Preparation for long distance transport is very important. There are many ways you can prepare your horse for a long journey.
If your horse is a shod horse or is just having a trim, try and get them done a week or two before transport. This way if the farrier pricks him or cuts him back too far there is plenty of time for the horse to recover. Put yourself in their place, knowing how stressed you feel when your feet are uncomfortable and you have to stand on them for long periods of time.
Cut high protein diets down and increase the roughage in your horse's diet (over a week or two is preferable).
If your horse is in racing condition gently decrease the amount of fast work. In this case it is important for the horse to continue slow work otherwise they tend to get a bit fizzy.
If your horse is overweight it is a good idea to trim a little off before transporting, as being overweight can be just as detrimental to their health as being underweight when travelling long distances.
In winter if horses have short coats their owners may supply a rug for the drivers to put on them when they get off for their rest stops. Boots and tail bandages are not recommended, especially in hot weather, due to the sweat and irritation that these cause. Horses are more likely to get irritated and kick out. Our floats are designed so that each bay is completely surrounded in rubber with smooth stainless steel paneling behind them for the horse that sits back on it's tail. It has been found over a period of time, that horses travel a lot happier without too much on them during a long journey.
When speaking to your transporter it is very important that you tell them the size of your horse, breed and any other relevent details. From this it can be ascertained how much space your horse will need. It is a must when booking on, that you inform the transporter of any bad habits your horse may have i.e. is a bad loader, bites, kicks or scrambles. This way allowances can be made, like extra time allocated for bad loaders, or extra space allowed for horses that scramble. Equipped with relevent knowledge accidents can be avoided. If you are buying the horse find out how it travels from the previous owner.
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