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Non-Commercial Horse Transport: New Standards for Trailers in Canada
Abstract and Figures
Worldwide, horse and livestock trailers are built to voluntary standards meaning whatever the manufacturer believes is suitable. With only two known exceptions, there has been no attempt at crash testing or road handling testing. Veterinary, insurance, first responder, media reports, surveys, emergency animal technical rescue events, an increasing understanding of the horse's needs in transport, and critiques from professional transporters show that not enough is being done to protect your horses or livestock. The need for and economic, safety, and humane benefits of standards is presented in this document. Safety delayed is safety denied.
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... Loading in a small and dark two-horse straight load trailer has been described as an unpleasant and frightening experience for any horse, taking into account the equine field of vision [13]. Straight load trailers are less wide than angle or backward facing loading trailers, which have been suggested to be less frightening and easier to load horses into [34]. The width of space allocated to the horses in transit may affect their stress responses. ...
... The effects of the type of restraint and feeding en route on TRPBs have not previously been described in the literature. Many horse owners believe that offering food en route calms horses, and less restraint allows the horse to meet postural corrections when the vehicle is slowing down [34]. These practices could have therefore used in the attempt to reduce the incidence of TRPBs and cannot be interpreted as a cause of TRPBs, as afore mentioned [26]. ...
... These findings highlighted the importance of educating people in charge of moving horses to read horse body language, and understand animal learning principles (which are the basis of a correct horse handling in equitation science) [22,40]. Unfortunately, there are no evidence-based design standards for the design of horse trailers used for non-commercial transport in New Zealand and most other countries [34]. More research is needed to better understand what type of vehicle design (e.g., bay space, positioning, lights) may decrease transport stress and TRPBs in horses. ...
Injuries resulting from road transport are common in horses and are a potential welfare concern, as well as, a source of economic loss. An online cross sectional survey was used to determine the prevalence of road transport related injuries to horses in New Zealand and the association of human factors including demographics, industry background, training and the horse handling experience of the respondents with transport related injury. The survey generated 1133 valid responses that were analyzed using descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. At least one injured horse was reported by 201/1133 (17.7%) respondents as occurring during the two previous years. Only 191 respondents chose to provide further information on when the injury occurred and most injuries (133/191; 69.6%) occurred in transit. The respondent perceived possible reason for injury was reported by 190, and was most frequently thought to be either horse-associated (87/190; 45.8%) or associated with a driver mistake (18/190; 9.5%). Variables that remained as significantly associated with injury in a multivariate model focusing on human factors were experience in horse handling, the industry sector, and the amateur or professional involvement with the horse industry. The odds of injury associated with professionals may reflect greater exposure due to more frequent transport and larger numbers of horses in their care than amateurs. Findings confirm that human factors are associated with the risk of an injury during transport. Although further studies are required to determine if any of these relationships are causative, education on transport best practices with consideration of these factors may mitigate their influence.
... Loading in a small and dark two-horse straight load trailer has been described as an unpleasant and frightening experience for any horse, taking into account the equine field of vision [13]. Straight load trailers are less wide than angle or backward facing loading trailers, which have been suggested to be less frightening and easier to load horses into [34]. The width of space allocated to the horses in transit may affect their stress responses. ...
... The effects of the type of restraint and feeding en route on TRPBs have not previously been described in the literature. Many horse owners believe that offering food en route calms horses, and less restraint allows the horse to meet postural corrections when the vehicle is slowing down [34]. These practices could have therefore used in the attempt to reduce the incidence of TRPBs and cannot be interpreted as a cause of TRPBs, as afore mentioned [26]. ...
... These findings highlighted the importance of educating people in charge of moving horses to read horse body language, and understand animal learning principles (which are the basis of a correct horse handling in equitation science) [22,40]. Unfortunately, there are no evidence-based design standards for the design of horse trailers used for non-commercial transport in New Zealand and most other countries [34]. More research is needed to better understand what type of vehicle design (e.g., bay space, positioning, lights) may decrease transport stress and TRPBs in horses. ...
