Inside Your Horse Trailer

a reaction to circumstances commonly experienced by horses during travel. When horses are in the grazing position with head low to the ground their respiratory system works remarkably well at defending their lungs against inhaled pathogens and bacteria. Much of the foreign matter inhaled is expelled via muscular activity and generation of mucus which is subsequently expelled normally. When a horses head is tied this system is interrupted causing some of the invading particles to become trapped in the lungs. If the restraint is too short causing the horse to hold his head above the withers for an extended period of time the ingestion of bacteria can rise to the point where the body can no longer get rid of it. Infection sets in and the horse succumbs to pleuropneumonia or shipping fever. Other aspects of travel can exacerbate this process dust from bedding mould from hay and road dust from open windows can all combine to effectively overwhelm the horses builtin cleansing processes.
Shipping fever typically manifests in lethargy loss of appetite and respiratory discharge and if untreated can lead to pneumonia. As with most infections there is usually an elevated body temperature hence the term fever. The stress of travel can also compromise the horses immune system to the point that he becomes more susceptible to disease and infection.
The most effective way to prevent shipping fever is to simply ensure that the horse can lower his head below the withers thereby allowing his respiratory system to function correctly. Either make the head restraint long enough to let the horse get his head down or even better dont tie at all.
Hauling from the Horses Perspective
Most standard anglehaul trailers are at least 6feet wide by 7feet high inside and will offer a stall length of about 9feet. This configuration will comfortably accommodate horses up to 16 hands. If your horse is in the 17plus hand range opt for a bit more headroom by going for at least 7 5feet of inside height. The most common trailer manufacturer approaches to providing extra stall length are either to make the trailer wider or to change the angle of the stalls in order to give the horses more room.
If your horse is in the 18hand bracket Id be looking at trailers with no less than 7feet 10inches of headroom and a minimum body width of 7 5feet. These dimensions not only provide the horses