When Should I Start Ulcergaurd Before Travel

Careful planning and training volition make a long distance trip less stressful for your horse. Photo by Coree Reuter.

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In the lives of mobile horses, traveling by trailer is a necessary evil. Trailering your horse to shows, lessons, clinics or other activities may seem like a run-of-the-manufactory routine, but trailering is one of the biggest causes of stress to your horse.

"The mechanics of getting on a truck and getting transported makes their stress levels get up," said Duncan Peters DVM of Hagyard Equine Medical Clinic. "Information technology's one of those things that is a completely abnormal situation. They're not unremarkably on a truck or trailer or aeroplane, so the insecurity or anxiety from non being in a normal surrounding produces stress."

No matter how well your equus caballus ships, traveling volition increase the cortisol levels in your horse'south body, just there are many different means to subtract the adverse affects of cortisol while trailering.

DIY or Commercial?

When considering a long distance trip with your equus caballus, the offset question to ask is: How long? How many miles are we talking almost? How many hours volition your horse spend on the trailer? If your trip involves more than hours on the road than you're comfortable driving by yourself, you may want to consider a commercial shipping service. Companies that provide commercial shipping can have a lot of stress off your shoulders and provide your equus caballus with a better traveling experience.

"I have traveled in the back of a lot of trailers, and it'due south pretty stressful," said Richard Wheeler, DVM of Palm Embankment Equine Medical Centers. "You're kind of getting bounced all over the identify because y'all tin't see to prepare yourself. You should take the most stable, prophylactic trailer you tin can, and that will reduce the stress on them. There's a big departure in some of these air ride trailers and those that travel from barn to barn. If you lot travel economy it'southward pretty rough, simply if you travel commencement-class it'southward a pretty different feel. I recommend you travel your horse excellent as ofttimes every bit possible without the open up bar!"

However, not all companies provide the same services.

"Reputation and feel count for a lot. That'south the most important matter," said Wheeler. "In that location are a lot of companies that have been doing it for a long time and practice a really good job. They have proficient drivers, skilful equipment and a expert eye for things. Nothing counts every bit much as experience."

Wheeler stressed the importance of doing your research when looking for a ship company. Speak with your trainer, veterinarian, or someone you know who regularly ships commercially.

Questions You Should Ask When Choosing A Commercial Shipper

• How long practise you lot expect the trip to last?
• How many times exercise you stop and h2o?
• How frequently will you finish overnight?
• Where do you stop overnight?
• How will you lot ensure the safety of my horses?
• What size stalls do you offer?
• What qualifications do your drivers accept?
• What are your emergency procedures?
• Is there a way to contact the driver while he is on the road?
• What kind of equipment do you lot utilize? How frequently practise you service it?
• Do you offer travel insurance?
• Do you lot have references?

Of course, commercial shipping isn't the only option; many people regularly ship their ain horses to go along costs downwardly.

Questions You Should Enquire Yourself Before A Long Trip

• Exercise I know my route? Where am I stopping overnight?
• Where are the veterinary clinics forth the way?
• Do I have another commuter to share the hours?
• Do I have enough hay and h2o to concluding throughout the trip?
• What kind of climates will I encounter?
• Are my trailer and trailer safe for the road?

How's The Weather?

Climate is something to pay shut attention to while making your travel itineraries, regardless of whether you lot're hiring out or doing it yourself.

"Temperature control is a chance management situation," said DJ Johnson of Johnson Horse Transportation. "You don't want them to get ill on a long journeying."

Many shippers will caution confronting transporting horses through unlike regional climates. For example, if it's 75 degrees and sunny in California, you lot may want to reconsider shipping your horse to New York when it's 10 degrees and snowing.

"The humidity [on the East Declension] doesn't go them; if anything information technology makes our cause in showing the hunters a petty easier because information technology tires them out a little quicker," said Kate Considine of Willow Brook Stables, Lake View Terrace, Calif. "The biggest thing I realized is how cold they can get at shows like [the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament and National Equus caballus Show (Due north.Y.)] and [the Washington (D.C.) International Horse Show.] They don't abound coats as quickly, and some of them just don't transition well."

Even when horses ship shorter routes, such as from New England or the Mid-Atlantic to Florida for the wintertime circuits, they require careful monitoring. They may start the journey with blankets, but equally they travel further south information technology'due south important to make sure they're not getting too hot.

Before Striking The Road

Now that yous've chosen whether to transport commercially or on your own, it's time to prepare your horse for the trip.

"The first thing is to be organized, know the route and have all your paperwork in order," said Wheeler. "Having a healthy horse to start with is imperative. Information technology seems simple, but making certain their vital signs are normal the few days leading upward to the trip is so important. Have them well hydrated and well rested before they travel and in the best condition possible."

If you are aircraft commercially, y'all should inform the driver of your horse's normal vital signs and habits. The more than enlightened the drivers are of potential issues, the more probable they can catch something before it gets out of hand.

Pre-Travel Preparations De-Mystified

Should I give antibiotics to my equus caballus before a long trip?

