Can i sedate my horse to travel long distance

F

Frankie66

Active Member
Joined
27 July 2009
Messages
30
Visit site
My horse will be soon travelling for over 4 hours in a trailer, he has only ever travelled for up to an hour. Can i give him a bit of Sedalin to take the ease and stop his stressing out at all??
 
If he's not normally stressy then I wouldn't give him Sedalin. If he's a good loader you could stop half way and let him out for a leg stretch, if he's not a good loader or you are not confident then i'd just stop, check he's fine, offer a drink etc.
 
Beware taking him out, choose the place with care. Don't try stopping on a Motorway Services or anywhere he could get loose if he took fright.

I think if they go on a long journey they seem to get used to it and settle down. Mind he doesn't get dehydrated.
 
I have travelled my 17 hand boy on my own 300 miles or 6-7hrs in a lorry severl times and to be honest he had only done hr trips. yuou are taught to stop every so often water, take them of etc etc but really i put him on, shut the ramp nd got on with it. we stopped every 2-3 hrs at motorway or A rd services and changed haynets and offered fresh water and checked him but he was fine. he didnt eat much and went to sleep. so much so that i brought a lead rope on a chain to hear it jangling and maake sure he was o.k. He didnt want to come off the other end. he neighed etc for first half hr then settled. they cant go anywhere and he will be fine. i left the door open into horse area and had radio up in cab so he can hear and we had a ball.
 
I travelled my horse to the Forest of Dean for a holiday and it was a 3.5 hr journey. I gave him 2ml of sedalin before we set off as he had always been quite a stressy traveller and it worked well. He arrived in a calm state and I then used it again to travel him home after our holiday. I think it depends on how your horse normally reacts to sedalin, some seem to fight it but it worked for me.
 
I've given mine Sedalin for long journeys, it was fine and made it safer and more bearable for both of us. He had 3 visits to vets/ hospital last year and was heavily sedated by the vets for each. As soon as he was able to put one foot in front of the other the vets gave him the all clear to travel home so I think they can be quite well sedated and still be fine to keep thier balance.
 
Why would anyone want to sedate a horse to travel unless it is on a vets advice.

I compete a lot and quite regularly travel 3 hours plus to a show and return the same day, in a trailer, without any problems. Some of the horses may not have done much travelling before I got them but have all been fine. I stop at least once to check them. They travel with a big haynet which has been soaked in warm weather to give them extra water. If I am travelling for longer I offer them water when I stop but very few drink usually they just wash their mouths out.

I would never consider unloading a horse mid journey unless in an emergencey
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top