Transport-related problem behaviors (TRPBs) are common in horses and can cause injury to both the horses and their handlers. This study aimed to identify possible risk factors for TRPBs to inform approaches to mitigate TRPBs incidence and enhance horse welfare. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the prevalence of TRPBs and their association with human-, training- and transport management-related factors in New Zealand. The survey generated 1124 valid responses that were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analyses. Having at least one horse with TRPB was reported by 249/1124 (22.2%) respondents during the two previous years. Of these, 21/249 (8.4%) occurred during pre-loading, 78/249 (31.3%) during loading, 132/249 (53.0%) while travelling, and 18/249 (7.3%) during unloading. Our findings indicate that the use of negative reinforcement and positive punishment as training methods, using a whip or food for loading, and travelling in a straight load trailer/float while offering food were associated with a higher likelihood of TRPBs. Cross-sectional studies cannot determine causality and findings should be interpreted with caution, and evaluated in further experimental studies. The authors suggest that education on appropriate training methods for transport, and vehicle selection may mitigate the risk for TRPBs in horses.
... Unloading problem behaviours include a reluctance to exit the vehicle that manifests after prolonged immobility inside the vehicle and disembarking the vehicle at excessive speed, which has also been defined as 'running off' caused by a flight response[58]. UPBs may be exacerbated if the ramp is excessively steep or slippery, if the horse is lame or anxious about the environment into which it is being unloaded, or in vehicles which require horses to be unloaded backwards, preventing them from seeing what is behind them[6,39]. Similar to other TRPBs, UPBs can result in negative consequences[33]. ...
... Unloading problem behaviours include a reluctance to exit the vehicle that manifests after prolonged immobility inside the vehicle and disembarking the vehicle at excessive speed, which has also been defined as 'running off' caused by a flight response [58]. UPBs may be exacerbated if the ramp is excessively steep or slippery, if the horse is lame or anxious about the environment into which it is being unloaded, or in vehicles which require horses to be unloaded backwards, preventing them from seeing what is behind them [6,39]. Similar to other TRPBs, UPBs can result in negative consequences [33]. ...
This review aims to provide practical outcomes on how to minimise the incidence of transport-related problem behaviours (TRPBs) in horses. TRPBs are unwanted behaviours occurring during different phases of transport, most commonly, a reluctance to load and scrambling during travelling. TRPBs can result in injuries to horses and horse handlers, horse trailer accidents, disruption of time schedules, inability to attend competitions, and poor performance following travel. Therefore, TRPBs are recognised as both a horse-related risk to humans and a human-related risk to horses. From the literature, it is apparent that TRPBs are common throughout the entire equine industry, and a YouTube keyword search of ‘horse trailer loading’ produced over 67,000 results, demonstrating considerable interest in this topic and the variety of solutions suggested. Drawing upon articles published over the last 35 years, this review summarises current knowledge on TRPBs and provides recommendations on their identification, management, and prevention. It appears that a positive human-horse relationship, in-hand pre-training, systematic training for loading and travelling, appropriate horse handling, and the vehicle driving skills of the transporters are crucial to minimise the incidence of TRPBs. In-hand pre-training based on correct application of the principles of learning for horses and horse handlers, habituation to loading and travelling, and self-loading appear to minimise the risk of TRPBs and are therefore strongly recommended to safeguard horse and horse-handler health and welfare. This review indicates that further research and education with respect to transport management are essential to substantially decrease the incidence of TRPBs in horses.
... 15 It has further been suggested that horses should be transported without rugs, head-bumpers, tail guards, bandages, leg wraps or boots because these devices might become hot or loose and cause overheating or panic. 30 Although the provision of water and hay ad libitum before transportation is a guideline of the Australian Code, it was reported by only one-third of respondents to the current survey. Other less commonly reported pretransport practices included removing shoes, and administration of sedation, antibiotics and antiinflammatory medications. ...
... Unnecessary medications should be avoided before transport, particularly corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as they can depress the immune system, mask pyrexia and may potentiate gastric ulcer formation. 31 The Australian Code suggests that sedation should not be used because it can affect the ability of the horse to maintain its balance and increases the risk of falling 30 and also affect mucociliary clearance. 32 The use of antibiotics should be evaluated carefully considering the risk of antibiotic resistance and possible development of antibiotic-induced colitis. ...
Objective:
To survey amateur and professional participants on equine transportation management, practices and outcomes in Australia.
