Walking On Volume 5, Issue 8, August 2018 | Page 14

Back to Basics Caring For Your Horse In-Transit By Mark Fenwick Towing your horse, particularly over longer distanc- es and durations, can cause your horse stress and even injury or ailments if due care isn’t taken. Consider the following pointers to ensure the health and safety of your horse on such journeys. 1. Inspect your horse trailer before every planned journey. Make sure it is thoroughly clean and in good state of repair. Check that there are no pro- truding objects or items left in the trailer which could cause injury. 2. Provide hay in the horse’s manger. Dampen down if necessary to avoid hay dust getting in the horse’s face. Hay is said to help retain water in the horse’s gut and reduce dehydration. 3. Do not feed grain to the horse while on the move as this may lead to the horse suffering from colic or laminitis. 4. Plan regular stopping breaks, particularly if the journey is long. If you want or need to unload your horse at these stops, make sure that you have adequate space and it is safe to do so. Never unload your horse by the side of a carriageway. 5. Take a supply of water with you and offer the horse water at every stop, or at least every four hours. Use the horse’s usual water bucket. 6. Encourage the horse to urinate during travel by covering the floor with a good layer of sawdust. Some horses don’t like urinating on board so unload at a safe stopping place and let your horse walk round to urinate outside the trailer. 7. Remove urine soaked bed- ding and any manure regu- larly to avoid a build up of toxins which can irritate the horse’s respiratory tract. Do this at planned stops where possible. Dispose of the waste responsibly. If neces- 14 • Walking On sary, bag the waste and take it with you. 8. Check the air quality in the trailer at each stop. Check under the horse’s rug for signs of sweating. Good air flow is especially important in hot or humid weather. 9. Make sure that there is adequate, safe ventilation in the trailer but do not expose your horse to drafts or debris. Also, make sure that your horse cannot stick its head out of any windows! 10. Give the horse a bit more freedom on longer jour- neys by leaving untied or on a longer tie so that the horse can move its head, at least below the withers, so it can clear its respiratory tract. 11. Check boots, wraps and rugs to make sure every- thing is in place. 12. Check your horse thoroughly at stops and after any long journeys for signs of stress, injury or ailments. 13. If horses are traveling in a group, make sure they are familiar with each other and safely secured within the trailer. 14. Allow your horse to rest and recover for several days between long journeys. Your horse is a major investment, both financially and emotionally. So, make sure that you take all neces- sary care of your horse while in transit to ensure your horse’s safety and well-being. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2993132