Have you ever thought about visiting other places and getting around on horseback? It is possible that this question has crossed your mind at some point but you don’t know what you might need to carry out the transport of horses.
As professionals in the equestrian equipment and accessories sector, at Equspaddock we want to help you find out everything you need to transport your horse.
Where are horses transported?
Horses must be transported in a way that is safe for the animal. In this case, there are adapted horse trailers or horse vans to avoid putting them in danger.
The means of transport that we use with our horse, must have a solid construction to protect it from any circumstance that may occur during the journey. Remember, before making any journey, to have a certificate stating that the means of transport complies with the hygiene standards for the movement of animals.
Tips for moving a horse
Moving from one place to another with an animal of this type is a delicate process, it is necessary to carry out a series of measures and care to ensure their welfare throughout the journey, so here we explain important aspects to take into account:
- Previous preparation: The most important thing before making any trip with him, would be to contact our vet to check that he has all the treatments, vaccinations and that the animal is in full conditions to make any kind of trip no matter how short it is. In addition, we must not forget to check the transport vehicle.
- Feed and hydrate: Before the start of the journey, the horse must be well fed and hydrated. When the journey is longer, it will need constant access to water and food.
- Comfort and safety: The trailer should be large enough for our equine friend to be comfortable. We must not forget about their safety, for which we will use adapted straps or transport protectors for horses, mainly to hold their limbs, thus preventing them from hurting themselves during transport.
- Legal regulations: Depending on the place where we want to go, we may be required to comply with different legal regulations from the place where we are residing. For example, special permits may be required.
- Specialised professionals: If you are new to the equestrian world, it is always better to ask for a recommendation or help from a professional in the sector.
To avoid stressing the horse, it is recommended that the journey should not last longer than 12 hours, including the stops in between. Such long journeys can cause the animal to lose muscle mass.
In the event that the journey includes stops, they should not be very long, especially in summer, and it is advisable that during these stops the animal should be unloaded and the trailer or van should be cleaned a little.
At the end of the journey, the equine should be left to rest for a minimum of 8 hours so that it can recover calmly and avoid stressing it more easily. During this time we will see if it behaves as usual or, on the contrary, if we see a different behaviour, we can apply a horse massage to relax it.
Don’t forget to take your riding arena material with you before you go on a training or competition trip!
Is the Transport Guide required to move your horse?
The Transport Guide to take your horse is compulsory and must have some information to be able to complete it, among these things, we can find:
– Number of microchips of the horse.
– Details of the person carrying the transport.
– Rega Code of the Riding Centre where the animal will go.
– Personal details of the owner of the Riding Centre that the equine will attend.
As we have mentioned before, some places may vary their regulations to make the transfer effective. Something to bear in mind is that this procedure will have to be done at the Regional Agricultural Office, where the vet will take charge of the documents and for this, we will have to pay an administrative fee.
Nowadays we can do this procedure electronically, which will make it easier for you to obtain it and process it more quickly.
Equine Movement Card (EMC)
The Equine Movement Card or EMC is a voluntary card-sized document that will be issued at the request of the horse’s owner. To obtain it, it will be necessary to contact a veterinarian at the Veterinary College of the community in which we reside.
It can temporarily replace the Transport Guide as long as the journey you are going to make is not longer than 30 days. Its use is not exempt from responsibility when carrying your passport or ID card with us.
This document cannot be issued if your horse shows symptoms of illness or injury that could affect the health of the animal during the journey, except if they are being transported in an emergency situation, which is related to their welfare or health. In the same case, the EMC cannot be used in cases of transport to slaughter centres.
Horse transport just got easier
Now that you know the form and requirements for transporting horses by road, we hope that you will be encouraged to travel with your equine to new and different places.
From our team of professionals at Equspaddock we hope that this blog has been helpful and we are at your disposal to answer any questions related to the equestrian world.
