TripTips USRIDER MEMBERTIP----------------------------
Know Your Location
When you trailer your horse, know where you are in case you need roadside assistance. Travel with a GPS unit or cellphone.
If you need roadside assistance, a USRider service provider will need to know your location. After ascertaining that you and your horse(s) are okay, a Member Care Specialist will ask you for a street address. If you can’t provide your exact location, road names and landmarks will help. When you trailer your horse, make it a habit to be aware of the city you’re in and the city coming up. Take note of mile markers and major intersections. If you’re on an interstate, know the nearest exit names or numbers. Travel with a GPS unit or cellphone. These devices typically have a “locate” feature that will give you the name of the nearest town or your latitude and longitude coordinates. USRider can use this information to pinpoint your location. Also carry a paper map to orient you. If you have difficulty pinpointing your location, USRider can conference you with a service provider in the general area to help.
SEASONALTIP----------------------------------------------------
Keep Your Horse Cool Follow these tips to help your horse stay cool as you haul him during the warm summer months. Install fans. Consider adding small, lightweight fans to your trailer’s electrical system, and affix them to a wall. Buy a temperature gauge. Buy a wireless gauge that will enable you to see the real-time temperature inside the trailer from inside your tow vehicle. Attach the gauge at about mid-neck height in the trailer. Avoid any wall where you might get a false reading from the sun beating down on the trailer. Avoid blanketing. Your horse’s physiology is made to regulate his temperature perfectly well; a blanket will inhibit his ability to cool himself naturally. Avoid the heat. Avoid hauling during the heat of the day; haul at night or early morning. Open vents and windows. To increase active cooling, open all passive vents. Also open screened trailer windows. Screens will keep road debris out of your horse’s eyes. Provide ample water. Offer water to your horse before, during, and after transport. His water needs will increase in hot conditions. Give him as much water as he wants. Consider electrolytes. Discuss electrolytes and salt supplements with your veterinarian. These minerals replace salt lost in sweat. Take breaks. Every few hours, unload your horse where he PHOTO BY KENT AND CHARLENE KRONE can safely relax in the shade, and eat and drink normally. Every few hours, unload your horse where he can safely — Rebecca Gimenez, PhD relax in the shade, and eat and drink normally. USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion
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Summer 2019
