Background Whether a horse is being transported from one side of Australia to the other for a competitive event or just taken to the riding ground in an adjacent suburb, there are some common principles to keep in mind.
The issues Horses should be carefully prepared for transport of any significant distance. Horses must be fed and watered to ensure appropriate amounts of roughage prior to departure (to provide a large intestinal reservoir of fluid and electrolytes to help prevent dehydration and assist with thermoregulation).
The vehicle in which the horse is to be transported must be thoroughly assessed for its suitability for the journey. Safe and comfortable conditions with suitable ventilation will provide the horse with a comfortable journey.
Part of the preparation should also include evaluation of the weather and road conditions that are likely to be encountered on the journey. Avoiding excessively high or low temperatures, stormy weather and flooded roads, which may become impassable and need to be avoided.
When undertaking lengthy journeys, the need for breaks in the journey or providing feed and water during the journey should be planned for. Consulting the Australian Standards and Guidelines for the transport of livestock will allow you to assess the legal minimum welfare standards and recommendations to improve the experience for your horse.
The individual circumstances of the horse, including health, age and individual transport history should be considered. For example, horses never transported previously should be trained and familiarised with transport infrastructure before undertaking long journeys.
Prior to transporting horses from disaster areas, appropriate medical assessment must be performed.
Detailed considerations Although most adult horses can be safely transported for long trips without access to feed or water, lactating or pregnant mares and foals should have special considerations. Mares must not be transported in the final four weeks of pregnancy. Horses in poor body condition should also not be transported for long distances. Different types of horses must be segregated during the journey.
Horses must also be thoroughly assessed for any lameness. During transport, any mild lameness may be worsened by the weight shifting and vibration of the process. This means that even a mild lameness can make the journey uncomfortable for your horse.
Good planning is vital to ensure all aspects of the transport go smoothly and that a happy, healthy horse arrives at its intended destination. |