Does anyone feed hay whilst transporting horses?

Haylage thats had a dunk. I feel horses are more likely to cough than colic if the hay was on the dusty/dry side and it's stuck in their faces.

I was more than relieved I had a whole bale of horsehage on board when I broke down on the M25 coming from Hickstead to Worcestershire. Big boy was on my lorry from 4pm to 7pm, then towed to a compound with the lorry tipped, then put onto rescue lorry and finally got home at 1am.

If it's on board you can use it, if it's not you can't. Always have it on my truck.

Never heard of the colic risk feeding whilst travelling.
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
I came from America in which you always traveled with nets. Came here and was told by transport companies, no it makes them colic. I pointed out more risk of colicking without.

Translation, big hassel for transport companies. More mess, having hay in storage, and liability if people can't properly hang a net. So basically you bandy the word colic around and people just believe you. Sorry it's ridiculous.

Terri
Click to expand...
Totally agree regularly used to use transporters moving my horses between uk and Portugal to compete ...they kept refusing to give them haylage even when I put it in their lorries got fed up and in end after paying fortune to send 2 horses to compete they arrived so dehydrated we couldnt compete and the haylage was still sealed and untouched ... Started driving them there myself ...with regular stops for water the horses competed better than ever .... just and excuse for the mess and hassle of keep stopping in my opinion.
 
They always get a haylage net, though not always on the way home if it's under an hour and they're going to sleep the whole way anyway! Had a lecture on ventilation whilst travelling a few years ago and wouldn't use hay now.
 
Yes agree with just about everyone, always travel with haynet or haylage, and wouldn't consider doing otherwise with the horse I have
 
Always travel with haynet, done it for 30+ years, never had a problem. Transporters don't because they're too feckin' lazy to put them up for all the horses they're travelling.
 
I always have hay in. I always wet it loads, as my horse won't drink at competitions.

I think it is a new idea not to - I'd never heard of it 20 yrs ago, and was quite surprised when the people I bought my mare from didn't want me to put a net in with her..
 
travelling while eating hay and having/not having hay at a show arent really the same thing imo.


Honey08 said:
I think it is a new idea not to - I'd never heard of it 20 yrs ago, and was quite surprised when the people I bought my mare from didn't want me to put a net in with her..
Click to expand...

I dont think its a new idea not to travel with hay, as long as Ive had horses there have been some that do, some that dont, or some that sometimes do.
 
Used to but stopped, my horse got caught by his leather headcollar on it and I just got out of the habit. I do take one to tie up to vehicle once there to stop them trying to wander off. I would worry more about the dust risk than colic. With the work horses we never give nets, the long hauls going to Ireland/France/Italy get loose hay on the floor as they tend to be travelled loose in a tube which is far better for preventing travel sickness as they can get their heads down. We don't possess a hay net at work, too dangerous for the foals.
 
Always travel with haynets no matter what the distance. Not had a problem yet. Also good if delayed or stuck in traffic.

Always have the tie-up so as horse can get its nostrils below whither level, to ensure its airways can be kept clear.
 
Ive always travelled Dizzy with a haynet, and it has always been recommended by the transport company I have used several times :) Its not a natural thing for my horse to be travelled, so takes his mind off it by munching the whole way :rolleyes:
 
I dont see how on earth feeding hay in transit could cause colic. Hay is fibre, it keeps the gut going. I have ALWAYS fed hay whilst travelling and hate having to send a horse by transporter anywhere as most of them refuse to feed hay during transit for respiration issues I believe (which can be a long day to go without any food for the horse - thus increasing the chance of colic!). I also ALWAYS give my horse access to a haynet at events for this very same reason, - it'd be long and boring day for them, if stuffed on a lorry 90% of the time to go without any fibre to keep the gut going.
 
Last edited:
Horses are trickly feeders so should have the option to eat or not.

One of mine will eat his way through a hay net the others will eat some but not a lot.

It is more dangerous not to feed that giving them a hay net.
 
Always, we take it off them a couple of hours before XC.
One event yard we were at refused to ever feed hay on the lorry (made a mess)!!
We"d sometimes start out at 4.30 in the morning and not get back until evening and the only food the horses would have would be a feed and hay before we left then a feed at the event before coming back. Wasn't comfortable with that I must admit.
 
I'm taking my mare to Rossdales on Monday and having to use a local transporter to get us there (charging £200 for the privalege) I used this guy 18 months ago when I moved her from one yard to another he is a retired vet. I want her to have hay on the journeys because I think that it will give her something to do other than scratch (going for dermatology referral) but I feel slightly uncomfortable making the demand that she has hay!
 
I used to feed dry hay, now I feed wet hay whilst travelling and use a small pony net. Picked up my new two year old, who in high insight was probably not used to having hay as she had been wintered out. She got choke on lorry coming back. So will now always feed wet hay when travelling to soften it!
 
Mine has his breakfast and a haynet for whatever distance, 3 hours non stop drive to Yorkshire for the last 4 years to go on holiday and up to now always been ok, I can see him on my mini camera screen he just happily munches away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top