How to know if your horse is healthy enough to travel.

 

The health of your horse is the primary thing to consider before you begin any trip. How do you know if your horse is healthy enough to travel.  Your horse’s baseline vital signs allows you to evaluate the health of the horse before, during and after you travel. Below is a list of the common horse vital signs to check when you travel with your horse.

• The normal body temperature 

The normal body temperature for an adult horse is 99 – 101 F (37.2 – 38.0 C).  The temperature for a foal is normally 99.5 – 102 F (37.5 – 38.9 C).  A temperature higher than that, may indicate an infection. A healthy horse’s temperature can vary by 3 degrees depending on weather conditions and level of exercise, stress or excitement

 

• Normal resting heart rate:

The normal resting heart rate for an adult horse is 28 to 40 beats per minute. Newborn foals’ heart rates range from 80 to 120 beats per minute , older foals from 60 to 80 beats per minute, and yearlings from 40 to 60 beats per minute.

 

 

 

 

• Respiratory rate:

The normal respiratory rate for an adult horse is 10 – 24 breaths per minute. The respiratory rate for a foal is 20 – 40 breaths per minute.

 

 

• Capillary refill :

Capillary refill normally takes less than 2 seconds to return to pink after the gum tissue is pressed with a finger.

 

 

 

 

 

• Hydration:

Check hydration by pinching the skin of the neck and watching for the rate at which the skin goes back to the normal shape. This should take less than 2 seconds. The best way to ensure your horse is well-hydrated is to offer clean, quality water regardless of whether he’s stabled, turned out, traveling, or competing.

• Daily Hay Intake:

1.5% – 2.0% of the horse’s body weight

• Daily Water Intake:

1 gallon per 100 lbs. of body weight

• Daily Urine Output:

2 – 4 gallons for a 1000 lb horse

• Daily Manure Output:

4 -13 piles or 28 – 44 lbs for a 1000 lb horse

Know your horse’s normal behavior.  Any changes in urination, defecation, or behavior could be a sign of a health concern.

This video link shows you how to take your horse’s vital signs. http://www.thehorse.com/videos/30388/how-to-take-your-horses-vital-signs

Click this link for a Quick Reference guide of horse vital signs. http://horsesidevetguide.com/vitals-and-anatomy

 

Veterinary documents are required whenever you travel with your horse!

Before you leave on your trip, call each state’s department of agriculture to find out what is required to enter their state. Most states require a negative Coggins test dated within six months to a year. The Coggins test monitors the serum level of antibodies  to the Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV), an incurable fatal disease for horses.  For more information on EIAV click on the following link https://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/eia/eia_info_sheet.pdf

Some states require testing for the disease Piroplasmosis. Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease that affects horses, donkeys, mules and zebras. The disease is transmitted via ticks or through mechanical transmission by improperly sanitized surgical, dental or tattoo instruments or through the reuse of needles and syringes.

Travel with a record of when your horse was given the core vaccines.

These core vaccines are: tetanus, Eastern/Western equine encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus, and rabies. The American Association of Equine Practitioners website contains guidelines for equine vaccinations. http://www.aaep.org/info/vaccination-guidelines-265  Always work with your own veterinarian to customize your horse’s vaccination needs.

Certificate of Veterinary Inspection:

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection attests that your horse exhibited no obvious signs of disease on the day of inspection. Each state has their own requirements of what information needs to be on the CVI. Check with each state to learn their requirements. The certificates are generally good for 30 days, though some expire in just 10 days. Many neighboring states have formed reciprocal livestock health arrangements so people who travel frequently with their horses between the states can obtain an “equine passport” or equine interstate event permit (EIEP). Horse owners in the Mid-Atlantic States and the South, for instance, have the option of getting an EIEP that is good for six months and includes 15 states, from Texas to Virginia, as well as New York. Horse owners in the western United States can obtain a six-month CVI and EIEP for travel between Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Washington. Some states also require an entry or import permit, which is usually good for the life of the CVI.

For links to state agricultural department you can visit the United States Department of Agriculture website at http://www.rma.usda.gov/other/stateag.html

Recovery Time After Travel:

Allow for recovery time after traveling. The general guide lines when traveling by road for 6 to 12 hours, is to allow at least a one-day of recovery time.  When horses travel longer than 12 hours by road or are transported by plane, you need to allow 2 – 3 days of recovery time.

Following these tips will help you keep your horse healthy while you travel. For more information on equine health visit www.thehorse.com 

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Thank you to Carrie Wheeler, DVM from Edelson Equine Associates for doing Irish’s CVI. Now he is ready for his big adventure across the U.S. to reining horse trainer so his owner can be a better rider for him.  http://edelsonequine.com/ 

Thank you to Peggy McGee for all your editing skills.