Tips for Stress Free Travel

Practical Guidelines for Transporting Horses Based on Current Research:

  • Leave horses untied - or tied long - while they travel
  • Transport horses in familiar congenial groups
  • Keep the trailer spotlessly clean & cChoose suitable floor surfaces to reduce slippage
  • Educate your horse about loading, unloading, and travel
  • Maintain good air quality inside the trailer
  • Rest horses at least a week after a long journey
  • Keep the trailer in good repair
  • Be a sympathetic driver
  • Provide ample water and hay, but no grain
  • Cater to each horse's individual preferences
    *From Equus 270

It is important to understand the causes of stress in horse due to transportation, as then we can put controls in place to minimise unfavourable conditions.   Using current research we have identified areas that cause stress and how Richardson Rice horseboxes have been designed to minimise these factors.

We understand that every owner aspires to use the very best equipment to ensure their horse is comfortable and happy.   We also recognise that it makes a significant difference for competition horses to arrive at their destination as relaxed as possible.   The higher the horses emotional and physical stress levels, the more likely it is to interfere with their performance and when traveling regularly, the horses long term health.   By using traveling stress indicators and comparing them against the design of Richardson Rice trailers, we hope you agree that every effort has been taken for the welfare of the horse and the convenience of the owner.

Leave horses untied - or tied long - while they travel:
In most horse trailers, horses are confined with their heads in an elevated position for prolonged periods of time. Restraint of horses with their heads in and elevated position during long journeys can lead to an increased bacterial load in tracheobronchial secretions [39]
As soon as horses are allowed to lower their heads after being confined with their heads in an elevated position for an extended period of time, clinical signs of respiratory infections and abnormal trans tracheal wash cytology will return to normal. This suggests that postural drainage is an important mechanism of clearing abnormal tracheobronchial secretions [39].

Design Advantages:
Richardson Rice trailers have been designed to include a roomy section at the front of the horse to allow them plenty of room to stand in a relaxed position.   All of the breast bars are adjustable so you can ensure that they fit exactly to your horse's height requirements, therefore providing safety and comfort for the horse.

Transport horses in familiar congenial groups:
There are numerous other examples of common stressors in the management and transportation of horses. These may include behavioral stressors such as social isolation from stable mates, aggressive interaction of other horses during transportation, lack of security in novel environments, training regimes and interrupted feeding schedules.

Design Advantages:
Where possible it is always preferable to travel companion horses together, but we understand that this is not always possible.   Richardson Rice trailers are able to be fitted with removable head / bite guards to prevent   injury and build up of stress levels.   The trailers are also very roomy inside to help prevent horses feeling 'boxed in'

Keep the trailer spotlessly clean & cChoose suitable floor surfaces to reduce slippage:
Loss of balance can be the source of both minor and catastrophic injuries, and behavioral problems in horses. If extreme, damage can be caused to the vehicle and the horses may become unsuitable for safe transportation. In a competitive equine world, a horse that "can't handle traveling" is drastically disadvantaged economically. It is important to understand how a horse attempts to balance with the motion of transportation, thus assisting in the design of vehicles and handling of horses during transportation.
The stance is the most noticeable change observed during balancing. A quiet, but alert horse will have all four legs vertically placed directly below the body. A horse reacting to the motion of transportation, will place the forelegs apart in a "buttress" position, while the hind legs may take a less splayed position. This wide stance allows the horse to retain balance by exerting thrust with one leg or the other.

Design Advantages:
All Richardson Rice trailers (except the 'Rosette') are fitted with a one piece plastic floor, guaranteed against rot and corrosion for the life of the trailer.   These are then covered by rubber floor and ramp mats.   Both these combined makes for a very safe, a smoother and quieter ride than aluminium floors and the rubber matting is non slip and easy to clean.   The trailers have also been designed to allow each horse to stand with its rear legs as far apart as possible increasing your horses comfort and safety.   There is also a REAR FACING  trailer, which have superior advantages for horse transportation.

Educate your horse about loading, unloading, and travel:
The proper training of horses, prevention of accidents, sorting of horses prior to loading, loading area design, suitable transportation vehicle and loading density are all factors controllable by haulers.

Design Advantages:
Horses that have had bad experiences with traveling,   will often become highly stressed during the loading process even before transportation.   By combining positive reinforcement training techniques such as Clicker Training   and choosing a trailer that makes the traveling experience as comfortable as possible are all ways of helping your horse load easily and with minimum stress.

Richardson Rice Trailers have been designed with these factors in mind, they have many features that help instill confidence in your horse such as; Independant rubber suspension giving a smooth ride, larger than average stalls and plenty of vents and windows making it inviting to a nervous loader, Large front unload top door to give the horse greater headroom and non slip flooring to help your horse feel balanced and secure.   There are also REAR FACING models which have been proved to reduce stress when traveling.

