Whether you ride competitively or simply want to explore the country’s vast beauty together, learning how to travel with your horse unlocks a whole world of possibility. However, transporting such strong and sensitive animals poses a few health risks.
Ensure worry-free road trips and smooth rides by stocking up on these transporting horse essentials.
Road Related Ailments
The best way to prepare for any challenge? Understand what you’re up against. While seamless, safe horse transport is completely doable, first-time travelers often face a few common problems. These include injuries to the1:
- Lower limb – Minor cuts and bruises affecting the area above the hoof are the most common issues horses face in travel trailers.
- Pastern – The area below a horse’s fetlock (similar to the knee in humans),2 the pastern may also take some damage during the helter-skelter of transit.
- Muzzle – During a journey, horses may grow anxious or antsy and persistently rub against their halters. This can lead to chafing and irritation along the nose and face.
- Hoof – Sudden speed shifts or tight turns can cause your equine passengers to scramble. This can sometimes cause hoof damage, such as bruised soles.3
- Tail – Given the tight confines of a travel trailer, your horse may wack its tail against the sidewalls, leading to skin abrasions and hair loss.
While serious travel-related injuries, such as fractures, remain rare (phew!), the possibility of skin troubles or unsightly cuts and bruises is real. Now that you understand the risks, let’s cover the top tools you need to prevent travel ailments and swiftly soothe them when they pop up.
#1 Boots and Wraps
Horses’ lower legs lack fatty protection, making them the most inviting target for abrasions. Since they also bear a ton of weight, they’re susceptible to muscle tears and sprains due to sudden weight shifts.
To combat this risk, many riders choose to protect their stallion’s lower legs with4:
- Polo wraps – Springy sleeves of fabric that fit snugly around the lower leg, polo wraps provide protection when a horse’s limbs knock together. Since they keep muscles compressed, they also help ward off sprains.
- Hauling boots – A sturdier option, hauling boots come in a wide assortment of styles, each providing a protective barrier against wayward hooves and trailer siding. Materials range from good ol’ leather to updated options like rubbery neoprene.
Lower leg protection grows even more important when transporting multiple horses in the same trailer. (One ultra-skittish steed can unwittingly impart a series of damaging wacks onto his pals.)
Of course, protection starts well before the journey even begins. Ensuring safe transport means knowing how to load a horse in a trailer properly. A calm and controlled loading process reduces the risk of injury and stress before hitting the road.
#2 Wound Care Ointment
Even under ideal travel conditions (a pristine trailer, well-wrapped legs) some nicks and scrapes are inevitable. Luckily, travel damage doesn’t have to snowball into an avalanche. Come prepared with some quality cut care solutions.
Vetericyn’s Antimicrobial Wound and Skin Care Liquid offers a simple and effective post-road trip touch-up, whether you’re dealing with an irritated halter area or dinged-up legs. It comes in a handy spray bottle for easy application, and simultaneously flushes, sanitizes, and moisturizes abrasions for hurried healing and rapid relief.
As you’ve undoubtedly experienced, injuries aren’t limited to travel time. Fortunately, Vetericyn’s Wound and Skin Care Liquid is built to handle all forms of equine irritation, like:
- Rope burn
- Saddle sores
- Lacerations
With trusty wound care options in your saddle bag, you won’t need to keep your horse in a glass case. Feel free to let them run.
#3 Horse Liniment
If you’ve been trotting around the equine world for a while, you’ve probably heard of horse liniment. A standby of grizzled ranch veterans, liniment serves as a healing balm for all sorts of pony troubles.
So what does this funny-sounding word stand for? Formulas vary, but most liniment contains a who’s who of all-star soothing agents, such as:
- Menthol
- Witch hazel
- Aloe vera
- Capsaicin (often banned from competitions, so check before usage)5
Vetericyn Equine Liniment assembles this A-team into a fast-acting formula ready to soothe, de-swell, and limber up weary joints and stiff muscles. It’s also a great option for dealing with arthritis in horses, helping to ease discomfort and promote mobility.
Hours of standing in a trailer and rebalancing their weight can leave your horses’ knees achy. Upon arrival, treat them to a little TLC that’ll have them cheerfully cantering in no time.
#4 Equine Shampoo
No one completes a cross-country trip with a perfectly coiffed ‘do…and the same goes for horses.
Long hours in a sweaty trailer can lead to mucky coats and mussed-up manes. If left unaddressed, these issues can worsen into troublesome skin issues like dermatophilosis (also known as “rain scalding”).6
But that’s a big “if,” especially when equipped with Vetericyn FoamCare Equine Shampoo.
This special formula contains essential nutrients that help revitalize horses’ battered skin and restore their coats’ radiant sheen. It also comes in a convenient spray bottle for quick, simple application, perfect for on-arrival touch-ups.
#5 Hoof Care
While giving your trailer a thorough scrub down before departure should keep things tidy, trailer floors aren’t known for staying sanitary.
Since your road trip buddies will spend extended time resting on the same patch of floor, they run the risk of picking up pesky pathogens that can cause foul odor or horse thrush—a bacterial infection affecting the “frog” area of the hoof.7
Fortunately, a solid hoof cleaning can keep these irksome hitchhikers at bay. For best results, turn to the dialed-in formula offered by Vetericyn Hoof Care. Crafted specifically to tackle the symptoms of thrush, seedy toe, and other common hoof ailments, it journeys deep within the hoof to root out even the most burrowed-in pathogens.
