Hot weather is upon us and there are things you should know when transporting a horse. The Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has a great article on this topic. The article includes what to what watch for, prevention, veterinary care and home care.
Did you know that a horse can lose 2-5 pounds of body weight for every hour they travel. This is just some low numbers for cool weather. Can you imagine what the numbers would be during this hot weather. So traveling for a "long" distance (anything greater than 5 hours) can result in a number of situations. Of course the one major situation would be dehydration.
Colic, which is 2nd to dehydration, can happen when the horse starts to dehydrate. The hay that is in their intenstines also starts to become dehydrated and this is a big risk factor for impaction colic.
To avoid any illness, please read the article "Transporting a Horse." It gives a nice list of things you can do prior to travel to minimize any situation.
Also, when you are going to be transporting, you may want to make sure
he/she is booted up properly to avoid slipping. Whether trailing or any other means of transportation, the Old Mac original or the Old Mac G2 ,with its great traction, will help. When used during transport, Old Mac’s will eliminate the problem of your horse throwing a shoe in the trailer. When you arrive at your destination, your horse will be ready to work. Old Mac’s protect your horse from bulb and tendon damage, as well as hoof wall and sole bruising. Their exceptional traction will help prevent slipping on the loading ramp and offer increased confidence inside the trailer.
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