So, you’re tired of battling winter weather, and you’ve decided to hit the road and show at one of the winter circuits in sunny climes. It’s not too complicated to get yourself there, but what about your horse? Booking your horse’s trip to warmer weather involves a bit more than you might think. But paying attention to detail and preparing thoroughly can minimize the risk for problems.

While all the advice given here applies to preparing for any long-distance journey with your trusty four-legged steed, we’ll concentrate on shipping hundreds (or more) miles from the colder northern areas south. Major climatic changes involve wide ranges of weather, which need to be addressed.

Whether you’re planning to ship your horse yourself or employ a commercial shipper for the venture, you need to be sure your horse is prepared so that he can arrive as healthy as possible.

Preparing for your trip includes more than just packing everything you own. You might be able to cruise through state borders without a second thought, but know that your horse should have some paperwork accompanying him. A veterinarian-issued health certificate within 30 days is required by most states for horses from other states, and you must be prepared to stop at the Florida border to show your paperwork to officials.

“What a health certificate involves is your veterinarian examining your horse and ensuring that they’re in good health and can sustain the trip. They particularly look to make sure there’s no underlying respiratory disease, which would be a big concern,” said Dr. Christina “Cricket” Russillo of the Fairfield Equine Associates (Conn.).

A current Coggins test is mandatory to complete the health certificate, and most states require a proof of a negative Coggins test within a year, although some states require one within six months–check the regulations of the state to which you’re traveling to be sure.

“Having all your health papers is essential. If you don’t have your Coggins or an in-date health certificate, you’ll spend a lot of time sitting at the Florida border,” said Kathy Fletcher, who travels to West Palm Beach, Fla., every winter.

The Week Before
If your first show is in February, when do you head south? There’s no hard-and-fast rule, but it’s wise to give your horse at least a two-week period to acclimatize to his new surroundings before adding the stress of showing.

“We get them there a good 10 days to two weeks before they have to show, to get them used to the warmth and the sand. The footing is considerably different, and we try to give them a chance to get legged up,” said Fletcher.

Once you’ve planned your departure date, book a date with your veterinarian, not just for a health certificate, but also to make sure your horse’s immunizations are up to date.

“Any vaccinations that would be appropriate for the area they’ll be shipping to. You’d want to do at least two weeks, and no more than four weeks, in advance,” said Russillo. “When you’re going from cold to warm climates, you’d want to protect against mosquito-borne viruses. We will administer the Eastern-Western encephalitis, tetanus, and West Nile virus vaccines, as well as a flu-rhino booster.”

Amy Martinez, who’s been a barn manager at Heritage Farm in Katonah, N.Y., for six years, oversees the travel arrangements for 60 horses to Florida each year. She advises against having your horse shod in the week before a long journey. She’s seen horses founder from being shod right before shipping a long distance.

“I think that’s a mistake that a lot of people probably wouldn’t think of, but it does happen, and there can be problems with it. I don’t know what it is that causes it, but I have had it happen more than once,” she said.

Since he’s oblivious to your travel plans, your horse has probably been assiduously working on growing a thick winter coat. But all that hair will work against him in the tropics or the desert.

“We recommend to our clients that they body clip their horses before they leave. That way, the horses don’t overheat on the trip. You can blanket them before they leave, and then remove blankets, but you don’t want them getting too hot and sweating on the trip,” Russillo said.

Now that he’s vaccinated, had a haircut and his feet done, it’s time to make sure your horse’s insides are in fine working order as well. Feeding bran mashes with mineral oil and electrolytes added to them for between two and four feedings before your departure helps ensure that your horse is hydrated and everything’s in working order.

Bran mash is the simplest way to deliver the electrolytes and mineral oil, but there are alternatives.

“Some clients will have us come out and tube their horses with mineral oil and an electrolyte mixture to help them stay hydrated. Some people even administer fluid intravenously, like giving 20 liters of IV fluids right before they ship,” Russillo said.

Fletcher follows a common practice and administers tribrissen antibiotics (SMZ tablets) for five days before shipping to Florida to ward off infections.

But Russillo argues against that practice. “I think we’re a little too casual with various antibiotics, and it’s important to not overuse antibiotics, so that when there’s a real problem, we can use them and they work,” she said.

One of the most important things you can do pre-departure is to make sure you know your horse’s normal temperature before you load him up for a long journey. A slight fever can be worrisome, so know what’s normal so you can spot any deviation quickly.

En Route
One of the biggest issues you can face when shipping for long distances is whether to keep going straight through on a 20-or-so-hour journey, or to stop for the night and break the trip up.

“If you ask five different people, you’re going to get five different opinions,” said Russillo. “I like to just go, and most commercial shippers do that. They’ll pull off the road and rest every six hours or so, and give the horses water and let them drop their heads off the ties.”

Fletcher agrees, but she points out that those who ship their own horses have added challenges.

I would advise against shipping that far in a small two-horse trailer. I’ve done it before, and when you’re going down I-95 and a big semi goes by, it makes the trailer sway. People disagree with me, but that’s how I feel. The more stable the trailer, the better,” she said.

