Will she be warm enough travelling?

[HashRouge]

My two are currently set to move house next Thursday. It will be a 5 hour drive, traffic permitting, and the current daytime temperature is set to be 1 degree. They don't travel often (last time was years ago) but always load well and travel quietly. However, they both tend to get quite sweaty, I think because they don't travel regularly and it probably feels quite stressful to them. However, I have never travelled them in the winter before. I had planned to travel unrugged, but I'm a bit worried my elderly Arab won't be warm enough if it is going to be so cold. What would you do - put a light fleece on her, or make sure she has something in the truck and ask the transporter to check her during the journey and rug her if she seems cold? They won't be wearing travel boots and she isn't very hairy, so I don't want her to be shivering for five hours (or unnecessarily warm!). She is wearing two turnout rugs at the moment and feels just the right temperature. I will be doing the same journey in my car but I'm a slow and nervous driver, so likely to get left behind even by a horse box!

 

[Cowpony]

I'm returning my loan pony to his home tomorrow and we'll be travelling when it's around 0C. I was planning to put a fleece on him. I'd normally leave him naked. My husband is coming with us so he can check him during the journey

 

[Boulty]

If she's been wearing 2 rugs to keep warm I'd put a travel rug on her. I always used to rug the orange one who was very minimally clipped to travel in winter as he felt the cold & he didn't tend to sweat up.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think I would be tempted to rug her a thermatex would be better than a fleece .
She has to work her body to stand while travelling it’s quite hard work especially if they don’t travel all the time that will produce heat .
What type of lorry is it if it’s a smaller one so two horses will build up heat in it that’s one thing if it’s a huge lorry with only two in it that’s completely different .
You also need to decide on the day when you see what’s the weathers like .
I would also let the transporter guide you they know their lorry best .
The last horse I got from Ireland was clipped he had a long journey a day and a half to get to me he travelled unrugged in a truck full of horses it was December and he was overnight crossing the Irish Sea I was so worried about him.
We rugged him in my truck because he was alone .

I would feed some soaked feed something like soaked grass cubes in the morning so they are fully hydrated to travel
I would also give soaked food once they settled at the other end .
I worry more about colic when oldies travel than anything else .

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would put a fairly substantial fleece or a thermatex type rug on so if she does sweat it will do a decent job of wicking it away so she is not stood getting cold if she gets wet from sweat.

 

[HashRouge]

Thanks guys, some really useful replies here. GS, that is an especially good idea re soaked feed to keep them hydrated. I could also soak their hay for travelling. I genuinely hadn't thought of that!

The truck is a 3.5T two horse box, and the bloke moving them has travelled them before several times (albeit a while ago!). I will definitely be asking him on the morning to see what he thinks. She doesn't have a thermatex but I have got plenty of time to go and get her something along those lines if people think it might be best. The other one is really hairy and is never rugged - will he be okay naked? He's the one who is more likely to sweat so I think it is actually perfect for him that it is so cold, as hopefully it will keep him a nicer temperature. I am honestly dreading this whole journey, but I can't exactly leave them behind at the other end of the country, so northwards we all must go!

 

[Kat]

I'd put something on that will breath well if they do sweat so a thermatex or fleece. I wouldn't travel a horse naked if it is wearing two turnout rugs.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thanks guys, some really useful replies here. GS, that is an especially good idea re soaked feed to keep them hydrated. I could also soak their hay for travelling. I genuinely hadn't thought of that!

The truck is a 3.5T two horse box, and the bloke moving them has travelled them before several times (albeit a while ago!). I will definitely be asking him on the morning to see what he thinks. She doesn't have a thermatex but I have got plenty of time to go and get her something along those lines if people think it might be best. The other one is really hairy and is never rugged - will he be okay naked? He's the one who is more likely to sweat so I think it is actually perfect for him that it is so cold, as hopefully it will keep him a nicer temperature. I am honestly dreading this whole journey, but I can't exactly leave them behind at the other end of the country, so northwards we all must go!

The saracen recovery mash is great most horses love it and you can buy a travel pouch which would be plenty for them to have just before you go and for when you get there.

