Preparing a Horse for a Long Journey: A UK Checklist
How to prepare a horse for a long UK transport journey — hydration, hay, travel boots, breaks and paperwork you'll want on the road.
Start prepping days before, not the morning of
A horse loaded onto a lorry at 5am after a normal Tuesday is a horse that dehydrates, ties up or arrives sour. Long journeys start with the preparation you do in the 72 hours before.
Hydration
In the three days before travel, encourage water intake — soaked feeds, a splash of apple juice in the water bucket if your horse is fussy, salt in the feed. A dehydrated horse boxes badly.
Hay in transit
Fill a haynet with something the horse actually enjoys — travel is not the day to introduce a new hay. Damp it lightly. A steady chew keeps the gut moving and the head down, which reduces the airway irritation that causes shipping fever.
Travel kit
- Well-fitting travel boots or bandages with pads
- Poll guard on tall horses
- A tail bandage if your horse rubs
- A light sheet or cooler appropriate to the weather
- A haynet per 3–4 hours of travel
- A full water bucket that can travel in the payload
Breaks
On any journey over four hours, plan a stop. The horse doesn't need to come off the lorry, but the vehicle needs to be stationary, level and quiet for 20 minutes with fresh air moving through. On journeys over 8 hours in a commercial context, DEFRA rules require it.
Paperwork
- Passport (legally required to accompany the horse in transit)
- Vaccination record
- A written contact number for the yard at both ends
- Insurance policy number, in case of emergency
After arrival
Walk the horse in hand for 15 minutes, offer water and hay, let them settle before feeding hard feed. Take temperature that evening and the next morning — a spike above 38.5°C is your early warning for shipping fever.