20 Tips for Hauling Your Horses Long Distance

Part 1

Traveling across the country with your horse can be an exciting and pleasurable event. As we all know there can be lots of unexpected events in this world, however if you are in an unfamiliar area, combined with the added responsibility of your horses, these events can turn into a nightmare, if you're not prepared.

Most of us know the basic preparation issues that we need to address before our departure such as checking the trailer lights and breaks. However, little is written about how to prepare for issues that could arise out on the road. Listed below are 20 insightful tips that may help you in your quest for a pleasurable trip with your horse.

1) Conditioned horses travel best. When you are hauling your horses' long distances, having your horses in the best possible shape makes the trip much easier on him. It is just common sense to have your horse in the good shape and therefore his stamina, fatigue level, and overall strength may keep him from becoming ill or fall to injuries while on the road.

2) Do your homework of places to stay with your horse. Always have an alternative plan of places to stay with your horses. While you are making arrangements for a place to stay why not check out other facilities in the area, just in case. It's always better "to be safe than to be sorry" especially when traveling with your horse.

3) Alternative places to stay. When traveling with horses many of us like to stay at horse motels, stables, or B&B&B's however, if one of these facilities can't be found there are other alternatives. Other places to stay with your horse are fairgrounds, private campgrounds, dispersed camping on national forest or bureau of land management lands, developed non-horse campgrounds (place your horse outside the parameter) or state, county, or city facilities.

4) Paper Work for horses, and other pets. Most horse people know that if you're traveling to another state you'll need a 30 day health certificate and a negative test for coggins taken with the last 6 months for some states and one year for the others. You may also be required to prove that your horses and any other pets traveling with you have all their inoculations. Other paper work that you should carry with you is a proof of ownership in the form of a brand inspection/hauling papers. If you are not sure how to obtain these papers, call the brand inspector of the state you will be traveling.

There are very few places in this country where you can get a coggins test done overnight, and there can be some dire consequences if you don't have them with you when they are requested. If your health certificate runs over their 30 day limit while you are out on the road, it is possible to stop by a veterinarian's office and make an appointment to get them. Most times, we have found, they will get to you right away and perhaps as you wait.

5) Carry your own horse confinement. What ever your overnight plans are for you and your horse while traveling it is possible to be out on the street - so to speak - with no place to go. If you have something with you that you can use to confine your horse such an electric fence, a high line, or portable corral, you can expand your horizons as they say by staying just about anywhere you can park and have a safe place for your horse.

6) Don't overload your rig. The next time you have your horses loaded and your trailer packed up and ready to go on a trip, stop by a truck scale and have your rig weighed. Check with your vehicle's manual to see how much weight it is rated to tow. You may be very surprised to see what your equipment, horses, and provisions really weigh.

Towing more weight than your vehicle is rated for can be a hazardous thing. Blow outs, wearing down your tires, breaking a trailer axel, overheating your engine, and even the mere braking of your vehicle to try to stop your rig can be a serious issue. Caution: If you are in an accident, and it is found that your rig is carrying a load over its rated limit, you could be held liable for that incident.

7) There are ways to ease your burden. To lighten your load, take either bags of cubes or pellets instead of bales of hay, which in addition to being lighter than hay will also take up less space. Take just enough water to meet your needs but don't fill up your water tank all the way, to keep down the weight, until you get to your destination. Don't take everything you own, keep your gear, possessions, and food down to the essentials.

8) Check all equipment before you depart in the morning and each time you stop that day. Give your rig a complete safety check making sure everything is in proper working order and placed where it should be before you take off for your adventure. Checking your tire pressure and wear, hitch assembly, and making sure all the doors are closed and the horses are comfortable can save you from unnecessary hardship along your route.

9) Always make sure you have plenty of fuel in your tow vehicle. If you are hauling your rig west of the Mississippi river, make sure you have plenty of fuel to get to the next town. This is especially important if you aren't traveling on the interstate highways, as fuel stops may be few and far between. Keep in mind not all small towns have a service station.

10) Higher elevations can zap your engines power. Your gasoline engine can loose 3% to 4% of its efficiency for every 1000 feet of elevation. Diesel engines can have a 3% or more of a performance loss when traveling over 10,000 feet of elevation. You will certainly want to take this in consideration when traveling through mountainous regions.

Part 2 will cover 10 more tips on having a safe and happy horse trip until then I'll look for you on the trail. Happy Trails -- Janine

Janine is a International freelance writer and photographer, lecturer/clinician, avid trail rider, horse traveler, Long Rider and the author of WESTERN HORSEMAN'S: TRAIL RIDING: A Comprehensive Guide to Enjoying Your Horse Outdoors.