Posted 2016-05-07 10:02 AM (#167009) Subject: Traveling w/an older horse
Regular
Posts: 80 Location: canada
I'll be taking my mare on a trip that will take several days this summer. We've done day trips before of up to about 9 hours travel but not a trip this long. I'd love to hear advice from others wth experience in trailering older horses. She's 19 and does have some arthritis. I have a 3H slant and she's traveled in the center slant and does well although after a long trip she gets a rub mark on her right hip. The slant might be somewhat small for her (she's 16.2hh) although she can lower her head in that slant. I suspect that perhaps she's just leaning back on that hip for support. I've also traveled w/her tied in the rear slant (when there's another horse in the center slant) and she's OK there too, although every time we've done this and she has a vinyl manger for hay she's broken the manger somehow (I use hay nets now). She's also taken a couple of short (30 minutes or so) local trips loose and that went well. I'm tempted for this trip to remove the center partition and travel w/her loose (I use the first slant for storage) so that she can move around and find her own balance. Also how often do you stop to let them rest? In the past I stop every 2-3 hours for about 20 minutes or so, this time I have a lot of distance to travel so minimizing my stops as much as possible would be useful. Most days my travel time will be around 8 hours, there are a couple of days that will be 10-11 hours, this is without stops. Thanks!
Posted 2016-05-09 6:19 AM (#167027 - in reply to #167009) Subject: RE: Traveling w/an older horse
Elite Veteran
Posts: 690 Location: missouri
You can pad the dividers with those egg crate mattress pads from walmart or the dollar store...tape in on with duct tape. It will support and pad her. You need to stop and rest her every four hours... then, take her out and walk her some. I usually give bute (1gm) before hauling older horses. Make sure she has ample water and hay often
Traveling w/an older horse
