Do Horses Suffer from Motion Sickness?

[blue_phlox_farm]

I have a great pony that is always willing to do what he is asked. He always loads on my trailer and appears happy to be going somewhere, stands there eating hay and waiting on the other horse to load. Close up the trailer and off we go. I am not providing a wild ride, and the other horse is a good trailer buddy, so one would expect to arrive at my destination with two equines in the same shape I left with… This poor pony is dripping sweat from his belly, stifle, neck. He doesn’t have “whites of the eyes” fear coming from him. He just waits his turn to get off. Then he’s fine…no more sweating. So I wash the sweat off and he’s fine. Loads willingly to come home. Dripping wet when we get home. (By the way, this has been going on for years: time and rides have not improved it)

He doesn’t display any other symptoms. Definitely not colicing. Not screaming his head off as we drive, as I’ve had a few do in the past. I think he has motion sickness. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this and how you treated it. I have a call into my vet. I’m thinking banamine. (don’t know if human anti-nausea works or is safe for a horse)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[DunByMistake]

Are you sure your pony isn’t just sweating from warmth of trailer? Horse trailers get very hot and humid quickly - especially with multiple horses. They don’t have the best air circulation. It’s not uncommon to see sweaty horses get off a trailer - especially in areas where they might be leaning against divider. If your pony isn’t showing any other kinds of stress, I would guess he’s just getting too warm.

Are you traveling with vents and windows vents open? If you are hauling longer distances, can you try hauling at night when it is cooler? It is possible to have fans installed in some trailers to help with air circulation.

Not saying that motion sickness isn’t possible for horses but I’d think that if that was the issue, your pony would be reluctant to load and would be anxious once he got in trailer. Since he’s still a good loader and hauler, it would seem that he feels pretty relaxed about trailering.

[TWH_Girl]

Motion sickness is caused by the imbalance of fluid in in middle ear. I’ve not heard of horses specifically getting motion sick. I’d ask your vet, because honestly- who knows??!

[csaper58]

Is it possible to place a camera in the trailer to observe what is going on?

A full body sweat is usually caused by intense exercise, or heat.

[TWH_Girl]

http://www.doctorramey.com/do-horses-experience-motion-sickness-and-if-they-do-what-would-the-symptoms-be-and-treatment-cw-101111/

[blue_phlox_farm]

The pony sweats day, night, spring, winter, fall, and summer, just load him up and drive away. I have a gooseneck without a dressing room, just open space and nine opening windows and two vents. He’s not hot from the temp inside the trailer. My DD has ridden with him many times for either the total trip if only 10 -15 minutes or for the first 10 to 15 minutes if it was a further ride. (an hour or so) He starts out eating hay and it soon turns into a sad pony who won’t eat and looks like he’d like to stop and get out soon. There is no end to the amount of manure he can produce during his rides. Not diarrhea.

Motion sickness in humans is commonly caused by the inner ear and the eyes not feeling and seeing the same thing. Sweating is a common symptom at the onset, followed by the nausea. Dogs pant when first experiencing motion sickness. So I was thinking he sweats but can’t throw up like a dog…

My vet thinks he is just being nervous since he’s a live wire to begin with, but suggested I could try banamine alone first and if that works, fine (he doesn’t think it will) and if not, then try a cocktail of a little ace/banamine combo. He also mentioned antihistamines too, but i’m trying these first.

[Marla_100]

I think your vet is correct, anxiety and nervousness when trailering. I have one who is a VERY reluctant loader due
to a previous trailer accident before I acquired him. Once he loads, he’s like your horse, sweats up a storm regardless
of outside temperature. Dripping wet when he unloads. Let us know if your plan helps, I’d like to hear your outcome.

[LookmaNohands]

I think it can bother them. I had a horse that would seem border line colicky after a long ride. I talked to a chiropractic vet about it and she recommended a homeopathic for it. Cocculus, I think it was. Anyway it seemed to work. And this horse was not new to travel either. He came to the US from England by way of Canada and was very well traveled.

[beowulf]

@LookmaNohands

I think it can bother them. I had a horse that would seem border line colicky after a long ride. I talked to a chiropractic vet about it and she recommended a homeopathic for it. Cocculus, I think it was. Anyway it seemed to work. And this horse was not new to travel either. He came to the US from England by way of Canada and was very well traveled.

I agree.

Dogs and cats get motion sickness, and horses have better vision than both, and better hearing than cats… It wouldn’t surprise me. I’m sure horses are capable of getting motion-sickness - they have all the parts required…

If that’s the case I’d be trailering with a dark fly mask, cotton earbuds, and keeping the near windows closed… Although to me I do think most horses find traveling stressful so I take every precaution while driving to keep my acceleration and braking as gradual and smooth as possible…

[joiedevie99]

EPM or some other neurological deficit. Makes it so much harder to balance in motion.