How far would you travel in a trailer?

I'm an endurance rider but wouldn't travel over 2 hours max to a one day ride. I would consider travelling further if the ride had overnight facilities (i.e. corralling) so that I didn't have to travel back on the same day.

For a "there and back" in one day ride, I would travel further (i.e. up to 2 hours), but keep the length of the ride to a shorter distance, meaning that I would prefer to do am 80km ride closer to home and a 30km ride further away.

In fact Endurance GB does have rules (which I can't quote right now) regarding travelling distances, ride distances and overnight stops. Horses taking part in rides of over a certain length have to have a compulsory overnight stop anyway, whic in my poinion is no bad thing.
 
ORANGEHORSE said:
Undoubtedly the horses will get a better journey in a lorry, but whether the difference will make a difference to their performance is a moot point. It would be interesting if someone came up with any experience, but there are so many variables in how a horse's performance can be altered it would have to be very marked to say "it was the trailer journey."

You can certainly travel faster in a lorry and it is easier for the rider/driver to have everything at hand, and more comfortable. When you think that years ago all that was available were cattle trucks, trailers and railway for long distance.
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Out of interest, how can you necessarily travel faster in a lorry? Depends on the speed limit of the lorry, no? Which is often the same as that of a car + trailer.

Why do horses get a better journey in a lorry btw? Obviously a super fancy one with air suspension/climate control etc is probably comfier than a 30-year old Rice, but are lorries really categorically more comfortable for the horse than trailers?
 
TGM said:
I think you have to take into account the fact that we have two legs whilst horses have four, so they are probably more stable whilst in transit than we are. Also that doing a trip around the village you are more likely to encounter rough road surfaces and have to do more turning than if you are doing a long journey mainly on smooth, straight motorways.

It is difficult to assess what effect it may have on legs and joints, but the two horses we travelled by trailer on a five hour journey were able to come out of their stables and both perform very good dressage tests the following morning, resulting in both being placed in their arenas. If travelling by trailer was so detrimental to them, you would expect to see some deterioration in their performances, particularly as the horses concerned are both in their teenage years. (However, I must stress that the trailer concerned was a good quality one where the horses travel facing backwards, which is thought to make balancing easier for them - whether they would have been as happy in another type of trailer I don't know).
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Very well put, I totally agree. I have an EquiTrek trailer in which my pony travels backwards and its the only type of trailer he'll load onto. My Mum won't drive a horse box as she feels its "Too much like a tank" and my Dad has to look after our business so its not always convenient for him to leave and drive me to a show - hence why we have the trailer. If traveling in a trailer where the horses face backwards is causing a problem to the horse, I'm sure it would waste no time in telling its owner that it wasn't happy. He always has leg and tail protection on too, just in case he becomes unbalanced. We've travelled from where I live in East Anglia to Somerset last year (An approximate 11 hour round trip!) and back (Obviously with water stops and the day he was ridden and the return journey were not made on the same day) and he was just fine.

Being traveled in a trailer has never affected our performance tbh. The day after we made the journey to Somerset we won the competition we entered so I'm pretty sure if my pony had suffered, that wouldn't have been possible. Providing the mode of transport is driven sensibly frequent breaks are taken and the equine/s in question are well protected - three things which should always happen anyway when traveling horses, I see no problem in a trailer being used for long journeys.
 
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I've done far longer in a trailer - have gone to RC HT Champs @ in Warwickshire in a trailer a few years ago. The other twice Ive been I did go in a lorry and I had intended to on this occassion but they pulled out at the last minute! Took 10 hours, half way down we took him out and walked about/had some grass - but he seemed perfectly happy, munched on hay the whole way. As long as you stop regularily (which you have to for fuel usually) and give water (we gave sugar beet water) and hay there should be no problem. In saying that though Id only do it with a sensible horse - I would never have done that journey with the last horse I had who wasn't the best traveller!

With my current horse I think nothing of travelling up to 4 hours each way in a day. I prefer it to a lorry as its generally far more airy for them. I remember a pony we travelled in a lorry-load down to the RC champs @ Lincoln, poor pony sweated the whole way (even with windows all open) and didnt feel right even after a day off. Just do whatever the horse is used to IMO.
 
When i was starting out i travelled horses in trailers as far as Scotland / Norfolk to compete. Used to do an overnight stop and get them out in a services for a leg stretch but it never effected how they performed. Trips to HOYS (when still in London) / Olympia 3 1/2hrs etc were straight there with no problems. shouldn't worry if your horse is a good traveller just keep offering him fluids. Good luck!
 
little_flea said:
Out of interest, how can you necessarily travel faster in a lorry? Depends on the speed limit of the lorry, no? Which is often the same as that of a car + trailer.

Why do horses get a better journey in a lorry btw? Obviously a super fancy one with air suspension/climate control etc is probably comfier than a 30-year old Rice, but are lorries really categorically more comfortable for the horse than trailers?
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Not accourding to my horse he hates lorrys, sweats and refuses to load, not been lucky enough to try a super fancy one however he has been in a fairly new standard one and he said no thank you.
And my trailer and car are certainly faster than the older lorrys, we can do 60 on a slight incline or flat motorway and positively race past the majority of lorrys up a hill.
(Ok we do have to slow right down down a hill)
 
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