Trailer Travel - How far would you go?

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Dovorian

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A general question really, how far do you travel your horses by trailer? I'm planning a 4 hour trip but a few friends say that if far too long to go by trailer. Many years ago I would have taken a horse a lot further in a trailer but it seems that opinion has changed. I thik that the trailer has more speace for the horse than most lorries so that shouldn't be a concern + he travels well and is used to it.
 
I wouldn't go over 4 hours and if I was doing a 4 hour trip I would probably stop halfway and offer the horse a drink and check him over
But if horse is healthy etc I don't see a problem with it as long as you check him.
 
I've not yet done very long routes on my horse, but we are not competing yet (and probably will never get good enough even for a walk and trot lol) but she does travel very well and is well used to going out and about, so I wouldn't be so much as worried about the distance as I would the drive from my point of view, i.e don't like driving long on motorways as I am a scaredy cat -

However, I guess I wouldn't drive too much over 4 hours as the above poster said or break up the journey if i was.

edited to say, I think the type of journey would make a difference, as if its motorways it will be much more smoother and thus more comfortable - compared to another route which could be alot of stopping and starting and corners etc.. so if the former then I really don't see any problems.
 
In the past have done 250-300mile trips usually with a couple of stops and offering sloppy sugar beet. Does depend on roads and traffic holdups how much stress is caused.
Cuffey only unhappy once after rough crossing to Ireland, he did not eat much or drink much, did not jump particularly well either. Smooth crossing home and back to normal after a night at grass.
 
depends entirely if horse is completely happy with trailer travel. i travelled my event horse all over country in ifor 510. he was big and appreciated headroom and length compared with most lorry spaces. it was his trailer and he was 100 % happy so all i had to consider was welfare during journey ,stopping and giving rests and water etc. same with ponies these days although we now have a lorry (mum had to make do with trailer ,kids get lorry!!). we soon establish which ponies travel best in which position and in fact one is much happier in a trailer. We did a 7 hour trip to a number of competitions last season and on a couple of occasions swopped a friends pony who she said did not travel well long distances in her small trailer with our pony who we knew liked the trailer. we stopped a number of times to check the trailer ponies and they were totally relaxed and happy~great journey. oh finally think its best to make sure ponies travelling together get on as i followed a friends trailer on another epic journey and her 2 fought virtually all the way.nightmare!.
 
As far as it takes.

My horse was shipped up from the States and was on the trailer for 10 hours, a friend has just hauled a horse 1700 miles, one 4 hour stop. Horses were all fine.

Long, straight roads have their advantages.
 
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