The biggest risk factor of a horse sustaining injury during transport is due to inadequate or improper training for loading and hauling. The key to avoiding these injuries lies in investing the time to teach the horse in a way that suits his learning style. It's important to keep in mind that, as with any form of teaching, if one method isn't working, there are plenty of other strategies to try. The alphabet still has 25 letters if Plan A does not work!

Tension can interfere with nearly every aspect of a horse’s performance and learning. Some horses become so tight and rigid that they physically cannot perform certain movements, which often triggers frustration or anxiety — both of which only increase the level of tension.

It wasn't that long ago that little research had been done on how travel impacts horses. Most advice came from the shared experiences of other horse owners and commercial transporters. That’s why research findings from the University of California, Davis, are particularly significant. Their research has essentially confirmed the good practices for travel that trustworthy transporters of horses have followed for years, validating these practices and making the information public for all to benefit from.

On the way home from teaching a clinic, I sat at the ferry terminal reflecting on the weekend. The group of horses I worked with was diverse—ranging from steady old geldings to green yearlings, and a few that had been labelled as showing “problem behaviour.”