Methods:
An online survey targeting people who organised horse movements at least monthly was made available to a broad cross-section of amateur and professional equine associations. Respondents were invited to provide demographic details and information relating to their routine transportation management practices and their experiences of issues relating to the transportation of horses.
Results:
Of 797 usable responses involving approximately 17,000 horses and 313,000 individual horse transport events, transport-related behavioural problems were reported by 38% of respondents, particularly at loading. Transport-related health problems had been experienced during or after transportation by horses in the care of 67% of respondents. The most common problems reported were traumatic injuries (45.0%), diarrhoea (20.0%), muscular problems (13.0%), respiratory problems (12.3%), overheating (10.5%) and colic (10.3%). In the 2 years reviewed in the survey, 9.4% of participants reported at least one case of transport-associated pneumonia and 35 horses had died, most commonly from fractures, colic or pneumonia. Although respondents identifying as amateurs transported horses less frequently and over shorter distances, the incidence of transport-related problems was similar between amateurs and professionals. Respondents reported specific precautions before, during and after transportation, although management was often not compliant with the Australian Code of horse transportation.
Conclusions:
Responses indicated that there remains a substantial risk of adverse welfare and health outcomes for horses transported in Australia and management practices reported may not be compliant with current recommendations for transportation.
... These include one-to-three horse capacity trailers (floats) (Fig. 8.2) or trucks (horse boxes) (Fig. 8.3), often over shorter travel distances for recreational and competitive purposes (Weeks et al., 2012). In many countries, non-commercial horse trailers do not require specific certification of their suitability for transporting animals (Cregier and Gimenez, 2015). Few amateur drivers are trained for conducting live animal transport, many have poor knowledge of regulations governing animal welfare during transport, some use improper vehicles, and often vehicle checks are not completed before departure. ...
... The breadth of types is not a surprising finding given that there are currently no regulations that specifically govern the design and manufacture of trailers or trucks for the non-commercial haulage of horses in Australia. In contrast to the situation for commercial vehicles, the regulation of non-commercial horse trailer (trailer) design is equally lacking internationally [10,25]. It is unclear to the authors why the design and operation of all vehicles specifically used for animal transportation (commercial and non-commercial) in Australia are not governed within a regulatory framework. ...
Simple Summary
Research on the transportation of horses has largely focused on the movement of horses by commercial livestock carriers. Information on factors associated with horse injuries sustained during private (non-commercial) transportation in small horse trucks and trailers is limited. This study surveyed drivers transporting their horses to equestrian events in southeastern Australia. Information on drivers, travel practice, vehicle characteristics and horse injury was collected. A total of 55/223 (24.7%) participants reported transportation related injuries to their horses. Of these 72% were described as horse associated (scrambling, slipping and horse-horse interaction), 11% due to mechanical failure, and 6% due to driver error. The risk of horse injury was not associated with driver age or gender, or experience. Drivers that answer the telephone whilst transporting horses, were more likely to report a previous injury experience. There was a trend for participants with <8 hours sleep prior to the survey to have previously had a horse injured. There was a modest positive association between increasing trailer age and the number of injuries. The range of trailer models prevented identification of the importance of individual design features. The study highlights the potential for horses to sustain transportation injuries in privately owned vehicles and warrants further study to address this risk to their welfare.
... Their posture when facing in this direction also tends to be more rigid and less relaxed, potentially making them more susceptible to injuries [45] . Taking into account that most of the currently used methods and practices for the transportation of horses have been established over a period of time by the demands of the industry, with few governmental or industry standards applicable [35], our findings support the need for a stricter application of standards in horse transport vehicle design [46]. The link in this study between elevated risk of diarrhoea and amateur status of the respondents was an interesting one. ...
