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  Discussion on Trailering unknown horse coast to coast
Author Message
Member:
Nmrk

Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2006 - 4:05 pm:

Alot has been going on since my last post with Lady (32 year old blind & deaf). First, Lady is great! We've worked out all the kinks. The lavender is the key.

I was reading some of the old posts and learned about Columbia Basin Equine Rescue. It broke my heart seeing those beautiful animals being treated so horribly. So what did I do? I adopted one of course.

Now for my question. Tuscany (my new mare) is in Yakima, WA and I plan to bring her to Culpeper, VA. Do I wait till spring when it is warmer or bring her before the spring grass starts to grow here. I really don't want any colic. She has put on weight since the adoption and they tell me she is healthy.

Thanks,
Nonna
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2006 - 4:29 pm:

Congratulations, Nonna, on finding the "key" to making Lady more secure and you more safe around her. I know that all of us who followed your posts about your blind/deaf mare have gleaned very valuable information for our own aged equines who are or who may become afflicted with the same handicaps. Wonderful news.
Also, blessings on you for adopting a needy horse. There has been quite a bit of moisture and snow in Washington lately, so shipping across the mountains in the snow is probably not ideal, but if the trailer is enclosed, and if Lady has a warm stable blanket to keep off the cold wind, then she should certainly be warm enough. Shipping is stressful, anyway, but I'd rather ship in cold weather rather than in hot . . . as long as your horse gets hydrated along the way. I have shipped several horses long distances over the past three years. In each case, all of the horses arrived rested and in great condition. The shippers I used had plenty of shavings on the rubber-matted floor, stopped at least every four hours for at least an hour to make sure the horses had time to rest and drink, and they unloaded the horses in clean, cozy horse hotels each night. I visited two of the horse hotels, and they were just wonderful. I sent my own hay along for the trip and to use at the new location . . . none of the horses suffered colic or any other kind of sickness during or after the trips.

If you have a knowledgeable, caring hauler, I think your horse can make it safely from one coast to the other in good condition. Different horses react to stress differently, so if you don't know your new horse's history, it is a leap in the dark for you . . .
I am sure you will get some other responses from HA members, and after weighing all of them, I am sure you will make the best decision for your new mare. I hope you will post pictures of her for us.
What an exciting way to start the new year.:-)
Member:
Stina

Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2006 - 4:54 pm:

Unless the trailer is an open stock type trailer (not used by any haulers I know) or the horse is slick (which I doubt in an abuse case), blanketing the horse is ill-advised. It is amazing how much heat and moisture is generate by respiration of the horses on the trailer. The likelihood of the mare breaking out into a sweat under a blanket would be pretty high and that combined with a draft is a potentially dangerous combination. I too agree with Holly about it being less stressful to haul when it is cooler rather than warmer. www.travelinghorse.com/Transport_Companies.html is a good source for horse haulers.
Member:
Nmrk

Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2006 - 5:38 pm:

Thanks for the advice Hollywood and Stina.
I just booked transport with Circle S Ranch for the first week of March.
Tuscany is going into a "refresher training" for the next six weeks just to be on the safe side.
I have never adopted before and I hope this works out well for both of us.
Thanks again.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 9:37 am:

Nonna,
Be sure to post your success with the lavender in the post about finding ways to make Lady more comfortable (if you have not already).
DrO
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