#6 Eye Drops
Have you ever studied your windshield after a long day’s drive? You probably noticed a constellation of splattered bugs and a coating of road dust. Not pretty.
Unfortunately, your horses—especially when riding in an open trailer—accumulate much of the same road gunk in their eyes. This can trigger some itchy, gunky unpleasantness for your equine friends.
Give your horses’ peepers the same wipedown you treat your windshield to: Apply some Vetericyn Plus Ophthalmic Gel for sting-free relief upon arrival. Your pony pals will see you in a whole new light.
#7 Collapsible Bucket
Anyone raised around barns knows buckets constantly come in clutch. For travel scenarios, however, you may not want a bunch of stainless steel pails clanking around (and potentially whacking into hooves and pasterns).
Instead, have a lightweight collapsible option on hand, like the Vetericyn Collapsible Bucket. Fill it with Hoof Soak for any hoof concern, or use it for fast feedings on the go.
Managing Horse Anxiety During Travel
Some horses take to trailering like pros, while others struggle with stress and anxiety. Reduce travel-related tension with these strategies:
- Familiar scents – Bring along used bedding or a saddle pad with your horse’s scent to create a sense of familiarity.
- Companion travel – If possible, pair your horse with a calm travel buddy to provide reassurance.
- Pre-travel exercise – A light workout before loading can help burn off nervous energy and make standing in the trailer more tolerable.
- Calming supplements – Some horses benefit from natural calming aids, like magnesium or valerian root, before travel. Consult your vet for safe options.
- Desensitization training – If your horse is new to trailers, practice loading and standing inside without actually hitting the road to build confidence.
Keeping your horse relaxed ensures a safer, smoother trip for both of you.
Bonus Tips For Safe Travel
Stocking up on these horse transporting essentials before departure will allow you and your stallions to enjoy a worry-free road trip. In addition to safety supplies, it pays to keep a few more tips in mind:
- Plan for breaks – All that time in the trailer gets a bit lonesome and taxing. As you map your route, search for ideal rest points where you can let your equine passengers stretch their legs and take a breather.
- Minimize dietary changes – Trailer transport: It’s a tough setting for an animal made to roam free. Take the edge off by keeping their diet as similar as possible. Sudden, drastic changes (plus anxiety) raise the risk for colic and gastric distress.8
- Keep the H2O flowing – Horses may refuse to drink during travel, likely due to stress.9 Frequently offer water at any rest stops, and know the signs of dehydration in horses. Consider adding electrolyte solutions to help stimulate thirst and speed up hydration.
- Allow for adjustment – If your journey takes you to radically different surroundings than your home stables (like higher altitude or colder temperatures), plan to give your passenger ample time to adjust before a showing or competition.
- Stay current on vaccinations – Since travel can take a toll on your horse’s general health, ensuring a solid baseline goes a long way. Protect their health by keeping vaccines up-to-date (along with any necessary boosters).
Since pathogens differ by location, you should research your planned destinations for any current outbreaks of equine disease. Consider altering your route if anything causes concern. Better to catch some locales in a safer year!
Saddle Up For a Safe Showing Season, With Veterycin
Transport poses a tougher challenge for horses than other pets (like pups). Cover your horse’s needs by stocking up on safety essentials before departure. Even if your horse’s nerves act up, each successful trip will help put them at ease.
At Vetericyn, our work begins with a love for animals, big and small. That’s why we’ve spent the past 16 years crafting a stable of safe and cutting-edge animal wellness products designed to enhance your companions’ lives, whatever their circumstances.
From our Antimicrobial All Animal Wound and Skin Care solution to our vet-approved All-IN Dog Supplement, we’ve got our paws on the pulse of pet health. Discover the Vetericyn way—explore our catalog today!
Reviewed by Solomon Benarroch, Veterinarian
Solomon Benarroch DVM has been a practicing veterinarian for over 30 years. His primary focus has been in equine soundness and performance sports medicine. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada he attended college at the Western College of Veterinarian Medicine. And completed an internship at the University of Minnesota. He is the father of three kids and when he isn’t working (which is rare), he enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Sources:
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- US Rider. What You Should Know: Why are horses hurt in trailers? When and how do injuries occur?https://usrider.org/what-you-should-know-why-are-horses-hurt-in-trailers-when-and-how-do-injuries-occur/
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Disorders of the Fetlock and Pastern in Horses. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/horse-owners/bone-joint-and-muscle-disorders-in-horses/disorders-of-the-fetlock-and-pastern-in-horses
- Blue Cross. Common problems for horses hoofs. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/horse/health-and-injuries/common-problems-for-horses-hoofs
- My New Horse. The Different Types of Leg Protection for Horses. https://mynewhorse.equusmagazine.com/2023/08/08/the-different-types-of-leg-protection-for-horses/
- National Library of Medicine. The detection of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in horse serum following long-term local administration. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29914499/
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Dermatophilosis (“Rain Rot”) in Horses. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/horse-owners/skin-disorders-of-horses/dermatophilosis-rain-rot-in-horses
- Michigan State University. Preventing and treating thrush in horses. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/thrush_in_horses
- U.S. Equestrian. Road Trip: Preparing Your Horse for Travel. https://www.usef.org/media/equestrian-weekly/road-trip-preparing-your-horse-for-travel
- Kentucky Equine Research. Encourage Horses to Drink During Transport. https://ker.com/equinews/encourage-horses-drink-transport/
