Panicking - travel and 90F

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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Well, my rescued Angel is going on loan to the lass who has been riding her, winning things on her, loving her and being thrown into holly bushes by her for the last 9 months. If all goes well - Claire is new to horse ownership - Angel will be "sold" to Claire for £1 in a few months time. Emotions running very high as you can imagine.

Here's the problem though: Angel has just enough liver left to be a "normal" horse, after critical ragwort poisoning by her idiot previous owners. She is a mega hairy 14.2 gipsy cob and can sweat at an Olympic level. She's fine travelling to local shows with another horse. But on her own for a good 5hrs in a trailer, with temperatures forecast to be in the 90s next week, I'm in panic mode. Would giving her a trace clip now help? Would you travel her in her thick travel boots or leave naked? Would you put a mesh cooler on her? What about a water stop? Would you sponge her down or just get the journey over quick? Any tips at all for stress-free travel on journeys that long??? I read that 1 hours travel = 1 hours brisk walking. So her 5-hour+ journey will = 5 hours or more brisk walking and she's nowhere fit enough to do that. And although she has enough remaining liver to be "normal" (with correct diet and management) I'm worried sick that the journey will stress her so badly that she'll get ill. The transport is booked and Claire and new yard are all expecting her Weds. HELP!!!
 
Could you not travel her late evening/overnight? If not, I would be inclined not to put anything on her and give her a net of soaked hay which will help with her hydration levels. Offer her water 2-3 times through the jouney to which you could add some apple juice if she won't drink. I would be inclined to keep moving as much as possible as the lorry/trailer will be cooler when moving than stationary. If you have to stop, make sure you are in the shade and drop the ramp, lorries heat up pretty quickly when stationary.
Good luck and I am sure it will be fine.

Forgot to say, start her on eletrolytes 2-3 days before the journey and continue them for the same after, that will help with her hydration levels as well.
 
I'd definately factor in a couple of stops to give her a break and some water.

You could also soak a hay net so that the wet hay will help to keep her hydrated during the journey.

I wouldn't use travel boots - just use brushing boots and over reach to protect her legs if you are worried.

A clip sounds like a good plan & the mesh cooler (one of those really light sweat rugs) would help absorb any sweat as i find with my pony when he is wet, his coat lays really flat on his skin and makes him hotter,

Also - I always put shavings in my trailer. It absorbs wet so makes it less slippy and also I found its not as smelly as when i just have the bare rubber mats in.
 
i'd travel her naked, with as much airflow as possible, soaking wet haynets, and early in the morning or later in the day if at all possible.
i'd feed her electrolytes (at at least a bit of salt) in her feed the night before and the morning of the journey.
tbh if they're good travellers i disagree that it is as strenuous as a brisk walk per hour etc.
fwiw my mare did 11 hours back from Burgie the other day and was absolutely fine... i can see camera pic of her from the cab and it looked as if she was dozing most of the time.
 
As above and on really hot days I have travelled one of my horses with the top door of the trailer open. ( I had a Bateson ) Having said that it was on the way and back to a show which was only about 20 miles one way. My horse was fine and seemed to quite enjoy the flow of air! But I guess that it depends on the horse.
 
Thanks guys - probably me in panic mode. When Angel travelled 10mins (!!!!!) to the trainer's yard where she was backed, she arrived in a lather of sweat. I'm just multiplying that by 30 and imagining all sorts of horrors. Wish I'd thought of a late evening travel! Common sense, but too late to change now. I might steal someone else's horse calmer for ME on the day!!!
 
How about a water container and sponge so you can sponge her over when she has her water breaks?

Wet a couple of lightweight towels to cool her loins.

Little Cob sweats like mad on just about any trip - worries me to death!

Probably a daft question, but is she getting any milk thistle to help with her liver issue?

Maybe take some super sloppy sugarbeet just in case she doesn't/won't drink water.
 
Bless his cottons Mrs M, Saint Derek Knottenbelt of Liverpool University has given me personal advice on helping Angel over the last 2 years. He really is a saint - he's a world expert on ragwort poisoning in horses and STILL has time to help individual horse owners. The Prof and Chief Nutritionist at D&H (working with the Prof on liver support diets) devised a personal diet for Angel and I stick to it like glue. I get through a tub of D&H Milk Thistle about every 10 weeks. Think I've cornered the milk thistle market in S Wales! Like the idea of splash of apple juice if she won't drink her water and the wet speedibeet trick too. Wet towels will be there too - all these wonderful common sense tips!
 
Ah, thought it might be a daft question
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. I have come late to Milk Thistle and am amazed by it
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.

All crossed for a good journey.

Hugs.
 
Most of the advice above is great however please NEVER travel with the front ramp door of a trailer open. You can do horrendous damage to the horses eyes from high speed dust hitting then.
 
I travelled a 5hr journey with an unfit pony about a month ago, on the hottest weekend of the year (so far). I left the back doors open, opened side windows & sun roof, no travel rug - just travel boots & tail bandage. Stopped a couple of times to water but TBH, pony wouldn't drink. He had a haynet which he picked at a bit.

Got home & there was not a drop of sweat on him - the air ciculating around the trailer seemed to act like horsey aircon! He was stiff when unloaded but 20mins after arrival he was turned out in the field & has been fine ever since.
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Personally I would not EVER travel with the front door open due to debris getting thrown in off lorries etc, plus motorway travel is pretty scary enough when the lorries are behind them, let alone along side...
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QR - sort of. If you have those picnic cooler bags - you know the ones that you pop the freezer packs into - pop your cool/wet towels in there and they'll keep cold over the length of the journey, otherwise you'll probably just end up with warm wet towels or worse, dry ones!
 
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