.)
What about eating and drinking under those extreme circumstances? Extreme?

Naaawwwwwww.

When it gets to be more than 20 degrees below zero (Farenheit), you may want to blanket him until the temperature rises above 20 below. (But only because I know how much you love the big boy. :p )

Otherwise, just make sure that he gets good hay, and that his clean, fresh water never gets cold enough to freeze, and let his winter coat do its job. Anytime you think he's too cold, make sure he's out of the wind, and that he's got lots of hay to eat.

Best regards,
Harry

[Jessey]

I have just done exactly this with my filly, we had to take her 50 minutes to the trainer, her last travel was 10 mins round the block and she was a sweaty, shivering wreck :eek:

We put a fleece on Jess and had the top window in the trailer open, by the time we arrived it was totally soaked through and she was dripping head to toe, we off loaded her and walked her a little then let her stand a while (although it was cold in the wind we found a spot out of the wind in the afternoon sun for her), I then brought her into a stall and let her have a good roll and then put a dry rug on her. After about an hour she was offered water and about 3 hours later it was dinner time, until then she just had a little hay. She was fine and no sign of a chill at all, no sniffles or anything.

I do wish though that I had thought to take some electrolytes or salt with me to add into her feed that evening. I think we timed it well though, we traveled her right around lunch time, the warmest part of the day and it gave her pleany of time to dry off properly before then temp really plumeted when it got dark. The next day she had drunk well and I gave her lots of succulents to help replenish her fluid levels.

J x

[Tootsie4U]

When you arrive at the destination, get him out of the trailer, and check him to see if he's wet. If so, then lead him around at the walk for 30-60 minutes to cool him out. He will cool out and dry off within this timeframe.

When you put him up, take the cooler off, ...

Is this the same cooler that I put on him before the ride even begins? Won't it be soaking wet as well? Shouldnt I take it off after the ride and replace it with a clean one for the cooling out? I have two fitted coolers for him as well as one of those that just drape, so I have plenty.

20 degrees is my threshold. Both of them are blanketed for the night when the temps drop. Right now though, that means the blankets come off for turnout b/c temps rise above 20 during the day. In a months time, the blankets will be on 24/7... especially for Fella since we're having weight issues with him right now.

Thanks all!

Actually, one more question.

We have a 14 foot slant load trailer and Fella is too long to fit in the slant dividers. Can I remove the dividers and still trailer both horses together safely? I'd use trailer ties to keep them immobilized but they'd be rubbing and bumping against each other. They're friendly to each other for the most part so I wont be too worried about fights or kicks.

[chev]

If you can get hold of some liquid vitamin B feed that the morning he travels, and add it to his drinking water too. It's been shown to really help horses that get stressed, sweaty or worried when travelling. Certainly helped Tia who used to do the same as Bon.

I actually found that travelling with a cooler made things worse - Tia sweated more when wearing it. One thing we did try that helped was thatching - that is, layering straw under the cooler. It helped wick away more wet and also let more air in.

Personally I wouldn't travel two horses in a trailer with no partition, however friendly they are. Far too easy for them to get legs tangled and go down, or even just cut each other stepping on the other's leg or foot.

[Peace]

I don't know about the sweating issue, but re the partitions, I'd second chev. We regularly trailer a little mare who gets what seems like motion-sickness and is very wobbly on her feet when travelling. When we got back from the hunter's pace with her, we discovered she'd made the trip practically lying on top of her neighbor for support.:eek: We had a time getting her off the poor gelding - who is fortunately a QH with the patience of a saint.:cool:

[Harry Hobbes]

Is this the same cooler that I put on him before the ride even begins? Won't it be soaking wet as well? Shouldnt I take it off after the ride and replace it with a clean one for the cooling out? The cooler itself should not hold much water, as it evaporates as "steam". But if it is exceedingly wet, feel free to change it; but understand that the any cooler put on a wet horse should draw out the moisture, so that the cooler becomes wet. This is why we want wool or polar fleech: they can get wet, but retain their insulating properties (unlike cotton).

Personally, I only own one horse cooler, and have found that when the moisture is done evaporating out of the cooler, the horse is pretty much dry.
We have a 14 foot slant load trailer and Fella is too long to fit in the slant dividers. Can I remove the dividers and still trailer both horses together safely? Absolutely.

Dividers in trailers are something that one does not find in stock trailers, and the horses haul just fine without them; fully saddled. Also, "safely" means that there is less inside the trailer for the horse to get hung up upon; such as dividers. And if one horse doesn't fit when the divider is in place, then the issue has been decided: you won't be able to load and haul Fella if he can't get in and stand comfortably - except by stressing him.

Bonfire and Fella will feel less constrained and less claustrophobic if they are not boxed in by dividers; particularly if they're rubbing up against each other. (The security of the herd and all that.) These two guys are buddies, and they'll haul better if they're directly next to each other.

If you find that you have trouble because the divider wasn't there, then you know you have a training problem to resolve.

Also, because it's a small trailer, and more than one horse loaded, you must tie them in by their lead ropes, else they may try to turn around. This isn't a problem in a stock trailer, because it's so much larger, and the horses have room to move around each other. But yours may get jammed up in small horse trailer, so tie them in.

Best regards,
Harry

[Jessey]

Yeah, we have travelled multiple horses with no partitions with out any troubles, I would just say either boot or bandage then the first time or two just incase they do clip heels together, once they figure it out they are normally fine.

J x

[Tootsie4U]

Dividers in trailers are something that one does not find in stock trailers

Ahha! :p Mine is a stock trailer (CornPro). Just a fancy one that has a dressing room and slant partitions! All of it comes out though so you can use it as a traiditional stock trailer. We got it that way to haul the tractor when it needs repair!

Thanks everyone for the help!

Hey Harry, they are buddies but Fella is getting very good at putting a wallop on Bonfire if he misbehaves!!! :D

[Harry Hobbes]

Just a fancy one that has a dressing room and slant partitions! All of it comes out though so you can use it as a traiditional stock trailer.So it's a Park Avenue stock trailer. It won't be truly broke in until you fill it with heifers and have them "christen" the floor. :p
...they are buddies but Fella is getting very good at putting a wallop on Bonfire if he misbehaves!!!That's what buddies are for.

Best regards,
Harry