What's the longest you would travel a horse in a trailer for a show?

[DuckToller]

A friend of mine whose teenagers ride a couple of my ponies asked if she could take them to a competition. When I looked it up on a map finder, it was a two hour journey. I wasn't happy about the ponies going two hours there, doing a class, then coming two hours back, particularly as one hasn't competed all year (sort of well-earned long rest but hacking fit).

She then organised a lift in a lorry, so I have agreed to the younger pony going, but not the older one (he is 18) as feel it's alot to ask an older, heavy built chap to do.

I just wonder if I am being daft? It has caused a few problems, not least that she is now looking for an alternative loan pony for one daughter now. They do contribute towards the cost of the ponies and pay for shoes, and I don't want to lose them but I wouldn't ask the older pony to do all that in a day. Am I too soft?

 

[JenHunt]

THe longest i have travelled a horse is 3 hours, but i was staying for 4 days! i went from yorkshire to warwickshire for an event. (RC horse trials champs)

for a show though i wouldn't personally travel much more than an hour.

 

[Nickijem]

I don't know how true it is but I remember hearing that an hours travelling is as tiring for a horse as an hours hacking. Therefore you would have to ask whether you would be happy to hack 2 hours to a show then hack the 2 hours home again?

 

[PennyJ]

The longest we've done is 3 hours each way in a trailer for Pony Club area dressage. No obvious ill effects to the pony were apparent once we got there and indeed, when we got home. He was more keen on getting his greedy head down and scoffing the rich Somerset grass as quickly as he could.

Having said that, I wouldn't be too keen on doing that kind of distance regularly.

 

[merlinsquest]

I suppose it would depend on what sort of roads you were travelling on..... Motorways at a constant speed etc, not so bad..... twisty roads with lots of acceleration/braking..... not so nice for the horse!!

 

[DuckToller]

Have to confess it was mostly motorway, but with fiddly bits at either end.

 

[merlinsquest]

Well maybe not too bad then..... But its your horse, so your choice..... dont let them bully you.

PiebaldSparkle and I took our horses, on a lorry though, for a six hour drive to visit Ravenwood..... turned them out for an hour and then went on a two hour hack!!! And on the day we left we went for a long ride and then travelled six hours back again.... and both journeys had a fair amount of twists, turns and brakey bits

 

[JM07]

2 hours??

blimey, i've hacked 6 miles to a show, done 6 classes, then hacked home.......

 

[DuckToller]

Funnily enough I don't mind so much a long journey there if you are staying for a night or two. Trouble is like all these things you have to make a decision and I made it then felt bad as both teenagers wanted to compete and now only one can. On the whole I am quite generous with my ponios, but just didn't feel right about this outing. Maybe because I don't know the venue or xc course, or the ground conditions etc - as a friend nicely put it, it is 'outside my comfort zone'!

Fortunately no chance of me being bullied - I always stick up for my ponies, just feeling awkward about this one and think it might be the beginning of the end of a friendship. Oh well.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

As MQ's response.....................We must be really bad owners!!!!!

At least the 1st and last hour of the journey was very narrow twisty roads (motorway for middle 4hrs).

 

[DuckToller]

Would you let someone else do that on your horse though?

I drove my nag to Norfolk, about 3 hours due to traffic, then turned him out for a few hours, tacked up and rode for 3 hours. So it's one rule for me and one for someone else, but I pay the vet bills and he's not insured so I guess that's the bottom line.

 

[merlinsquest]

Nope....... thats why I dont have a sharer though... I cant cope enough to share.

Its as much as I can handle to let my daughter ride him round the block (15/20 mins)

Mudsplashers daughter also rides him occasionally.....

I trust no one to be out of my sight

If I break him then its bad luck (hes partly broken anyway), but if someone else did it, I would kill them!!!!

 

[lexiedhb]

2 hours............. is that all??? i realy wouldnt be worrying about a 2hr journey there and back!

 

[DuckToller]

Thanks for that - it sums up how I feel. I think if it was a local course, or somewhere I knew, I'd feel happier.

The pony in question is my daughter's, she doesn't compete him anymore (bought a horse in May) but she still loves hacking him when she gets a chance. Need to share him partly to keep weight off him and also to contribute towards costs (which as I have never sold an outgrown pony yet means I have a large collection of ageing p's... )

Some things I don't mind him doing - I let him go to camp which was probably far harder work but good for his figure! I'm sure their mother thinks I am being mean but that's the peril of sharing I guess.

 

[rara007]

2 hours for something that is fitish and an easy traveller should be fine. Generally we font bother going more than 2 hours for a one day show, 4 hours for a 2 day event, 6 hours for a 3 day event and the time in lorries is endless. Ours will quite happily, and regularly travel 4 hours in an afternoon, get tacked up and go out for an hour. The longest pip has travelled in one day was 13 hours. After he had 30 mins free schooling, 5 hours in a stable and another 10 hours traveling. The day after he got worked hard, and into a sweat 3 times.
I guess the pony would be OK with it although it won't give its best performance after standing for 2 hours, but if your not happy with it, your the owner so what you would like is what should be done, and you shouldn't feel bad about your descision.

 

[xmoodyxmarex]

With eventing I have to consider travelling 2 hours, due to the lack of events near me and so many getting cancelled this year, and the horses cope fine.

I have a horse who is young and fit so it really isn't a problem.

But I agree with other posts, would I let someone else do that with him? Probably no, simply because i know what I will do at the show, and I know if he didn't feel right I would withdraw, and can't gurantee that others would make that decision.

At the end of the day, it's your horse, and what ever decision you make the sharers should respect.