Part 3: Prevention of Commonly
Occurring Accidents in Horses
WHEN TRAVELLING
Part 3 on prevention of commonly occurring horse accidents discusses prevention of some of the accidents and injuries that occur in domestic horse transportation.
Transport of horses has now established high standards through EU regulatory requirements on international and national licensing laws. This applies to both the structural and operational aspects for vehicles and to the transporters/drivers. So horses performing at a high level now travel in business class luxury, in contrast to some of the options for some domestic methods of transport of horses, or indeed for passenger transport. The difference is that for these top horses in transit, the main aim is for peak athletic performance and results, with minimum stress or negative outcomes, so professional handling, loading, unloading, transportation, etc, is essential. For the purposes of this discussion we will look at the general domestic transport of horses and the methods that may help to prevent the commonly occurring avoidable horse problems/accidents that can occur on these journeys.Transporter/box/truck
Irrespective of the distance to be travelled there are certain basic essentials necessary for the safety of both the horse and the driver. Horse box/transporter: Routine checks on transport vehicles by a nominated person in the yard, both mechanically and structurally are essential. This should ensure having a well maintained transport box or truck, with good floors, ramp, sides, doors, etc. Tyres, lights, and tailgates should be checked before each journey.The floor should be checked regularly for signs of weaknesses. Urine, pawing etc can undermine the floor surface. Unfortunately accidents have occurred where a horse has put its foot through the floor and onto the road with disastrous results. Ensure that there are no sharp edges, nails or protrusions on the ramp or internally in the box.Handlers and transporters: Having experienced careful handlers are key to safer horse transport. A skilled transporter driving with caution, avoiding sudden braking, stopping or change of direction, etc is a basic essential.Temperature /Humidity: So what should not be done to adjust the box/transporter in ventilation/humidity in hot summer weather? Should the front or back top doors of the box be opened? Opening top front doors may tend to cause a wind blast effect on the horses travelling so is not always to be recommended. On the other hand, opening the back top doors is less likely to cause these undesirable effects, so it may be used in some cases, depending on the animals.Basically dehydration must be prevented when transporting horses in hot weather. To this end, where there are no inbuilt thermostatically controlled systems for temperature and humidity in a box/transporter, horses in transit in hot weather must be closely checked by the driver to avoid problems in dehydration, stress, etc.Head collar: Use a strong well-fitted head collar to secure the horse in the box.Tie securely using a quick release knot. Allow sufficient rope for head movement but not so much to allow the horse getting tangled in it.Partitions: Well-padded partitions between horses reduce danger of injury.Temperature and humidity – this should be adjusted to suit the prevailing climatic conditions during transport to avoid overheating or exposure to weather extremes.Hay net: Having a hay net set at a safe height provides comfort and also alleviates boredom. However it is inadvisable to give hay if the horse has to perform on arrival at the destination.If the journey is lengthy, horses will have to be watered to alleviate dehydration, stiffness or leg swelling.Leg and tail bandages and rug should be used. Knee boots, hock boots may also be used where considered necessary. Rugging: The choice of rug should be in line with seasonal temperatures and weather conditions; heavy duty if cold and fly sheet if hot as horses tend to sweat more when nervous and confined. Loading/unloading
Handling at loading/unloading: Loading the horse on to a trailer and unloading are common areas where injuries occur:Ramp: The ramp should be almost level with the ground surface when loading the horse.Ramp should be covered with non - slip matting to deaden the sound of hooves and reduce the sound effects.Some horses scramble onto the ramp with the risk of the handler being trampled or crushed against the side of the trailer. Tempt a nervous horse onto a ramp with a handful of feed or by following another horse. A blindfold may be used if considered necessary but should only be used in certain controlled circumstances.Guiding with a long handled lunge whip or by easing the horse with support on it’s rear end using a rope looped behind around the rump. It is not advisable for the handler to attempt to pull the horse into the box by the lead rope, as it will cause the horse to further resist loading.And finally a hugely important detail: when unloading a horse, first untie the horse before lowering the ramp.A golden rule for all handlers is never to stand behind a ramp when lowering it, i.e. always stand to one side of it.