"Antibiotics are a mistake," said Scott Swerdlin, DVM, MRCVS, of Palm Embankment Equine Medical Centers. "I don't think they does any skilful. If yous requite oral antibiotics it could be harmful, but IV or IM antibiotics doesn't do any expert or any harm."

What most pre-loading with fluids?

"If you have a horse you know doesn't drink well, and you know there'southward a long trip coming, pre-loading with fluids is a good thing to practise," said Midge Leitch, VMD, a onetime U.S. Equestrian Team veterinarian and a staff veterinarian in radiology at the University of Pennsylvania'south School Of Veterinary Medicine New Bolton Center. "But if yous run it in fast, it's removed pretty rapidly. You lot demand to figure out how to get them to drinkable."

Swerdlin added: "A equus caballus will normalize itself after 12 hours. Intravenous fluids are going to be on the flooring in the next six hours. I'1000 not sure how much that helps. Contact your veterinary if y'all experience strongly, especially if you lot've had a history of transport bug."

Should I give my horse oil?

"It tin can only aid, information technology tin't hurt, only you have to make certain you lot residuum electrolytes with oil," said Swerdlin. "Some people feel that coating the large bowel with oil may assist prevent the absorption of endotoxins. I don't know if that's absolutely correct, but it has worked for years [in keeping the GI tract moving properly]. I would go out that up to your vet and you. If it's non hard to pass a tube, and then become for it. But if you were going to fight with your horse, I'd laissez passer."

What else should I consider giving my horse?

"Probiotics are a great thought, and you lot tin only assistance your horse that way," said Swerdlin. "I likewise recommend [an ulcer preventative with omeprazole] earlier and during the trip."

While On The Road

1 problem people don't necessarily appreciate while traveling with their horses is that shipping with strange horses adds stress to the equation.

"It's always a practiced idea to transport horses with their friends," said Swerdlin.

Peters added that if you have horses that are normally stabled together at dwelling house, yous should keep them together, whether on the road or at your destination.

If you terminate up choosing a commercial shipper to transport your horses, consider paying a footling extra for your equus caballus to ship in a box stall rather than a single stall.

"I would prefer to have them in a box stall," said Considine. "It depends on the company you ship with, though. One of the shippers, he puts them in box stalls and they drive straight through, They're in the trailer, they're not tied up, they're free to move around and eat and beverage, and they've shipped really well. If they're in a single stall, they cease, get out, they're in a new identify for the night, they get back on—information technology almost makes them more nervous."

Peters also recommended shipping in box stalls because it reduces fatigue.

"When traveling there is ordinarily an increased physical aspect. Horses that are on a truck or plane have to work their muscles more they would in a field. The swaying, acceleration, deceleration, etc., tires them. By shipping in box stalls, it allows them to move around, eat a lot amend, stretch—it's like a moving stall, and those horses seem to have reduced stress levels," said Peters.

There are varying opinions on whether it'south amend to cease overnight and unload on long journeys or not, just it'southward largely dependent on whether yous utilize a commercial shipper or do it yourself.

If yous are aircraft on your ain, you should organize places to finish at distances that can be covered in a reasonable corporeality of driving time. This could vary depending on how many drivers you lot have with y'all and the area of the country in which you'll be driving.

"Nosotros take very few people that lay over," said Johnson. "Nosotros ordinarily go straight through, and we never accept the horses off the van unless they're laying over. The key thing is to get them from signal A to B every bit safely and swiftly every bit possible."

While stopping overnight seems similar a logical solution to long hours on the road, owners also demand to practise their research when it comes to their overnight locations.

"Horses are flight animals, so a lot of them won't rest in a strange place," said Leitch. "You don't know who was in the stall the night before, your equus caballus is exposed, and there are a lot of horses who volition rest ameliorate in the box stall on the trailer with fresh hay and h2o."

Feeding On The Road

• Fresh water should be provided equally often as possible, by and large every four to six hours, or complimentary option if possible.
• Hay should be soaked and provided complimentary pick, peculiarly on long trips.
• Grain should never exist fed on long journeys because the horses don't move or potable as much on the road, which could lead to impaction.

You've Reached Your Destination. Now What?

"The first matter to do is get them in a comfy surroundings and their heads to the ground," said Wheeler. "Horses spend a lot of fourth dimension with their head on the ground; it helps them to clear fluid and debris from their respiratory tract. A lot of horses volition lay downward and crash out for a while."

Information technology's tempting to offer your horse a big meal after a long journeying, just information technology's a bad idea to feed too much besides soon after long hours on the road.

"Ane of the problems we've had with horses who've gotten through the shipping is impaction," said Wheeler. "They tin can take feed, but make it light. Give them a mash-like feed with some electrolytes, the more liquid the better, and endeavour to feed them little and often for the commencement day. I like to requite them a couple days of light exercise before serious work. Movement and practise is good for their gut motility."

Things To Annotation When Yous Arrive

• Is your horse eating and drinking normally?
• Is he passing normal manure?
• How concentrated is his urine? (It should not be dark.)
• Is his temperature normal a few hours after arrival? Does his temperature stay normal after a few days?
• Does he develop any coughing?
• Does he develop any stiffness or lameness?

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