An online survey was conducted to determine associations between transport management and transport-related injuries and diseases in horses in Australia. The survey was composed of three sections: respondents' demographic information, transport management strategies or procedures (before, during and after transportation) and transport diseases experienced in the previous two year period. Univariate and multivariate modelling was performed exploring associations between variables (respondents' details and transport management strategies) and the following transport-related diseases as outcomes: traumatic injuries, diarrhoea, heat stroke, muscular problems, laminitis, transport pneumonia and colic. The survey generated 797 responses. Traumatic injuries were the most common transport-related problem, with a reported incidence of 45.0%. Younger respondents (<40 years old) caring for large numbers of horses (>30 in a week) were more likely to report transport-related injuries. Injury risk was also linked to the use of protections and tranquilizers prior to transport, and checking horses after the journey. Diarrhoea (20.0%) and heat stroke (10.5%) were reported more by amateur than professional horse carers. Increased risk of heat stroke was linked to the restriction of hay and water prior to transportation. Muscular problems (13.0%) appeared to be exacerbated when horse health was not assessed before journey; whilst the risk of laminitis (2.9%) was around three fold greater when post transport recovery strategies were not applied. Associations were made between transport pneumonia (9.2%) and duration of journey, and with activity (horses involved in racing at greater risk). No associations were seen between the incidence of colic (10.3%) and the variables examined. Study findings should be interpreted with caution as they represent participant perceptions and recall. Nevertheless, results support many current recommendations for safe transportation of horses. They also highlight the need to further investigate many of identified management factors to refine existing policies and practices in equine transportation.
... This is particularly likely if horse owners did not associate illness with recent transport, failed to recognise minor or subclinical disease, or failed to report minor or major illness to the company. Pleuro-pneumonia and enterocolitis can manifest up to a week after transport [5], and other effects of transportation stress can take up to one month to manifest after the event [41]. Hence it is possible that owners or agents may have failed to associate disease with transportation, or may have failed to detect mild effects on horse health. ...
Equine transportation is associated with a variety of serious health disorders causing economic losses. However; statistics on horse transport are limited and epidemiological data on transport related diseases are available only for horses transported to abattoirs for slaughter. This study analysed reports of transport related health problems identified by drivers and horse owners for 180 journeys of an Australian horse transport company transporting horses between Perth and Sydney (~4000 km) in 2013-2015. Records showed that 97.2% (1604/1650) of the horses arrived at their destination with no clinical signs of disease or injury. Based on the veterinary reports of the affected horses; the most common issues were respiratory problems (27%); gastrointestinal problems (27%); pyrexia (19%); traumatic injuries (15%); and death (12%). Journey duration and season had a significant effect on the distribution of transport related issues ( p < 0.05); with a marked increase of the proportion of the most severe problems ( i.e. , gastrointestinal; respiratory problems and death) in spring and after 20 h in transit. Although not statistically significant; elevated disease rate predictions were seen for stallions/colts; horses aged over 10 years; and Thoroughbreds. Overall; the data demonstrate that long haul transportation is a risk for horse health and welfare and requires appropriate management to minimize transport stress.
Transport-related problem behaviours (TRPB) in horses are an animal welfare concern and many training methods in loading/travelling have been recommended to reduce their incidence. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of TRPB and training methods in Australia, and to identify risks for, and consequences of TRPB. An online survey was conducted and respondents reported whether and how they trained horses for loading/travelling. They were also asked whether their horses suffered from transport-related problem behaviours or injuries, the industry sector in which they participated, and details of the vehicle used for transport. TRPB were classified into: preloading (PLPB), loading (LPB), travelling (TPB) and unloading (UPB). Training methods were classified into: operant conditioning (OC), self-loading (SL), habituation (H) and no training (NT). TRPB were reported by 38.0% of respondents, mainly at loading and travelling. While 43.5% of respondents did not train their horses, OC, H and SL were applied by 25.5%, 20.2% and 10.8%, respectively. In 98% of cases, OC was applied by negative reinforcement/positive punishment. Training method was identified as a risk factor for all types of TRPB: their odds were higher in horses trained by OC and NT compared to SL and H. Racing horses were at high risk of TPB (P<0.001). Two-horse straight float were associated with a higher risk of PLPB (P=0.018) and LPB (P=0.007) and injuries (P=0.022). While loading and travelling problems were a risk factor for transport-related injuries, H and SL reduced this risk. These training approaches are recommended to safeguard horse welfare during transport.
Technical large Animal Emergency Rescue, Fig
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T. Gimenez: Technical large Animal Emergency Rescue, Fig. 35.1
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Brien Animal Transport: Fig
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Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service: Fig
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J. Green, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service: Fig. 10.1