Tips for trailering your horse in summer

Keep your horse cool and comfortable during transport.
A truck pulling a gooseneck trailer on the of the road in the mountains
As you travel with horses with summer, remember that conditions in the trailer can easily be 20 degrees warmer than the air outside.

The inside of a horse trailer can easily become 20 degrees warmer than the air temperature outside. Horses working to keep their balance in such conditions can quickly become stressed, fatigued and dangerously overheated. As you travel this summer, take precautions to ensure your horses stay cool on the road.

Click here to read about eight summer health concerns. 

  • Open trailer windows and vents. But make sure that doing so does not encourage a horse to assume an inappropriate position while you are moving.
  • Do not put sheets or coolers on traveling horses, even to “keep them clean.” They’ll overheat and arrive sweat-stained anyway.
  • Skip heavy quilts and bandages on legs and go with lighter-weight shipping boots. If all the horses in the trailer are experienced travelers, you may want to ship with just bell boots on to protect coronary bands.
  • If you have to stop en route, park in a shady spot if possible. Offer the horses water before you set out again.
  • Once you’ve arrived at your destination, unload and offer more water as soon as you can do so safely.

Find more tips in “Your Aging Horse: Trailering” in EQUUS 394

Don’t miss out! With the free weekly EQUUS newsletter, you’ll get the latest horse health information delivered right to your in basket! If you’re not already receiving the EQUUS newsletter, click here to sign up. It’s *free*!

CATEGORIES

TAGS

SHARE THIS STORY

Related Posts

COVER EQ_EXTRA-VOL88
Do right by your retired horse
COVER EQ_EXTRA-VOL87
Tame your horse’s anxiety
COVER EQ_EXTRA-VOL86 Winter Care_fnl_Page_1
Get ready for winter!
COVER EQUUS Key 14 Equestrian Vacations_fnl_Page_1
Equestrian vacations

NEWSLETTER

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Additional Offers
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.