HorsesRule2009
Well-Known Member
How long would you travel a horse for before giving them a break?
Just looking for peoples opinions really
Just looking for peoples opinions really
Travelling
- Thread starter HorsesRule2009
- Start date
Shay
Well-Known Member
The general advice is to stop every 3 - 4 hours. The law requires that you stop to offer feed and water every 8 hours with a maximum transportation period of 24 hours.
I've not personally transported anything for more than 6 hours but have both bought and sold horses then transported by professionals abroad.
I've not personally transported anything for more than 6 hours but have both bought and sold horses then transported by professionals abroad.
HorsesRule2009
Well-Known Member
Thank you,
It's more a general pondering rather than anything else.
Friends had to do a 4 hour journey and insisted that they had to stop at the 2 hour mark.
Another friend of there's decided to do the four hours in 1 run and they were pretty horrified at this.
Thank you again 😊
It's more a general pondering rather than anything else.
Friends had to do a 4 hour journey and insisted that they had to stop at the 2 hour mark.
Another friend of there's decided to do the four hours in 1 run and they were pretty horrified at this.
Thank you again 😊
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
I think it would partly depend on the horse and on the type of roads too. I have one that is a super traveller and on a motorway or major roads I'd rather crack on and get her to the destination and therefore get off the box sooner, than stop for a break and make it into a longer thing overall.
Others that don't travel so well, or on more wiggly routes, would benefit from a chance to relax more often.
Others that don't travel so well, or on more wiggly routes, would benefit from a chance to relax more often.
HorsesRule2009
Well-Known Member
Again thank you.
I completely understand what you are saying.
In the above situation both parties were travelling the same route
I completely understand what you are saying.
In the above situation both parties were travelling the same route
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Around 4 - 5 hours, but the break is actually more for me than the horse. I've traveled horses to and from Spain several times and we'd generally go in 8 hour stints, offer water and more hay after 4 hours on the road, then stop and unload for the night. The horses all traveled well with no effects at the ultimate end of the journey. Depends on the horse though.
Twohorses
Well-Known Member
Again, I'm sure things are much different here, in the U.S., than the UK but I don't think we have any laws governing rest periods for livestock. It was never brought up by the vets either time I moved my horses across the U.S.
What our federal and state laws ARE strict about is shipping papers. My vets told me in advance what vaccinations and shipping certs I would need so as not to have someone decide to make an example out of me and confiscate my horses, at some weigh station, moving across the U.S.
in the U.S. If a weigh station is open, it is law that one has to pull in and get on the weight scale, if your equipment is big enough. Sometimes I was waved right thru, other times they made me stop, get weight and asked to see my shipping papers to be sure sure my horses matched the description on the papers. They could have cared less if I offered water but those papers had better match the horses in the trailer, lol
When I moved my horses (myself) 2,100 miles across the U.S. (Twice, five years apart), they were in the trailer anywhere from six to nine hours every day. It was a five day-four night trip both ways.
They always had hay in front of them (no feed of any sort until they were settled at their pre-arranged nightly layovers, and the feed was minimal)..
I offered water every time we stopped for gas or to eat -- and not that gawd-awful gas station water hose water. I bought gallon jugs of water in the markets attached to the gas stations to offer them. Finding buckets big enough for them to get their noses in yet still get enough to drink, took thinking outside the box.
Even though my horses were well seasoned traveling trail horses, I never took them out of the trailer until we reached our destination. Horses don't need to come out of the trailer for "rest periods -- that's how accidents happen, even with best of horses.
I used a 4-horse open stock trailer, that had a second wooden floor added (mats on top) to help reduce leg wear. I did not wrap legs as nobody had any leg health issues back then.
We made it to our retirement farm. Two of those three horses lived to 27 & 29 and are laid to rest on this farm. The third horse is now 25 and still being ornery
.
What our federal and state laws ARE strict about is shipping papers. My vets told me in advance what vaccinations and shipping certs I would need so as not to have someone decide to make an example out of me and confiscate my horses, at some weigh station, moving across the U.S.
in the U.S. If a weigh station is open, it is law that one has to pull in and get on the weight scale, if your equipment is big enough. Sometimes I was waved right thru, other times they made me stop, get weight and asked to see my shipping papers to be sure sure my horses matched the description on the papers. They could have cared less if I offered water but those papers had better match the horses in the trailer, lol
When I moved my horses (myself) 2,100 miles across the U.S. (Twice, five years apart), they were in the trailer anywhere from six to nine hours every day. It was a five day-four night trip both ways.
They always had hay in front of them (no feed of any sort until they were settled at their pre-arranged nightly layovers, and the feed was minimal)..
I offered water every time we stopped for gas or to eat -- and not that gawd-awful gas station water hose water. I bought gallon jugs of water in the markets attached to the gas stations to offer them. Finding buckets big enough for them to get their noses in yet still get enough to drink, took thinking outside the box.
Even though my horses were well seasoned traveling trail horses, I never took them out of the trailer until we reached our destination. Horses don't need to come out of the trailer for "rest periods -- that's how accidents happen, even with best of horses.
I used a 4-horse open stock trailer, that had a second wooden floor added (mats on top) to help reduce leg wear. I did not wrap legs as nobody had any leg health issues back then.
We made it to our retirement farm. Two of those three horses lived to 27 & 29 and are laid to rest on this farm. The third horse is now 25 and still being ornery
.
scruffyponies
Well-Known Member
No experience personally, but other than physical needs (mainly water), surely even a stressy traveller would get used to the box after an hour or so, so a single long journey would be better than stop/start?
EnduroRider
Well-Known Member
Temperature will play a part too...
bluepegasus
Well-Known Member
I've got a long journey coming up at the end of the month. I'm thinking of stopping once or twice, to check and offer water/more hay, but definitely not unloading.
What do people do with their horses legs on long journeys? I'm thinking travel boots might be a bit warm for 5-6 hours, would bandages be better but then they don't protect the hock and knees.
What do people do with their horses legs on long journeys? I'm thinking travel boots might be a bit warm for 5-6 hours, would bandages be better but then they don't protect the hock and knees.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I've never used anything on a horse's legs for travelling. Long distance hauliers will advise this too. I also remove shoes for really long (international) trips.
The Fuzzy Furry
Getting old disgracefully
Absolutely this. Never travel anything of mine in more than a headcollar
I've only ever used a tail wrap when really needed for a bum rubber and never a bandage.
Regularly used to do European runs, and all animals travelled well. I'd certainly not stop under 4 hours here, unless it was splitting a longer trip in half. Even toddling up to Cumbria and into Scotland was only 6 to 8 hours from here in the SE, then I had to stop for riders comfort breaks etc!