feed and travel question

[amyjoy85]

We are moving 2800 miles in a couple weeks. Fun, fun. Our plan is to go about 500 miles a day, give or take a few, over 6 days. I am not planning on feeding grain on the trip, but wondering if I need to wean them off of grain before we go. I would think that stopping "cold turkey" would cause problems, and then to start up again full force could too. Any thoughts on that?

This time we travel, I want to get paste electrolytes. Where do I find those and do I give them based on weight? I've never given them before.

 

[jandjmc]

My ideas: Travel in the cool, night if necessary. Good idea not to feed grain, bring plenty of your forage and water with you. You might add a soaked beet pulp meal into your ration right now and continue while on the road, it will get more water into them. Keep hay in front of them with small meals. Bring a first aid kit with banamine, electrolytes and stomach acid reducer. Make sure you tie heads comfortably if you tie them. When you stop, use your own feeders and buckets-not the horse hotels. Keep horses that are used to being together stalled together. Make sure vaccines are up to date.

Try to enjoy the trip! Best of luck!

 

[wingnut]

No advice but wishing you safe travels!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I don't know about the electrolytes. I used it once when I took my horse to a long parade when it was 117 outside. I thought it would be a good thing, but I am not so sure it was necessary or even good. Ask your vet about it before you do it. It made my horse have diarhha (sp?) and it was a big mess.

We hauled two horses from OK to western CO a couple of years ago in mid summer. They did just fine. We offered them water at the stops. Sometimes they drank, sometimes not.

Good luck on your trek!

 

[targetsmom]

I have never done a trip like that but I know when I have horses shipped here I arrange for the shipper to give Ulcergard once a day, by sending it ahead.. Certainly take some with you, but I don't think it can hurt to give it once a day starting the day before you leave. The other suggestion would be sign up for US Rider http://www.usrider.org/index2.html

 

[madmax]

Are you going to unload every 500 miles? If they stay in the trailer I would shorten the trip. I went from Florida to Oklahoma in a heat wave in August, about 1300 miles, and I was really worried about it because I had a horse that had a problem with heat.

I spoke to some trainers, some said to drive on thru with no overnight stops (good for them if they have help to drive!) and others that believed in stopping overnight. There was two of us to drive.

I decided to drive on through, I stopped not for miles, but for time, every four hours to let the horses relax for a bit and to check on them. I had bought rubber buckets for safety, kept them in front of the tied horses with wet hay. The heat horse at one stop I sponged him down with water. Everything turned out fine for the horses, as for me, I was whipped. I did give them dry electrolytes sprinkled in their water, careful not to overdo, even tho my vet said it was hard to overdo.

I do not know anything about paste electrolytes, I agree on no grain while traveling, weaning off their grain sounds like a good idea, you sound on top of everything and I wish you an enjoyable adventure!

This is only my humble opinion, I am not a vet.

 

[amyjoy85]

I have never done a trip like that but I know when I have horses shipped here I arrange for the shipper to give Ulcergard once a day, by sending it ahead.. Certainly take some with you, but I don't think it can hurt to give it once a day starting the day before you leave. The other suggestion would be sign up for US Rider http://www.usrider.org/index2.html

Thanks for the US Rider link/info!! We definitely could have used that/would have used that on our trip when we moved out here the first time!!! I think we are going to be jumping on that opportunity for this trip! I had never heard of them before.

 

[amyjoy85]

Are you going to unload every 500 miles? If they stay in the trailer I would shorten the trip. I went from Florida to Oklahoma in a heat wave in August, about 1300 miles, and I was really worried about it because I had a horse that had a problem with heat.

I spoke to some trainers, some said to drive on thru with no overnight stops (good for them if they have help to drive!) and others that believed in stopping overnight. There was two of us to drive.

I decided to drive on through, I stopped not for miles, but for time, every four hours to let the horses relax for a bit and to check on them. I had bought rubber buckets for safety, kept them in front of the tied horses with wet hay. The heat horse at one stop I sponged him down with water. Everything turned out fine for the horses, as for me, I was whipped. I did give them dry electrolytes sprinkled in their water, careful not to overdo, even tho my vet said it was hard to overdo.

I do not know anything about paste electrolytes, I agree on no grain while traveling, weaning off their grain sounds like a good idea, you sound on top of everything and I wish you an enjoyable adventure!

This is only my humble opinion, I am not a vet.

We are going to stop every couple of hours (not unloading) and just do 500+/- miles per day (unloading every evening). We are utilizing horsemotel.com for our overnights. We are also traveling with our will-be 4 month old daughter and 2 dogs, so we are really going by the baby's schedule in a lot of ways. Last time we did this it was just 3 horses and 1 dog. Now it's 3 horses, 2 dogs, and a baby

 

[SugaryCharm]

I agree that any feed change should be made gradually, if possible, so you might taper down your grain feeding (over the course of 3-7 days) before your trip and then slowly start them back on it (if you are going to do that) when you arrive. In reply to your electrolyte question, SmartPak has a couple of pastes called "SmartLytes" paste or "SmartShip & Show" paste that might fit the bill--I'm sure other suppliers have something similar as well. Safe travels and best of luck!

 

[Miniv]

My husband used to be a horse transporter for many years. So, here's what he would do... His trailer (which we personally had built) had well bedded stalls big enough so the minis could turn around if they wanted and they had water buckets tied just high enough to reach but not hook their feet into. Horses weren't tied unless absolutely necessary, so he kept hay available to them constantly. NO grain. Yes, to electrolytes during hot weather. I don't remember how much. It would be just a small bit on his finger and inserted to the inside of the horse's mouth daily when it was hot. Because of the stall sizes he didn't have to unload them all the time, but he did stop at least every four hours for at least an hour (basically whenever there's a fuel stop or potty break), plus at night for several hours to sleep. He always carried a hose and at each stop would top up water buckets. He'd also carry an extra smaller bucket incase a place didn't have a hose hookup and he could hand haul water from a bathroom sink, if necessary. The first aid kit included the electolyte paste, banamine, antibiotic, pads, vet wrap...

He'd also have extra bedding, lots of hay (of course), a pooper scooper with small rake, and garbage bags for the soiled bedding.

All the best on your long trip.

 

[SampleMM]

One thing I would add to the other responses is probiotics. I love Applied Biological Concept probiotics! It's a must have for me to help with colic and during stressful events such as traveling or showing.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Add Gatorade or another flavorful drink to your water now. When you are on the road, it will mask the "different" flavor of waters, and they will drink better. Good luck and Godspeed!

 

[bevann]

I second the Gatorade or apple juice or something added to water now to get them used to the flavor.Most of us farmer types have well water with no chlorine added.You may not have access to well water and some horse will not drink chlorine taste.Start that routine now so they will learn the taste.good luck and happy safe road trip.

 

[Carolyn R]

Quick tip, if need be and your horse won't drink water with Gatorade, scope out the "buy by the gallon" water stations where you can fill the gallon jugs or the water cooler jugs of wateR or a cheap location to buy the water tank jugs of water ( if they refuse the chlorinated tap water).

 

[Matt73]

Make sure you take temps. often, too.