“Having an additional driver is necessary if you’re going to go straight through. But it’s also a good idea to have a point arranged to stop midway if you need to,” she added.

Whether you bandaged your horse for the trip or not is personal preference, but if you do, well-applied shipping wraps, versus shipping boots, are recommended.

“It depends on the horse whether or not we wrap them. Some of the horses, if they’re not great shippers, we’ll put a kick pad in the trailer around them and not wrap them,” Fletcher said. “We don’t want them to kick the wraps down. We make sure that anyone who’s shipping their own horses knows how to wrap, too, so that if they have to rewrap, they can do it.”

A shipping halter, with fleece around the nose, crown, and cheekpieces, makes the halter less likely to rub. If you want to retrofit your own halter, wrap these areas and the corners of the rings on the side of the halter’s noseband with flannel. Make sure you ship in leather or breakaway halters, not nylon.

You’ve Arrived!
The journey is over, and you and your horse have begun soaking up the sun’s rays. But it’s not time to relax just yet–you need to be ever vigilant about your horse’s health.

“The general problem that we see the most of is respiratory disease, the so-called ‘shipping fever,’ ” Russillo said. “Because of their exposure to hay, and things flying through the air, and they’re on the trailer with as many as nine other horses–not necessarily from the same farm–their respiratory tracts are insulted with irritants, exposure to new viruses and bacteria, and infection can set in.

“Keep an eye on them for nasal discharge. The normal temperature range is from 99 degrees to 101. Between 101 and 102 is kind of a gray zone–they could have been outside in the hot sun–and you should monitor it. But certainly, over 102 degrees is a bona fide fever,” added Russillo.

You should take your horse’s temperature frequently in the first 24 hours he’s in his new winter home.

If a horse runs a slight fever and seems to not be feeling his best, a dose of Banamine and some antibiotics should help.

“You need to be watchful and mindful of what they’ve just gone through. Obviously, if you have any concerns, reach out to a veterinarian,” said Russillo.

“One in every six or seven horses will run a fever, usually, and it’s normally just a mild respiratory inflammation from the irritation of all the airborne particles. We’ll listen to their lungs and administer some Banamine, and check their CBC [complete blood count] to make sure they’re not showing any signs of infection,” Russillo added.

Familiarity with your horse’s habits will help you quickly notice something amiss. “We just make sure that they settle in and they don’t look colicky. We make sure they’re eating and drinking and passing manure, and not overly lethargic,” Martinez said.

“We know our horses pretty well. There are one or two horses who do have a tendency to run a temperature on a long trip, so we keep an eye on them,” she added.

Feeding your horse his yummy mineral oil-enhanced bran mashes for another few feedings after arriving is also advisable.

Giving your horse a few days off from work to get used to his new climate is a good idea, but make sure he stays active with hand-walking, turn-out, or even walking under saddle, to keep his joints and gut moving.

Blankets Off, Blankets On
Your car may have a sophisticated climate-control system to keep you traveling in comfort, but your horse will feel every change in temperature on his ride south.

“The one thing we really try to be careful with going down and up is the difference in temperature,” said Amy Martinez, barn manager at Heritage Farm in Katonah, N.Y.

“It’s quite a big change, so we make sure that when they leave they have enough blankets on and someone takes them off as they go. We let them keep the heavy blankets on until it’s about 50 [degrees], then we take them off and they’re in sheets. And on the way back, we make sure someone can throw a blanket on the way up if it gets cold.”

Massachusetts trainer Kathy Fletcher likes to “put them on the truck with layers of clothes, and with the surcingles not fastened, but tied up, so that you can undo the front and pull them off without having to get underneath the horses in the trailer.”

Stopping along the way on a long journey allows you to offer your horse water, check to see he’s handling the trip easily, and adjust his clothing. Bringing water from your home farm, and stuffing the haynets with hay your horse is used to eating, will help him be more eager to eat and drink on the trip.

“I think the biggest thing to think about is the necessity of being ready for the warmer temperature–making sure they’re well-hydrated before they leave, making sure they’re clipped and not losing fluids from sweating on the way down there,” said Dr. Christina “Cricket” Russillo of the Fairfield Equine Associates (Conn.).

Keep ‘Em Dry
Once you’re in your warm new digs, be aware that you might have to alter your daily care. With no freezing or frost, there are many different bacteria and fungi that don’t die in warmer climes, and you need to be extra-careful about skin care.

“Obviously, the skin problems are different because the ground is different. We try not to bathe them as often as some people do. We have different antimicrobial and antifungal shampoos to use, and antibiotics on hand to use if it does become an issue,” said barn manger Amy Martinez.

“In Florida, scratches are a little more common, because the ground is so sandy. Even in the paddocks, under the grass, it’s sand, and that’s abrasive. The ones that we have that are prone to scratches, we treat with medication and bandage their feet to keep the sand and the dirt and the wet out of them. We use the Keratex powder to keep mud and sand off.”

Trainer Kathy Fletcher agrees that keeping horses dry helps alleviate many fungal or bacterial skin problems.

“The biggest thing is not to bathe a lot. The water and moisture breeds lots of bacteria and problems. Fewer baths is better. We bring our vacuum down and do a lot of currying,” she said.