🚀 Quick Summary
- The Risk: A 4-hour trailer ride can induce early-stage ulcers due to stress (cortisol) and lack of eating.
- The Protocol: Give Ulcergard (1/4 Tube) daily starting 2 days before travel and continuing through the show.
- Hydration: Dehydration = Impaction Colic. Use Electrolytes or Horse Quencher to force drinking.
- Feeding: Hang a hay net in the trailer. A chewing horse is a buffered horse.
Table of Contents
Open Table of Contents
- 1. The Stress Factor: Why Hauling Hurts
- 2. The Medication Strategy (Ulcergard vs. Nexium)
- 3. Hydration Hacks: Getting Them to Drink on the Road
- 4. Feeding During Transport: Hay Net Safety
- 5. Upon Arrival: Settling In Without a Meltdown
- 6. The “Shipping Fever” Connection
- 7. Checklist: The Night Before You Load
- Related Reading
1. The Stress Factor: Why Hauling Hurts
Transport is the #1 cause of gastric ulcers in performance horses.
- Vibration: Constant muscle fatigue from balancing.
- Confinement: Inability to walk or graze.
- Separation: Leaving herd mates.
- Result: Cortisol spikes -> Blood flow to stomach lining drops -> Mucus barrier fails -> Acid burn.
Study: A transport study showed gastric erosion began within 12 hours of trailing in untreated horses.
2. The Medication Strategy (Ulcergard vs. Nexium)
Option A: The Gold Standard (Ulcergard)
- Dose: 1/4 Tube (Prevention Dose) daily.
- Start: 2 Days BEFORE you leave. (Takes 24-48h to reach steady state).
- End: 2 Days AFTER you return home.
Option B: The Budget Option (Nexium)
- Dose: 3-4 Capsules (60-80mg) daily.
- Start: 3 Days BEFORE travel.
- Pros: Cheap (~$1/day vs $10/day).
- Cons: Shorter duration of action. Give in AM before loading.
Option C: The Buffer (Alfalfa)
- Dose: Feed 2 lbs Alfalfa 30 mins before loading.
- Why: Creates a splash mat for the bumpy ride.
3. Hydration Hacks: Getting Them to Drink on the Road
Dehydration + Stress = Impaction Colic. Horses often refuse water that tastes “different” (chlorine/minerals) at showgrounds.
Tricks to Force Drinking:
- Flavoring: Add Gatorade powder, Apple Juice, or Peppermint Oil to water buckets at home 3 days prior. Keep adding it on the road to mask the new water taste.
- Soup: Soak hay cubes or beet pulp into a sloppy soup. They “eat” their water.
- Salt: Add 1 tbsp loose salt to grain to trigger thirst.
- Cucumber/Watermelon: High water content treats.
4. Feeding During Transport: Hay Net Safety
Rule: ALWAYS have hay in the trailer. Chewing produces saliva (bicarbonate). A horse standing for 4 hours without chewing has a stomach full of un-buffered acid.
Safety Tips:
- Tie High: Net should be at eye level so they don’t get a leg over it.
- Dust Free: Soak the hay or use low-dust hay. In a trailer, dust swirls into the respiratory tract -> Shipping Fever.
- Small Holes: Use a slow feeder net (1.5”) to make the hay last longer.
5. Upon Arrival: Settling In Without a Meltdown
The “Landing” Protocol:
- Unload & Walk: Hand walk for 15-20 mins immediately. Gets the gut moving.
- Offer Water First: Before hay/grain.
- Gut Support: Give a tube of Probiotic Paste (like Probios or Succeed).
- Familiar Bedding: Use a bag of your own shavings if possible to smell like home.
- Ulcergard: Give your daily dose NOW if you missed the AM dose.
6. The “Shipping Fever” Connection
Pleuropneumonia (Shipping Fever) kills horses.
- Cause: Head tied up for > 6 hours prevents mucus drainage from trachea. Bacteria multiply.
- Prevention: If hauling > 6 hours, you MUST stop for 30 mins and let the horse lower his head to the ground (to graze or eat off floor). Gravity drains the lungs.
7. Checklist: The Night Before You Load
- Ulcergard dose given? (Day -1).
- Hay Nets filled (Soaked if dusty).
- Water Buckets scrubbed & flavor added.
- Med Kit: Banamine, Thermometer, Stethoscope.
- Alfalfa ready for the morning pre-load snack.
Safe Travels! Prevention is cheaper than a vet bill at a show.