Re: RC: Tranqs for trailering?

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Mon, 27 Aug 2001 12:13:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Bob & Amber Roberts <mlaboure@ntws.net> writes:

> One of my boarders wants to take a two week pleasure trip with his horse
> and will be hauling for 12 hours one way to get to his destination.  He is
> wondering if any of you use any type of tranqualizer while hauling to keep
> the horse a little calmer during travel.  

Actually, I avoid tranqs for travel if at all possible.  They tend to make the horse less steady, and actually make the ride more traumatic as a result.  I only use them if a horse is endangering himself in the trailer or trashing the trailer, and absolutely MUST be hauled.  (I haul a lot, and a wide variety of horses, and if I counted the number of times I've had to tranq horses to travel on one hand, I'd have fingers left over...)  Best way to keep a horse calm during travel is to first acquaint him with the trailer, so he thinks it is a good and safe place to be, and then to drive sanely, so that his ride is as comfortable as possible.

Heidi