How often do you travel your horses?

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ecrozier

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Hello!
Just a quick question - how often do your horses travel? And do you have a maximum number of times a month/week you will travel them or do you think it doesn't really affect them much at all?*
My young one is a brilliant traveller, loads 100% perfectly, travels quietly, chilled when he is there, and our hacking is rubbish, so looking forward to brighter evenings in a couple of months I am wondering about boxing up one evening a week to go to better hacking. This would mean he would probably travel at least twice most weeks, although one journey would be short (say 20mins each way) the other would depend where we were competing/training at the weekend? Don't tend to go more than 1hr15 to compete (addington is that distance away and lucky enough to have quite a few venues closer than that!)
Just canvassing opinion really!

Ps he is 5 and a half now :)
 
In winter months we travel approx 3 times a month, sj / flatwork training, competing & occasional forest hack.

Summer we could be out every week, sometimes twice a week depending on whats on.

Journeys vary from 15mins to an hour.

I do like to keep him getting out and about regularly, if i could afford it, i would travel further and i would love to be out competing every weekend!
 
Depends on the horse. I have a number that are retired or semi-retired so they travel less frequently. My daughter's mare used to be out in the lorry up to five times a week, my then unbroken youngster used to travel around four times a week just as a companion and to learn how to behave on the lorry. At the moment both my in work horses would probably travel three times a week on average - once we get back into the swing of things.

Most journeys would be what passes for local so around 20 - 30 minutes and the youngster only ever did those until she was broken and started eventing but to get to competitions we've been up to four hours, although mostly around the 1hr 30mins mark.
 
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Due to my lack of facilities my horses can travel 2 /3 times a week often short journies but occasionally when eventing 3-8 hours! They get used to it and it doesn't take much out of them.
 
Not as much during winter but rest of year its usually twice a week, from 15mins drive to 4 hours (although that's only twice a year!!) pony is such a good traveller though & also doesn't mind standing on box for hours if classes are running late. Always travel with a haynet & a bit of straw down as he won't go to the loo if floor is bare!
 
Interesting thanks guys, sounds like of the horse is good traveller it shouldn't affect them too much! I am always wary of making him sour about traveling as he is so good at the moment, but guess 1x 15/20 min trip and then one longer one shouldn't be too bad! He always has haynet and we have a little ritual that he always gets a carrot or treat for loading, not usually a fan of treating but this works for him as he always trots up ramp! And he also has bedding down so he can wee in comfort!
 
Like you say if horse good traveler and chilled then can see no problem at all with that. My showjumping mares tend to compete twice a week (between 45mins and 1hr 45 mins each way) as they do better on this as sharper than only once and then usually travel to gallops or a lesson as well (max 20 mins each way) and they are fine with this - doesn't seem to affect them at all.

If you make traveling comfy with spacious stalls, haynet and straw down then with a calm traveler i see no real problem.
 
IMHO the main thing that puts them off travelling is not liking the destination or poor driving.

I think 2 shortish (up to 1 hr) trips a week is fine - but thats just my thoughts.

Having done very little travelling all his life this last year, since I got a trailer, Beau has become a realtive jet setter. Often going out once or twice a week doing 1hr+ journeys. He is not the best travller but apart from the last big road trip (two days of 5hrs of travelling or 850km all up :cool:) he has always been fine at the destination to load etc. He was bit tucked up after the 850km and didn't speak to me for days but otherwise fine.
 
Over Christmas probably 2/3 times a month but during the event season 2/3 times a week. This week mine is out twice and next week the same. None of mine have ever seem bothered by it.
 
I think they let you know. Mine is a good traveller, calm in the trailer and when he gets out. I was travelling him every week over the Summer on his own, but I noticed he started to hesitate when loading (not refusing to go on by any means, but stopping and having to be asked again to go in) and he normally trots in and has been known to climb in himself!

I gave him a couple of weeks off from travelling and then went with a companion a couple of times and he is back to being happy again. As we haven't been out much over Winter, last week he practically hurled himself in the trailer to get going!

Also agree with F_F, they generally dislike poor driving than anything else.
 
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Thanks all - yes completely agree re bad traveling often being related to driving - hence why I am still the only person who has ever driven roo in a trailer or lorry ;) at least then if we ever start to have problems I could only blame myself!!
Good advice from all though, thanks again!
 
Most of the summer ours will travel 2-3 times a week to shows/lessons. Doesn't really take anything out of them, although when stood on the lorry from 7am til 9pm like some days we just make sure we keep them hydrated and they all get electrolytes.
 
Hello

When I started riding again after a break, I was sent a horse to produce and went out to buy a trailer. although it had had a safety check my horse put his foot through the floor on the way to our 3rd show :eek: :eek:

Thankfully he was very calm and pulled his foot free. amazingly he had only scraped his heel. Anyway the horse trailer people replaced the floor for free and I bought a cctv.

I now cannot travel without one! for £200 you can see your horse moving and I am amazed at how many people drive too fast. I am overtaken all the time on country roads and I only drive slowly as I can see the horse moving for balance.

Personally I prefer a lorry as my horse travelled better in one (still with cctv :)) but I would recommend a camera to anyone now.

I also work at a vets and I'm amazed at how many people drive quickly even with a sick/injured horse on board.



Anyway when I compete in the summer, my horse will be trailered once a week at least, it can be a variety of distances from 10mins away to 3 hours.
They come off the trailer fresh so I guess I give them a good journey.
 
I also would never be without my CCTV now :) I watch my horses a lot, they both travel very well, mainly grab a mouthful from haynet then stare out of the window whilst chewing!!
 
During the season it's not uncommon for me to be out with one or another every weekend, sometimes twice a weekend. I did have one mental day back in November where I had Titchy at a show in the morning 1 hour one way, then back to the yard, her out, and Genie on the lorry to go 1 hour the other way. This weekend Genie will be out in the lorry both Saturday and Sunday, and I know she'll be as good on the Sunday as she was on the Saturday.
 
In the summer I might travel mine as much as 4/5 times (sometimes 6 times!) a week. Going out to jump once or twice, go for stressage lessons once, hacking in windsor park (once, twice or as many as 3 times) going hacking with friends or competing.

We're always out and about and my mare still runs up the ramp of the truck to see where we're going today!! She is a super keen bean though, I'm not sure many would like to be as busy as her!!
 
i would normally go out in the trailer at least twice a week all yr round - normally one lesson and one competition or hunt. sometimes will go somewhere different to hack or to the gallops as well. horse never a problem to load, v good traveller, everywhere within an hour's drive.
 
if your horse is chilled when travelling i don't think it bothers them atall :) mine happily travel 2 times a week (lesson mid week and then competing at the weekend usually at peak competing times) - usually journeys vary from 20minutes for lessons to 45-1hr30 for competitions). occasionally it has been 3 times a week if they have has a lesson, a dressage competition and then a showjumping one!! has never took much out of them and they've never been bothered!

that said, i used to have a very bad traveller who would sweat/weave/get tucked up - so we kept his travelling to a maximum of once a week.. as he did really fret over it
 
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