Page 1145 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

maintain his balance. This is why the support of the breast bar, partition or ramp are so

important for his comfort and why he should be tied in a fashion that allows him to make
VetBooks.ir these adjustments. Some horses find it difficult to balance in a trailer with a partition as
they need more space. In these cases removing the partition often solves the problem.

• Acceleration and deceleration should be done slowly and steadily as should negotiating

corners, winding lanes and roundabouts.
• Sudden braking should be avoided. Try to anticipate lack of consideration from other

road users who may well pull out in front of you.
• If at all possible, make the first journey a short trip to somewhere the horse will enjoy, or

just travel a short distance and come home again.

• The continual need to rebalance is tiring for the horse. If a long journey is necessary, plan
15 minute rests every 2 hours. During this time you can check your horse, offer him

water and stretch your own legs.
• On long journeys, your horse should be given the opportunity to urinate. If the floor does

not have drainage holes, sufficient shavings should be available to absorb this. Male
horses need to be allowed to stretch out to perform.

• If the journey takes longer than a day, the horses should be unloaded and stabled
overnight. Plenty of fresh water should be offered as some horses become dehydrated on

long journeys. It is also important for a horse to get his head down to drain any fluid from
the airways.

Air hygiene

A humid atmosphere full of fungal spores and ammonia fumes from soiled bedding material
is very unhealthy for any horse. If you are undertaking a long journey it is essential that the

vehicle has adequate ventilation. Using good quality hay and soaking it before the journey
will significantly reduce the number of fungal spores that are inhaled.

Horses that are known to have an allergy to hay should not be travelled with dry hay or

share a vehicle with other horses eating it. These horses may be offered haylage as an
alternative. Remember that mouldy old bedding is also a source of fungal spores.

In a trailer, the top doors above the rear ramp should be left open so the horse has fresh air
and can look around. It may be necessary to close them for a short period if the rain is driving

in and soaking the horse or you are stuck in abnormally heavy traffic and the horse is very
unsettled by the proximity of large vehicles (e.g. lorries with air brakes) behind.

If it is possible to muck out safely during a long journey, this will help with air hygiene.