For information about the American Endurance Ride Conference, visit AERC.org. To find out about the 2019 AERC National Championship rides, visit 2019NC.com. The 2019 championship rides will be held in Ridgecrest, California, on October 31 (50-mile ride) and November 2 (100-mile ride). Qualifications are in place for the championship rides, but open rides will be held at the same time, including limited distance rides, so all are welcome!
Safe Travel for You and Your
Horses
by Robert and Melissa Ribley
38 / Sport and Trail Magazine
contribute to airway irritation. It
may be worth considering
providing hay only during the rest
stops and during overnight
layovers.
STOP FREQUENTLY.
During travel, while the driver is
sitting comfortably in the truck, the
standing horse is constantly
adjusting weight and rebalancing
to compensate for the swaying,
turning, and slowing/accelerating
of the trailer. This takes physical
exertion on the part of the horse.
This is why it is important to stop
approximately every three hours
for about half an hour (i.e., during
truck refueling) to let the horse
stand still and rest in a trailer that
is not moving. This is also a good
time to offer water and a hay bag
inside the trailer.
It is not necessary to unload and
walk the horse during his rest break.
The horse does not need to walk, he
just needs to be still and rest after
the muscular exertion of adjusting
to the trailer movements. Some
research has shown that every hour
of a trailer ride for a horse is the
physical equivalent of walking for
an hour. So, an eight-hour trailer
ride for your horse is similar to an
eight-hour walk. Unloading and
loading the horse in unfamiliar
surroundings, near high traffic
areas, will only serve to add to the
risk of injury to both you and the
.
The American Endurance Ride
Conference's National
Championship Rides will be held
this fall on the West Coast in the
famous Mojave Desert, a great
place to see and appreciate the
vastness of wide-open country.
Those traveling to this premier
AERC ride, and anyone who travels
great distances with their horses,
here are some hints for safe long-
istance trailering.
With careful planning of your trip,
you and your horse can arrive at the
ride site rested, hydrated and ready
to compete come ride day. Arriving
with your horse in good shape is an
important step towards a
successful ride.
MINIMIZE DUST.
A well-ventilated trailer with
minimal dust will allow your horse
to travel more comfortably with
less risk of airway disease. Airway
disease is not uncommon in horses
that have trailered some distance
because during travel, their heads
are generally not down, allowing
normal draining of the airways.
Before loading up, open available
windows and vents and remove
debris/dirt that will be blowing
inside the trailer.
Keep in mind that providing hay
and shavings in the trailer during
travel will add to dust and flying
debris in the trailer which can
horse.
POSITION THOUGHTFULLY.
If traveling with multiple horses in the trailer,
consider carefully the order in which you
load the horses. Horses prone to kicking,
such as your favorite mare, should be loaded
last. If there are no kickers in the bunch, then
alternating positions in the trailer each day
is a good strategy because the horse in the
most rear position in a longer trailer
generally has a rougher ride than the horse
up front.
PLAN YOUR LAYOVERS.
For those trailering more than 500 miles, this
will likely be a multi-day trip. It is important
to have your trip planned out ahead of time
with places arranged to layover with your
horse. There are many horse hotels available
with stalls, paddocks or turnout areas where
your horse can rest, eat and rehydrate
overnight.
Horsemotel.com is a great place to
start your travel planning.
Virtually all horse motel owners will want to
see current health papers, including a
negative Coggins test, for your horse before
allowing you onto their property. Make sure
you have them before hitting the open road.
ARRIVE EARLY.
It is optimum to plan your trip so that you
arrive at the ride site in time to allow for at
least one full day of rest for your horse. A
good rule of thumb is to allow one day of rest
prior to the ride for each day that the horse
has traveled. During these days of rest, the
horse will refuel and rehydrate so that he is
ready for his competition.
The AERC National Championship Ride,
being a national event, will draw riders and
horses from all over the country. Planning
your trip and using proper trailering
techniques will provide you and your horse,
even if traveling across the country, the best
opportunity for a successful ride.
A long trailer ride should not deter
you from taking part in an exciting
national event.
With proper planning, horses adjust and can
do very well after a long trailer ride. Traveling
to other regions is a great way to see the
country and traveling to the AERC National
Championship Ride in Ridgecrest, California,
on October 31 (50 miles) and November 2 (100 miles) will be well worth the trip!
Robert and Melissa Ribley are ride managers for the 2019 AERC National Championship rides. For more information on the 2019 AERC National Championship Ride, including entry forms and location guide, go to 2019NC.com or see our Facebook page at facebook.com/AERC2019NC. For more information about the American Endurance Ride Conference, visit https://aerc.org.