Hauling Your Horse Safely: A Pre-Trip Checklist

Most hauling problems are preventable, and most of the prevention happens before the horse is loaded.

The trailer, before anything else

• Check floors properly — lift the mats and look. Rot is invisible from above.
• Test lights, brakes and the breakaway system.
• Check tyre pressure and condition, including the spare.
• Inspect hitch, safety chains and dividers.

Paperwork and planning

Interstate travel generally needs a current health certificate and a negative Coggins. Requirements vary and change. Arrange these with your vet well before travel, not the night before.

On the road

Offer water and check the horse roughly every four hours. Drive as if there is a full glass of water on the dashboard — gradual acceleration, early braking, wide turns. A horse is standing on a moving platform, balancing continuously.

Ventilation and hydration

Trailers get hot quickly, particularly at a standstill. Keep air moving. Dehydration and the stress of travel are a recognised combination behind post-transport colic and respiratory disease, so hydration on arrival matters as much as on the road.

Frequently asked questions

What paperwork do I need to cross state lines?

Generally a current health certificate and a negative Coggins test. Requirements vary by state and change — confirm with your vet well in advance.

Should I wrap legs for travel?

Opinions differ. Shipping boots protect against knocks but can slip. If your horse is not used to them, a trailer is not the place to introduce them.

How often should I stop?

Offer water and check the horse roughly every four hours. On journeys over about twelve hours, plan an overnight where the horse can get its head down.

Should I sedate a nervous traveller?

Only on veterinary advice. Sedation impairs a horse’s ability to balance itself against the movement of the trailer.