Advantages of Rear Facing Travel
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The Rice Equipoise in black.
There has been much research on the advantages of Rear Facing travel and it has been concluded there is definate benefits of travelling your horse in this manner. Richardson Rice have a rear facing trailer in each range and we have the Richardson Excel for you to view at our premises.
Advantages of Rear Facing Trailers:
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Due to the horse loading from the side ramp, he is walking towards a large open space (providing the rear ramp is down) and it is therefore far more inviting for nervous loaders.
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The horse takes its weight onto his fleshy rump area rather than on the chest. This is far more comfortable and safe for the horse when the trailer is in motion.
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The rearward facing orientation seems to increase the horses ability to balance themselves. This may be due to resting their weight on their rump whilst traveling. It was noted that there was a significant decrease in movement than forward facing horses.
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The horse is allowed to adopt a lower head posture, reducing risks of Respirtory Infections.
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Once parked, the top unloading doors can be opened to allow the horse to look out upon its surroundings and therefore will be more likely to stand quietly until unloaded.
Research on Rear Facing travel:
Chapter 6
ANIMAL TRANSPORT AND BEHAVIOUR HORSES 1.
Road transport. It has been shown that rear-facing transport provides horses with the physical and psychological security and comfort that is wanting in conventional, forward-facing transport. Once en route, the horse sees objects slipping harmlessly away from it, rather than threateningly towards it. During the rear-facing transit, the horse’s rump is at the trailer bulkhead area, rather than the fragile head, and any emergency stop will be received on the rump (Cregier, 1980, 1981). Rear-facing transport is less stressful than forward-facing, as indicated by the horses having a lower mean HR. The horses rested their rumps on the bulkhead and carried their heads in a lower, more natural position (Warren et al., 1996).
Full document link - Animal Transport & Behaviour
Horse Trailering
Author: Gerrit Rietveld- Animal Care Specialist/OMAF; Dr. Bob Wright - Veterinary Scientist, Equine and Alternative Livestock/OMAF
Creation Date: June 2003 Last Reviewed: June 2003
The type of trailer or van in which the horse finds itself, and the flooring on which it must stand, will have an impact on the horse's stress level. Slippery floors, combined with poor driving practices, will cause a horse to ‘scramble' to maintain its balance. This is extremely stressful for the animal. The addition of rubber matting, sand, or wood shavings, will help to remedy the slippery floor problem and reduce the amount of vibration transmitted through the floorboards. Research on the effects of transporting horses facing the front or back of the vehicle concluded that heart rates were lower on those animals facing the rear of the truck or trailer. The researchers concluded that horses were less physically stressed travelling backwards, as they tended to rest their rumps, dropping a hip, leaning over the forequarters, lowering the head and relaxing to the point of dozing off. (3) They were also better able to balance and brace themselves during transport and vocalized less than their front-facing travel mates. (4) Several other investigators, including Wentworth Tellington, and David Holmes, confirmed that horses facing backwards and untethered showed less signs of stress. (1)
Full Document Link - Horse Trailering
Effects of transporting horses facing either forwards or backwards on their behaviour and heart rate
N. K. Waran BSc, PhD1, V. Robertson 2, D. Cuddeford BSc, MSc, PhD2, A. Kokoszko BA, MSc3, and D. J. Marlin BSc, PhD3
1 Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
2 Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 IQH
3 Department of Physiology, Animal Health Trust, Balaton Lodge, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7DW
The effects of transporting horses facing either forwards or backwards were compared by transporting six thoroughbred horses in pairs in a lorry on one journey facing in the direction of travel, and on another journey facing away from the direction of travel, over a standard one-hour route. Heart rate monitors were used to record their heart rate before, during and after the journey and the horses' behaviour was recorded by scan sampling each horse every other minute. The average heart rate was significantly lower (P<0•05) when the horses were transported facing backwards, and they also tended to rest on their rumps more (P=0•059). In the forward-facing position, the horses moved more frequently (P<0•05) and tended to hold their necks in a higher than normal position and to vocalise more frequently (P=0•059). During loading the average peak heart rate was 38 bpm lower (P<0•05) when the horses were backed into the horse box for rear-facing transport than when they were loaded facing forwards. However, there was no difference between transport facing forwards or backwards in terms of the peak unloading heart rate, or the average heart rate during loading or unloading. The horses seemed to find being transported less physically stressful when they were facing backwards than when they were facing forwards.
Full Document Link - Effects of transporting horses
The Welfare of Horses: Review of Recent Literature
Karen Schwean Department of Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan
Orientation of horses in a trailer can influence the level of stress an animal may undergo. If horses are not tied during transport, they will often choose to face the rear of the trailer, in which case balance appears to be improved (Kusunose and Torikai, 1996). This was confirmed by Waran et al (1996), where horses backed into trailers and tied to face the rear had lower heart rates, less movement, and a higher incidence of resting than did forward facing animals. Full Document Link - The Welfare of Horses
Physiology, Balance, and Management of Horses During Transportation
Carolyn L. Stull, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist,
Animal Welfare Program
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Davis 95616
Orientation during Transit
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.
A study examining the response to traveling forwards or backwards during a one hour journey showed a significant decrease in heart rate in the horses traveling backwards. These horses also tended to rest more often on their rumps in maintaining their balance. The forward facing horses held their heads in a higher than average position and also moved more frequently due to difficulty in balancing. Interestingly, the forward facing horses vocalized more frequently. Heart rates increased at loading and unloading, and decreased during the journey as the horses became accustomed to the motion of transport. The authors concluded that the forward orientation may be more physically demanding due to efforts implemented to maintain balance (Waran, et al., 1996).
Heart rates were also measured in another study examining horses tethered facing forward or backward in a stock trailer undergoing road transportation for about 40 minutes compared to controls which were loaded but remained in a parked trailer for the same duration. Heart rates were not significantly different for horses facing forward or backwards during transport or while parked. However, heart rates were increased in the horses undergoing transportation. Transient increases and decreases in heart rate during transportation were attributed to the decelerations and accelerations of driving. Heart rates were highest at the start of the ride, then decreased during the first 15 minutes, until heart rate stabilized as the horses adapted to the motion of the trailer (Smith, et al., 1994).
Full document link - Physiology, Balance, and Management of Horses During Transportation