In most cases there are no special precautions needed to prepare a horse for transportation.  There are always exceptions as in the case of a special needs horse.  I need to be made aware of any special needs in advance.  I'm going to outline some of my thoughts on some commonly asked questions.

• If you have a horse that has been known to colic in the past and you are concerned about colic on the trip, there are some things that you can do.  If your horse is on a super rich, high protein diet, bring your horse off of the protein "high" and feed grass hay only for a couple of days before departure.  "Oiling" is usually not necessary, but a little corn oil drizzled in the hay for a day or so before departure, should help to dislodge any hardened or compacted stool in the digestive tract.  Most importantly, make sure your horse is well hydrated.  I can't stress this enough.  Some horses are funny about strange water, and all horses will lose 3-5% of body weight in the first 8 hours on the trailer.  I routinely keep an eye on my passengers manure and can pretty much tell how they are traveling by that, but you know what they say about making a horse drink.  While I do provide quality grass hay, it would never hurt to send a bale of grass hay that your horse is accustom to eating as an extra precaution.

• If your horse is clipped and you think he/she needs a blanket, you may want to reconsider.  The trailer stays plenty warm in the winter, and I use the roof vents to help regulate temperature and moisture.  3 or 4 horses producing body heat and hot steamy breath needs some ventilation in the coldest of weather.  No matter how smooth the road surface is, your horse will still be working to maintain balance.  Trailering is different than standing completely relaxed in a barn stall.  As an exersice, blanket your horse and walk him/her for 30 minutes at a flat walk or dog walk and then reach up under the blanket.  If you feel a lot of heat, you should probably forego the blanket.  If you insist on blanketing your horse, I will reach under the blanket at every rest break and if I feel moisture from sweat, I will remove the blanket.  Also, if the blanket needs adjusting more than once and looks like it could potentially trip your horse up in the leg straps, I will remove the blanket. 

• If you are planning on leg wraps, again, I would caution you against that.  What I usually find are leg wraps that are so tight that they cause swelling, or so loose that they slide down.  The same with velcro type shipping boots, they rarely stay up.  I once had a horse on my trailer with some very expensive full length shipping boots.  I pulled them up once, and the second time I entered the trailer, 2 of the 4 had slipped down and under the poor guy's feet looking like elf boots.  He was much happier and safer after I removed them.  Improper wrapping can cause a bowed tendon as well.  While I agree that a horse walking out of his/her stall with a bright, clean blanket and matching leg wraps looks sportingly regal, I urge against them on the trailer.  Again, I will adjust them one time, and remove them the second time if you insist on wraps or boots.  My passengers safety and comfort are my priority.

• It has also become standard practice to sedate a horse before a trailer ride in some circles.  I don't know if this has come about due to transport companies using drivers instead of horseman, or owners thinking that it's better to "take the edge off".  However, I urge you not to.  They will not stay under the "fog" of a needle for the duration of the trip anyway.  Understanding the situation and being calm and patient is the better option over sedation in my opinion.  Besides the fact that a sedated horse is more likely to colic, both your horse and I are safer without sedation.  If your horse gets all freaky and spooky, or is just hot on the trailer, I need to know that.  There are too many possible dangers involved when I lead a "deadhead" on the trailer, and then walk in to his/her stall at a rest break, to suddenly find a horse that is freaked out, scared or just plain hot.  I've had this happen and it's quite a shock.  I've transported mature, wild mustangs,  just days off of the plains without sedation ......... you want to talk about a horse that will hurt you out of plain fear!  We are dealing with close quarters and in a confined space here, but as long as I know what I am dealing with, I can calmly handle the situation appropriately.  If you absolutely have to sedate your horse to get him/her on the trailer, I have to know!