Upcoming long trailer ride with a horse that doesnt like to travel

Tootsie4U

Tootsie4U

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Aug 19, 2002
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I may be forced to trailer Bonfire 300 miles which will probably end up being a 7 hour trip. The horse loads and unloads fine. Its just that while he's on the trailer, he sweats up with anxiety. Im worried the long trip will be disastrous to his health. It'll be winter and the roads we'll be traveling aren't condusive to rest stops.

I know you'll suggest more exposure to the trailer but he has been trailered out every weekend for the last 1.5 months and many other spontaneous occassions before that. He still gets nervous.

What am I up against here? When trailering long distances like that, what is required? Do you have to stop to rest their legs / offer water / change coolers? How should I prepare for this?
 
i wouldn't do 7 hours without stopping - i'd stop for at least a drink halfway there, and if you are 100% sure he will load, then a 20 minute leg-stretch if you can do some recon and figure out a suitable place to stop. an open air car park would do the job, other wise a layby and a drink will do.
given you know he sweats, i would be aiming to stop and check/change wet rugs every 2 hours - more often if it is really cold and he will be freezing in a wet rug.

hopefully he would be better with fella travelling with him though?
 
Haven't done it with both of them. My trailer just isnt large enough. Its an oversized two horse stock trailer, but with Fella's accident months ago, I haven't dared to push him into the smaller space with the slant closed. Plus, he's so long that even if I give him the bigger space, he's still squished.

I have to make two trips, taking them in turn. OR, pay a shipper to take them on a big roomy loory but thats a big price tag!
 
I had Gunner brought up from Maryland by a professional and the trailer was sooo nice, the baby had his own box stall with hayrack and water bucket, it was worth the money as he arrived relaxed and happy. Since you are in Saratoga you could save money by catching a ride with racehorses heading south.... it would almost be a wash, pricewise, when you think about the two trips you would make and the gas and time.

If you do trailer yourself, can you make the trip with Bonfire with a built in overnight? There are farms/people that will put up the horse while you and the family go to a hotel. It would break up the trip for him....
 
Can you get something to help keep him relaxed? Quietex is an over-the-counter situational calmer (no idea how well it works), or your vet might be able to recommend/prescribe something mild but calming.

Driving the 300 miles down here, we stopped every 2 hours and checked on the horses. It was late spring, so we took a wet sponge to them each stop to cool them off. They had water in the trailer, but weren't drinking it much, so every stop I also offered them Gatorade powder to try to make them thirsty.

If I had a horse likely to sweat a lot, and travelling in the cold, I'd probably be inclined to close most (not all) of the vents and stop regularly to let him dry (if possible to get him dry). If he's going to be loose in a multiple-stall trailer, you could probably get in with him and sweat scrape/dry him with towels, if he's safe to work around inside the trailer.
 
When I picked Jess up we had a 6 hour journey to make with her and she had never trailered at all.
We picked her up in the fall and it was cool but not cold, we just got on with it, after 4 hours we stopped (first chance we got) but she wasn't interested in hay/hard feed/water at all. When we finally arrived it took us some time to get her off the trailer, I think she was so tense, walking wasn't the first thing she wanted to do. Jess sweats quite alot when ever we travel.

If it will be cold I would put a warm but whicking rug on him to draw sweat away from the skin and take a couple of spares, stoping twice through the journey should be enough. I would also put haylage in the trailer if you can get it, it has a much higher water content so should help a bit.
I get a calmer from Valley Vet called 'Easy Going', its really good and they stay very alert and capeable (sp?) but very relaxed, and its under $10 per syringe (wormer type dose) which kept my boy calm all day, and we traveled to and from a show and rode him and he wasn't impared in any way.
I would also dose with electrolytes when you stop to offer water and also when you arrive on destination to make sure everything he sweats out is replaced. Also giving Probiotics for a few days before and after should help his gut cope with everything and help prevent colic etc.

Even if you don't intend to stop I would get a few phone numbers of SPCA or something for along the route, so if it does suddenly become too much for him they might be able to advise you of someone that would take you in overnight, just in case.

Can you not hire a larger trailer so you can take both at once, probably won't cost you any more that way than 2 lots of fuel and time :D

J x
 
Put a really deep layer of straw on the floor of the float - at least a foot deep when packed down well. It gives a really secure footing and helps them travel with more confidence. Rubber matting can get very slippery once they have done a dropping on it and then they get more stressed as they don't feel secure on the slippery floor.

Get a haynet with very small holes - the sort that are made for miniature horses, the small holes make for slow eating and will keep him well occupied without the risk of choking.

7hrs is not too long to travel with out unloading. A small drink every couple of hours would reduce the stress. You could also give a herbal calmer to help with travelling.

For a couple of weeks before travelling start putting some mollases in the water so that he gets used to it - it will encourage him to drink and he will more likely drink while on route. In addition try to take some containers of water with you to give to him in the first few days after he arrives, you can then slowly add some water from the new area into his water from home. Along with the mollases you should be able to get him to rehydrate quickly. If you're really worried about him get the vet to give him some intravenoous fluids.

A wool rug will be the best to travel in as it stays warm even when damp from sweat. Leg wraps will help to keep him warm as well, however left on for long periods are not good for tendons.
 
Jessey said:
Can you not hire a larger trailer so you can take both at once, probably won't cost you any more that way than 2 lots of fuel and time :D
Click to expand...

I have not been able to find *anyone* who rents trailers. It might be different in other regions of the country. I think it's probably liability related, and people just don't want to do it.
 
What about borrowing from a neihbour instead?
I can't believe you can't rent a trailer, its pretty common practice here to be able to rent them :)
 
You may just find that it will be cheaper in the long run to put the horses on the shipping truck. Work out how much it will cost to do the double journey with each horse, your time, fuel, wear and tear on your towing vehicle. Also the horses comfort. They usually travel much more happily in a truck. It's more stable.
 
Wow guys, thanks for all the input.

There's alot in there that I hadnt thought about... I may have once the time came nearer, but I can go ahead now and make a checklist out of all this thats been suggested.

Tnavas - very helpful.

My friend rents out her trailer, two horse straight load, but she's the only person I know of. She's a little crazy too!

Im calling my old boss about who she used for her hauler. They were really cheap, I'll see how the figures add up.
 
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