 

[Gloi]

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[Goldenstar]

I think the one that not used to rugs will be fine naked .
I honestly don’t think they will be cold in a small van type transporter .
But you need a plan for breakdown my friend a vet once out to a hyperthermic horse whose lorry had broken down in winter .
The weather was bad as in very cold and treacherous we went out with rugs and soaked foods eventually the horse was moved to a nearby house with stables in a trailer towed by a defender it was fine .
But it was a reminder to me to travel prepared for disaster in cold weather .

 

[HashRouge]

I think the one that not used to rugs will be fine naked .
I honestly don’t think they will be cold in a small van type transporter .
But you need a plan for breakdown my friend a vet once out to a hyperthermic horse whose lorry had broken down in winter .
The weather was bad as in very cold and treacherous we went out with rugs and soaked foods eventually the horse was moved to a nearby house with stables in a trailer towed by a defender it was fine .
But it was a reminder to me to travel prepared for disaster in cold weather .

Yes, I did think they shouldn't get too cold. It was only this cold snap that has had me fretting a bit about the old one.
They will be travelling with all their stuff, so the transporter will have several warm rugs to put on if the worst were to happen and they did break down. And I will be following along on the exact same route, albeit probably slightly slower!

 

[HashRouge]

I thought I'd update this as I spoke to the transporter today and he said he'd advise no rugs. He must have a temperature gage inside the truck because he was telling me that his current outside temperature is -2, but that it is 1 degree in the lorry even with no horses. He said with two horses in there it should be a comfortable temperature and he can close or open various vents/ windows if anyone is too hot/ too cold.
I do have a thermatex, which belongs to my other horse, so I am going to try it on the old mare to see if it absolutely swamps her or if it would work for a few hours if the transporter finds she is still not warm enough.

 

[EnduroRider]

Another vote for naked. I travelled two on Saturday - the lean clipped one in a thermatex and the rotund moderately hairy one naked. Both arrived warm enough but not sweaty. This was in an equitrek trailer so likely to be similar temperature wise to a 3.5t box.

 

[nikkimariet]

Maybe fleece or thermatex? It’s a long journey even in the cold so just something to keep the draft and chill off.

 

[HashRouge]

Maybe fleece or thermatex? It’s a long journey even in the cold so just something to keep the draft and chill off.

They're both unclipped and woolly, it's just one is more woolly than the other one! I think we're going to start her off naked but the transporter will have a rug to put on her if he thinks she's cold. It was really nice to speak to him by phone, he was very reassuring!

 

[Annagain]

You need to consider the potential for getting stuck due to weather - so extra hay and water and a rug or two each in case they're on there not moving for any length of time.

 

[Rowreach]

I'd definitely travel them without rugs, especially as it's a small lorry, but with contingency planning in place for if they get stuck somewhere.

 

[HashRouge]

Yes, the transporter will have all their rugs etc in case they do get stuck along the way. The Welsh has a thermatex and my very kind YO has said she will donate an old fleece for the elderly Arab, but they will also have several stable rugs and turnout rugs if we get well and truly stuck anywhere. I can put spare hay in and will check with the transporter about water as I suspect he may do that himself (he's a proper professional transporter so does this every day, he's currently in Holland moving horses, not just some dodgy person I found on Facebook). And if the forecast looks dicey in anyway then we just won't go and will do it another day.

 

[Lady Jane]

My horse was a sweaty traveller but it was cold one winter and he has a few trips to the vet so I put a very light wicking cooler on him. I had an even sweatier horse and a soaked rug. For future journeys I travelled him naked and he was much better - but always took a light rug just in case. He was by himself in a 7.5t, unclipped but had a vey fine coat. I think 2 in a 3.5t will be rather warm, make sure all your windows/roof vents are open. I assume they are both quite small?

When I compete with my good traveller, he doesn't have too much on for the journey but I have an extra rug for standing on the lorry while we are there. As others have said, balancing during travel makes them work so even a good traveller can get warmer than you would expect whilst in transit