Adapting Road Transport to Horse Behavior

Abstract

Abstract Transport of horses by land has a record of refusals to load, injuries or death to handlers or horses during loading, transport, and unloading. Poor health outcomes for the horse during transport may persist following a journey. The author contends that there is a poor understanding of how to accommodate a horse’s balance on a moving platform, or how to design transport around a horse’s need for security behind itself. As a result, transport problems are common. The horse, in attempting to maintain its balance, frequently leaves scramble or kick marks on the transport partitions or ramps, gets a leg stuck high on the partition, or jumps forward into the manger area. In one case, the horse came through the wall separating the horse stalls and into a passenger seat. Well-designed transport allows the horses to maintain their balance and rest hindquarters during travel. Proper placement helps to keep the transport on the road during mountainous stretches or driving events such as braking. For example, travelling horses facing away from the direction of travel counteracts the tendency to pitch toward the cab on braking. Such transport eliminates the handler-hazardous space common during standard loading and unloading. When properly designed and used, it has been shown safe enough for children to load and unload their own mounts. Information © The Author 2024