Maintain good air quality inside the trailer:  
In hot environmental conditions, the horse's feed intake may decrease. Water availability is essential to avoid dehydration. Transportation in hot, humid conditions should attempt to minimize thermal stress by carefully selecting departure/arrival time schedules to avoid the hottest portion of the day, frequently offering (every 4-6 hours) water to the horses, and limiting the duration of the trip. In hot conditions, it is important to keep the trailer moving and avoid parking for long periods. Temperature in a trailer usually is 10o to 15o F greater than outside temperatures (Smith, 1996).

Design Advantages:
Richardson Rice trailers have been fitted with a fantastic range of options to provide excellent ventilation in the trailer.

  • Large front vent above window - ALL models
  • Side vents in roof (standard on ALL Rice models, Richardson Supreme Ultra, Treble & Excel - optional for all other trailers)
  • Opening Side Windows - (standard on ALL Rice models, optional on Richardson Range)
  • Fixed Side Windows - (Standard on Richardson Supreme Ultra, Treble & Excel)
  • Rotary Roof Vent - (Standard on ALL Rice models, optional on Richardson trailers)

For longer journeys the trailers also incorporate a water carrier and frame   to ensure water is ALWAYS available regardless of any unplanned delays!   These come as standard on Rice trailers and are optional on Richardson Trailers.

 

Keep the trailer in good repair:
Other environmental stressors of the horse's environment which may have a greater impact on health and well-being during transport are toxic gases from either exhaust fumes or build-up of waste products (feaces and urine). Toxic gases, especially elevated ammonia or carbon monoxide levels, can cause damage to the lung epithelium, precipitate respiratory disease, or alter or depress behavior.

Design Advantages:
Richardson Rice trailers have been designed with ease of maintenance in mind.   After each journey it takes minimal time and effort to remove droppings from the rubber flooring, swill the floor and ramps with warm soapy water and simply hose clean and let dry.   For a more thorough clean, it is advisable to periodically to remove the floor mats, thoroughly clean the floor using warm soapy water and hose pipe and then inspect the area once clean.   Re-seal mastic seal where necessary and apply grease to hinges and moving parts to keep your trailer in tip top condition.

The one piece plastic floors are guaranteed against rot and corrosion for the lifetime of the trailer and each trailer comes with 12 months warranty for your piece of mind.   Trailers should be serviced at least once a year dependant upon usage.

Be a sympathetic driver:
One stressor which is easily eliminated is the improper handling of horses by handlers and/or poor driving techniques which can cause both behavioral and physiological stress effects.

Design Advantages:
Richardson Rice trailers have been designed so they are extremely balanced and their suspension ensures an easy to tow trailer.   They are fitted with Avonride breaking system which also helps the trailer become easily manageable.

It is very easy to speed when towing a Richardson / Rice trailer as they tow so beautifully that you forget you have it hooked up!   Most accidents are caused through losing control due to excess speed - SLOW DOWN!!!

It is advisable, and dependant upon age required by law, to take a trailer towing test.   This will be invaluable in providing you with lifetime skills for the safe towing of a trailer.   A good resource for tuition can be found at The Organisation of horsebox & Trailer Owners.

Orient the horse facing the rear of trailer:
Orientation of the horse within a transportation vehicle has been identified as a potential source of stress. Several studies have examined horses facing toward or away from the direction of travel. The advantages of facing away from the direction of travel or "backwards" includes the ease of loading a horse backwards into a trailer rather than facing a dark, small opening which may be perceived by the horse as a scary cave (Creiger,1989). Also, the hindquarters of the horse are positioned at the area of impact during braking or acceleration. In the back facing position, the horse's head is not constantly carried in an elevated position such that the horse may use its head and neck to balance more effectively. It may also be advantageous that the forelegs are placed in the rear of the trailer and may adapt to swaying motions more readily than the hind legs. This "buttress" posture adaptation is commonly exhibited during grazing, whereby the shoulder provides better lateral support than the rear legs. Often, the rear legs engage in a side stepping action when responding to lateral pressure.

Design Advantages:
There is a REAR FACING  model in both the Richardson and Rice ranges of trailers.   There has been much research in the advantages of REAR FACING travel and it has been concluded that the heart rate of traveling horses are distinctly lower than that of their forward facing counterparts.   The trailers also offer other advantages such as the ability for the horse to travel with a lower head posture, which is beneficial against respiratory diseases and   nervous loaders find it far more inviting as it feel far less confined.   Balance is improved due to the wider stance the horse is able to take and the fact he can take his weight on his fleshy rump, rather than on his chest area.

For more information - please see ADVANTAGES OF REAR FACING TRAVEL.

The research information has been taken from the following sources, please click the links for the full documents.

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