BAREFOOT
BOOTED
By Carole Herder
President of Cavallo Horse & Rider
The Trusted Authority in barefoot
and booting.
If you would like to send us your horse’s hoof measurements, we would be happy to help you choose the best size and style. Please call Cavallo Customer Service at 1-877-818-0037 or email [email protected].
32 Tips for Transporting
Your Horse
&
46 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Preparation is Prevention
More than 50% of the injuries horses sustain in transportation are to the lower limbs. Ranging in severity, from treatable surface wounds to irreparable impairment, the main causes are scrambling, loss of balance and conflict with other horses. With less frequency are collisions, fires, over-turned trailers, trappings, falling and tying up. Although daunting, it is your responsibility to be aware of the risks for accidents and injuries and do the best you can to prepare for anything. You don’t want to be the one responsible for something that could have been prevented. Equally consider your own aptitude and preparation, your trailer safety and maintenance and your horses’ emotional and physical well-being.
YOUR DUE DILIGENCE:
Be aware of the location of vets and large animal rescue teams along your route
Make sure you have all required documentation and insurance coverage
Check all regulations and health requirements
Carry a First Aid Kit and know how to use it
Learn how to drive with the extra weight behind you and take it easy. Don’t be bullied into driving faster
Ensure you are well rested, stay alert and avoid any distractions
Know your vehicle and read the owner’s manual
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YOUR TRAILER:
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Check your tire tread and pressure
Check your shocks. The vibration of travel can aggravate your horses’ joints, muscular and skeletal structure, making your horse sore and stiff. Always use Cavallo Transport Air Boots to absorb the shock of road travel
Make sure the inside of your trailer is clean and free of infestations, odors and bacteria
Make sure your flooring is solid with no soft or rusted areas
Check your hinges, doors, openings, side walls and roof for any problems
Cover protrusions like bolts or nuts with soft protective material
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YOUR HORSE:
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Check your brakes, wheels, landing poles and jacks.
Lubricate as required
Replace batteries as required for lights, safety
breakaway and camera monitors
We assume that anyone reading this would not
try loading a horse without proper training. If your
horse won’t load, you need to increase the
training. Never use anything like forceful electric
prods to get the job done. Succumbing to short
term measures rarely end well for the horse
Horses are herd animals. Transportation in
compatible groups gives them emotional
comfort. I have a friend whose horse suffered
during a tire blowout, sustaining an injury and
confined in the trailer until the road was closed
and he could safely exit. He became very reluctant
to enter a trailer after that. My friend installed
mirrors to reflect him as a “companion” for
himself, which seemed to provide the comfort of