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    Home » Horse Care

    6 Ways To Reduce Transportation Stress In Your Horse

    Modified: Jun 26, 2020 by ihearthorses · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Traveling can be a stressful activity for any horse. If you plan on trailering your horse in the upcoming future, then you may want to consider these six ways that you can reduce your horse's stress while traveling.

    Lovely brown and white horse head sticking out of open door on a horse trailer. Copy space on trailer side. Horse has halter and is tied down with a small chain connected to it. One ear sticking out.

    Take Short Trips

    If your horse hasn't ridden in a trailer in a while, then a trip can be very stressful. If you have a large trip coming up, then make a point of taking shorter trips with your horse, first. Load your horse in the trailer, take a short ride, and return home. Understanding the process of trailer loading and traveling will help to reduce your horse's stress.

    Three horses standing in trailer. View front view. Summertime outdoors horizontal image.

    Bring a Buddy

    Many horses can be comforted by the presence of a buddy in the trailer with them. If possible, bring one of your horse's equine friends along for the ride. As an added bonus, seeing another horse load into the trailer first can make a reluctant loader more willing to get into a trailer.

    Provide Plenty of Hay

    Giving your horse hay while on the trailer is always a good idea. Horses tend to eat when they're stressed, and the act of eating can help to distract your horse from what's going on. Additionally, hay helps to buffer your horse's stomach from the stomach acid that is created by stress, reducing his chance of developing ulcers.

    A white horse eating of of a feedbag hanging from a trailer

    Stop for Breaks

    If you're traveling a long distance, make sure that you stop for plenty of breaks in order to give your horse water. If traveling for more than about 8 hours, then schedule an overnight stop so your horse can unload, spend his night in a stall, and get quality rest before continuing his trip.

    Close up of Bay horses head as it looks out from horse box which is transporting it to equine event.

    Leave Lots of Time for Loading

    Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get your horse loaded. Even a horse who tends to load flawlessly will suddenly refuse to load when you're pressed for time. By allowing enough time so that you can stay calm and relaxed if your horse doesn't cooperate, you'll help to keep him calm, too.

    close up of three horses in a trailer near quartzite, az

    Drive Carefully

    The way that you drive a trailer can directly influence your horse's stress. Jerky trailer rides with short stops and hard accelerations make it difficult for your horse to stay balanced, requiring extra effort on his part and driving up his stress level. As you drive, leave plenty of distance between your truck and the vehicle in front of you. Be sure to come to gentle, gradual stops, and always accelerate slowly to help keep your horse comfortable.

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    Don't forget to always do a trailer safety check before you pull out. Stay safe and have fun!

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