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Strategies to Minimize Stress of Shipping
By: Cynthia McFarland

Stress happens. When it comes to shipping horses, it’s a proven fact that the longer the trip, the greater the amount of stress on the animal. Since long distance transport is a fact of life for many Thoroughbreds, for the sake of their health and well-being it is important to take steps to reduce this stress.

Horse owners should be aware that long distance shipment negatively influences the horse’s immune response and reduces the body’s ability to respond appropriately to an infectious challenge. Horses respond differently to the stress of travel and some handle it better than others. In one study, horses lost some weight after only 2.5 hours of travel and weight loss increased as the trip duration/distance increased.The 2000 “Guidelines for Horse Transport by Road and Air” generally describes short transport as less than three hours and long as more than six hours, observes Melissa Hines, DVM, Ph. D, Diplomate ACVIM.

Hines is an Associate Professor in the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department at Washington State University . “It depends to some degree on the horse and how accustomed they are to travel, but in general, eight hours of travel will induce a measurable degree of stress and lead to some measurable changes,” said Martin Furr, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM, Ph.D of the Marion Dupont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg , Virginia . Furr is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Significant stress may occur with even shorter shipping times, depending on the conditions, the horse’s basic temperament and how comfortable the horse is being shipped,” Hines said.  “Travel over 12 to 14 hours really puts them at significant risk,” Furr added, “the biggest probably being respiratory disease, such as pneumonia, which can be severe, and other respiratory infections. The stress of long distance travel can also cause severe diarrhea, and most of the time this is caused by salmonella.”Furr emphasized that the stress of travel doesn’t guarantee a horse is going to have a problem, but it does mean the horse is more susceptible if he encounters some sort of infectious agent along the way. “It’s been very well documented that shipping stress of 12 to 14 hours is associated with increased risk of developing respiratory disease or diarrhea.

Contributing Factors

A number of factors can influence how stressful a trip is,” Hines said. “Some examples include environmental factors (temperature, humidity, ambient air quality, etc), vehicle design (ventilation, insulation and noise, suspension, vibrations, accelerations and decelerations), and management during transport (feeding, watering, restrained or free, frequency and duration of stops).”   One 2005 study suggested that transportation stress and insults to the horse’s respiratory system are decreased if rest time is increased and the interior of the transport vehicle is cleaned during stops. 

Physiological changes caused from transport stress can vary widely from horse to horse. According to Hines, some of these changes may include weight loss, dehydration, an increase in cortisol (commonly thought of as "the stress hormone"), increased white blood cell count and increased neutrophil count, increased neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio, as well as changes in the specific types of lymphocytes. (These are cells formed in the lymphatic tissue that are important in the synthesis of antibodies.) There is also an increase in muscle enzymes and lactate, which may be evidence of muscle fatigue, and impaired clearance of the airways, particularly when the horse’s head is tied up.

How horses are shipped can make a huge difference in their comfort or fatigue. A box stall is ideal, as it allows the loose horse to move around and chose how he wants to stand while traveling. It also enables him to lower his head, which is important for clearing his airway. When a horse is shipped tied in a standing stall, it’s not possible for him to lower his head fully. Some vans do have “fully caged” tie stalls in which a gate in front of the horse extends from ceiling to floor, allowing the horse to travel without being tethered.

Minimizing Stress

If you have to ship a horse long distance, to some degree the stress of travel is unavoidable.

However, there are strategies to minimize that stress.For starters, only ship healthy horses and make sure no horses scheduled for shipping are running a fever, even if they seem fine otherwise. “A horse that starts off the trip with a fever has increased risk,” noted Furr.Horses should be current on vaccinations, but don’t reach for antibiotics prior to travel. Although some horse owners seem to think they can circumvent illness this way, many veterinarians, Furr among them, don’t advise giving antibiotics to a healthy horse as a preventative.  

Ship in a box stall so the horse can move around freely. Hay and water should be available at all times on a long trip, but it is important to realize that many horses will not drink when the trailer or van is moving. Long distance commercial van drivers make it a point to stop at least every three to four hours in hot weather and stay stopped for 30 to 45 minutes to give horses a chance to relax and drink. 

Whenever possible feed hay off the floor so that the horse isn’t breathing in dust and hay particles by eating from an elevated hay net. Exhaust and fumes can prove irritating to the horse’s airway, so the conveyance should have good ventilation. There should be moving air, even during cold temperatures.    

Ideally, Furr advocates unloading every eight hours to allow horses to walk, loosen their muscles and relieve themselves. Male horses are sometimes reluctant to stretch out and urinate in a trailer or van. If there is no safe place to unload, however, it is better to keep horses on the van.   For cross-country trips, layovers are essential. Horses should be unloaded and allowed to rest for at least 12 hours. Most commercial shippers don’t layover for longer than 24 hours.

Destination Reached 

When the horse reaches his destination, the trip may be over, but attentive observation is not.  

Upon arrival, hand-walk the horse to allow him to relax and stretch his muscles, or provide turn out in a small paddock. Even if tired from travel, the horse should be bright and alert and should voluntarily drink and eat, Hines noted. The horse should be carefully examined and monitored over several days, even if he seems healthy. Check the horse’s temperature twice daily and monitor weight, if possible.

Any abnormalities, including fever, depression, lack of appetite, or signs of respiratory problems, warrant examination by a veterinarian. An increased temperature is a sign something is going on and if you detect it promptly, your veterinarian can treat any developing infection immediately.