Longer journey travel advice please

[DeliaRides]

Hi there, going to get some advice about travelling with our 13hh pony for our first longer journey.

We're hoping to take her away on holiday with us to North Wales. Journey towing will take up to 3 hours. What do people usually do for this length of journey re breaks/stops etc?

She travels regularly (most weeks), and well/happily, up to about an hour, sometimes with company sometimes alone, and when we bought her, the journey home was about 1hr 45m and she was fine although very slightly sweaty when we unloaded her, but it was a warm day.

When you stop, where do you stop and what do you do? Obviously we can offer water, but we are unlikely to be able to stop somewhere she can really kick up her hooves particularly. Is a stroll around a quiet car park enough? What do people do in this situation?

 

[DeliaRides]

'Going to get some advice' should read 'hoping!

 

[Auslander]

3 hours isn't long - I'd just crack on, offering her water when you stop to refuel/have a comfort break. No need to get her off for a walk on a trip of that length

 

[Cortez]

Three hours is nothing, she'll be fine. I'd just do it as one run and not stop at all. I used to travel up to 6 or 7 hours to get to a show in the US and would only stop once for a water break: I wouldn't think of stopping on a three hour run.

 

[Nudibranch]

I do 3-4 hours now and then. One stop, offer water. They're fine with it.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We took 3 (2x big horses + a shetland) from Yorks to Cumbria, which took about 5 hours, stopped once for the people to have a quick break and apart from checking the horses then, left them alone until we arrived at their destination. They were all absolutely fine and went straight out to graze.

 

[DeliaRides]

This is all very reassuring, thank you!

 

[sunnyone]

If you are driving anywhere with or without horses you should stop every 2 hours or so as you get stiff/ dehydrated etc. So for a 3 hour journey play safe, stop once somewhere around the midway point.
At the same time you can check pony and offer water. NEVER give the pony a leg stretch there's just too many risky possibilities from wasp stings to vehicles passing too close which can mean the pony takes off into life threatening situations.

Mine have travelled from UK to Spain and back to France using the above rules but with overnight stops. They remain happy to go out again.