# Hauling long distance in a stock trailer?



## The Greener Side (Jun 28, 2011)

Comfort, and boredom prevention are both key.
You should research where places along your journey are available to let your horses off for a little bit to stretch their legs and maybe nibble some grass for a few minutes are. Big horse transport companies have a number of spots across the country too. 
Provide enough bedding under their feet to give some cushion to the hard rubber mats or floor boards, but not enough to lose traction, and on that, have rubber mats installed if not already.
Also, like anybody on long trips, boredom is bound to strike, so maybe throw some treat games like those lick-its where they both can reach, if they're interested, and making sure there is always plenty of hay in the feeder, so you don't have to worry about them resorting to less favorable means of entertaining themselves!
Hope this helps!!!


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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

I just hauled a filly 10.5hrs in very hot weather unfortunately and I have a very tall warmblood bp trailer (two horse). We ended up taking out the center divider and letting move about freely within the two horse trailer which really helped her out. Your situation is nice that your trailer is already very breezy as we ended up needing to pull over and tie back the escape door (which had the center divider manger grill blocking the door so she couldn't stick her face out of the trailers side). She didn't fall over as I was worried she might not having been tied to anything but she seemed to find a position which she was most comfortable traveling in and stayed there eating grass from a hay net. I was quite impressed that after unloading her twice she calmly went back into the trailer and her only fit was a stomp right as we were leaving. I was really worried before making our trip as I know it's unsafe to haul a horse past 8hrs and they really should be unloaded and rested as it is the equivalent of walking the entire time for a horse traveling in a trailer not to mention the temperature held steady at 110-113f for many hours. Every stop we made I offered her electrolyte water and she had a small trough that she could drink from at all times. During the beginning of the trip she stuck her head out of the back of the quarter windows at the rear of the trailer but after about 30min focused more on the hay than anything else. Additionally with having the option of free roaming I noticed she turned to face the back for short period of time during travel which I think is due impart to the stress of foreword facing travel (which I heard is linked to laminitis). Either way when she got home to Colorado she was dehydrated a feverish as they tend to do after extended periods of time traveling which increases risk of colic so we've put her a regime of bran mash with electrolytes and yougurt with her daily grain to help her digestion get bak on track (probably wouldn't be so problematic but it's been hot nonstop for the poor thing so shes been having a rough time coping). 

Sorry for the long-ness this is just what I've learned from my experience

...forgot to mention we also sponged her down at stops to aid in cooling but with the adequate airflow she didn't get damp and sweaty so she must've been doing at least a decent job at cooling herself off.


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