how long can you travel

We did 6 hours from Hickstead to Doncaster with a 14hh in a trailer. We did stop to offer a drink half way. Came off fresh as a daisy!
 
If travelling by trailer, I would try and stop for a leg stretch, drink etc, after maximum 3 hrs. I did stop at a very large services once, allow horse off (lorry) for wee and leg stretch, which I only did as said horse was so laid back he was horizontal. Some months after that I did a 12 hour trip, including 3hr ferry crossing. Regular stops for water and a couple of feeds, ramp down each time, and on the ferry. The horse travelled absolutely fine, and was fresh as a daisy when he finally got off. I think, as much as anything else, they need a break from the endless shifting of weight and balancing. That must be very tiring and wearing on their legs. It is great to be able to get a horse off for a walk round, but in hindsight I would try and plan a stop with a friend en route, just so I knew there was no danger of any bids for freedom in inappropriate, dangerous places!
 
4 hours tops, for me.

The defra guidelines are 8 hours within a 24 hour period, but are regulations only for comercial transporters.

There are no regulations for non comercial travel, only that welfare should be taken in to account when travelling a horse (whatever that's supposed to mean).
 
Unless you are VERY sure of your horses, I wouldn't recommend unloading. But a stop for a rest and a drink after 4 hours on the road would probably be much apreciated by the horse. European guidelines (i.e. The law) say that livestock must rest after 8 hours, and have access to water then too.
 
I think more importantly it depends on your horse, previous experience from me is that one of my previous horses used to get quite fed up and grumpy after an hour which made it difficult to travel but my latest seems fine and stands quietly for good periods of time.

As long as you stop often and check, it does really depend on your neddy.

Happy travelling
 
Cortez said:
Unless you are VERY sure of your horses, I wouldn't recommend unloading. But a stop for a rest and a drink after 4 hours on the road would probably be much apreciated by the horse. European guidelines (i.e. The law) say that livestock must rest after 8 hours, and have access to water then too.
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I agree, we've got a couple that you could trust (I would also put a bridle on just to be safe), but we've got one that probably wouldn't load again if I was travelling a distance with him, I would open the partitions in the lorry and let him stretch that way.
I know people who do this and then put sugarbeet on the floor of the lorry to get the horse to lower it's head, lucky with a lorry in that you can offer water throughout the journey.
There was an article in Equi-Ads September (I think) where they done an interview with one of the GB team and travelling the horses across europe, she had also recommended this.
 
Yes, letting the horses head down during a long journey is invaluable as it allows the nasal discharge to drain, but this doesn't really become an issue on journeys under 3 hours.
 
I didn't consider taking ours off box . He loads fine but can be very spooky so would have been an accident waiting to happen unloading at services!
 
hi
we travelled our tb gelding in a lorry to beds for the riding club champs took about 7 hours from cornwall , stopped twice to offer water which he didnt want , we then got eliminated in champs lol so to console ouselves we bought a 5 yr old warmblood gelding and travelled them home together , both were absolutely fine
 
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