Trailering in extreme heat

[spotnnotfarm]

I might be traveling Sunday, from Louisiana to Georgia. The hot temps in Louisiana will reach 105. I anticipate leaving around 11:00 AM. The worst part of the trip will be Louisiana and Mississippi, about three hours. Once I reach Alabama, things will cool down. It will not be 105 when I leave it will probably be in the mid 90s.

my horse is fit, will be the only one in the trailer and is somewhat used to trailering in the heat. My current plan is to stop every two hours and assess his health until we get into a more acceptable temperature range. I will also soak his hey and I am thinking of adding ice bags to the horse compartment. Does anyone have any other tips? I am hoping weather.com is being over reactionary, and there is a chance I may leave earlier I am just putting out worst case scenario

[Highflyer1]

Can you not wait and travel at night? You will likely be fine when you are moving assuming your trailer is well-ventilated but if you should have to stop and sit because of traffic I would be very concerned at those temperatures. I also wouldn’t make a lot of extra stops that you can avoid-- just stop every 3-4 hours for gas and bathroom breaks as necessary. Every time you stop is an extra 15+ minutes in the trailer. Maybe look into getting a camera instead.

[Foxglove]

I am with @Highflyer1 --when we did long hauls (IN to NY) in the summer for 3-Day, we hauled at night. Less traffic and cooler temperatures. At that time I also kept a wireless thermometer in the horse trailer near the horse’s head (about ear height) on the front wall. It transmitted to a receiver in the truck cab so I could tell the temperature in the horse trailer. Not sure what I would have done if it became extremely hot --but I like knowing. FYI the youngest kid’s horse was named Max. For many years she thought when we turned on “Max AC” in the cab it made the AC in the horse trailer come on.

[clanter]

commonly hauled horses in high heat we always shipped after midnight and no matter what the temp carry water for the horses

traffic here can and often is pretty much screwed up, we have bolt cutters in the trail incase we need to get the horses out of a fenced in interstate

[FitToBeTied]

If the temps are going to in the 90’s or 100’s, your trailer will be an absolute oven. I cancel lessons or trips if I would have to trailer with temps 90 or above.

If you are going from the western edge of Louisiana to the eastern edge of Alabama, not allowing for stops, that’s about 8 hours. If you left at 4am, you’d be in Alabama by 1or 2 in the afternoon. Be kind to your horse and leave early.

[fivestrideline]

I’m with the others that say if there’s any way you can trailer overnight, do it. And don’t stop more than you have to - every 3-4 hours (usually when bathroom/ fuel breaks need to happen anyways) is plenty. A stopped trailer is far hotter than one that’s moving.

You run the risk of hitting standstill traffic by going during the day, even though it’s the weekend. Traffic and sitting in the sun is where the horse is going to suffer the most. Go overnight, or very early morning, prehydrate the horse (electrolytes and soaked feed), open everything you can that has a screen, and throw ice on the shavings (has been shown to help lower the temperature). Some people have had luck installing the battery fans from Ryobi or similar, just to move some air.

A camera and/or cheap Bluetooth thermometer will give you peace of mind. Keep moving, go when it’s coolest, and have electrolyte paste on hand.

The last “long haul” I did we left at 1am, timing it to avoid known high traffic around the major cities. That’s what we’ve always done, including getting to a show at midnight to avoid driving during the day. It’s way less stressful to hang out with the truckers on the interstate than the soccer moms

[bingbingbing]

I drove from NY to FL one summer with no AC. It was brutal. Even with all of the windows open, it was hot air blowing. In a trailer it will be insanely hot. I would definitely not do it during the day.

The Bluetooth thermometer is a great idea.

[DiamondJubilee]

If you can travel through the night, that would be ideal of course. We tend to leave 6-7pm the night before and travel until 1-2am. Break for a few hours, and continue around 6am to get to our destination before noon the next day (we just did this last week from Ontario to MA - a 10hr drive for us). This way there is no traffic and is the cooler part of the day. You can add ice cubes to the shavings under your horse as well, to help keep the area cooler. We also have 12 volt fans that are always on and we have a camera in the truck and have a thermometer with big numbers by his head so we can read the temps in the trailer.

[spotnnotfarm]

I am not sure yet if I can leave early. I will know Saturday PM. I am going to monitor the forecast too and will do what is best. I am also monitoring the forecast for all the major areas I will pass through. I am hoping I can either leave early or that it is not going to be as hot as predicted.

Thanks everyone

[spotnnotfarm]

The trip is 6 hours total.

[fivestrideline]

@spotnnotfarm

I am also monitoring the forecast for all the major areas I will pass through. I am hoping I can either leave early or that it is not going to be as hot as predicted.

Definitely keep an eye on it, but also keep in mind that the temps on the road are going to be higher than the ‘average’ used in most weather predictions. Obviously if you’re in the south you’re aware of humidity, but that does have an effect (even a breeze can’t help at a certain point).

Maybe super secure ice boots instead of shipping wraps? Just tossing out ideas.

[MsM]

Also see if you can find out about any construction projects on your route. Around here they often work at night to avoid impacting rush hour traffic which complicates trying to find a route without traffic problems.

[LCDR]

Can you add a fan to your trailer before the weekend, or do you already have one installed? Don’t depend on air blowing through the trailer as you are driving. There may be unexpected traffic problems from accidents or construction.

I have been towing in GA, FL, SC, NC, and AL for 40 years, and for my trailers fans are mandatory equipment,

[Paint_Party]

We’re in Arizona, up pretty high, but to show out of state we have to ship across the deserts in triple-digit heat. Our trainer always hauls at night. And there are fans installed inside the van.

A couple of my friends had battery-operated small fans installed in their 2-horse trailers, for when they haul home after trail rides. I’m not sure exactly how they did it, but I know it involved small power tools and careful placement of the fans.

[spotnnotfarm]

Ok, I am either rethinking the entire trip, or I will scratch Sunday and leave early Sunday AM. I am waiting on advice from a few professionals and looking at the hourly forecast to best gauge the temps.

[fivestrideline]

@spotnnotfarm

looking at the hourly forecast to best gauge the temps.

Yeah this helps - but it still will likely be below the “real” temp on the road. Think about standing in full sun in your yard vs in a parking lot. I’d take the real feel (if it’s listed) and use that as your minimum temperature when making decisions.

Inside the trailer can be 10-20 degrees hotter than outside, though that is mitigated by fans/airflow/flooring material. An aluminum floor trailer will be hotter than rumber which will be hotter than wood. A fiberglass roof will make it cooler than a metal one, etc. YMMV of course, but that is my experience.

ETA I’ve lived in GA most of my horse life, and now in NC, but have hauled up and down the east. Hauling in the heat can’t be avoided down here, but you have to do some logistical backflips to make it safe.

[spotnnotfarm]

Wood floor, and Aluminum trailer. I so wish this heat would go away!

[fivestrideline]

Me too!

[Jarpur]

I agree about hauling overnight/the wee hours. Earlier this summer, it looked as though I might have to haul a horse a few hours (three if I was lucky) to the vet school; my veterinarian told me to hose the horse down before loading.

Wouldn’t last for an eight hour trip, of course, and wouldn’t want the horse to possibly slip in the trailer due to dripping water, but perhaps you could consider sponging it off during stops, or spraying with that 50/50 alcohol/water mixture recommended to me on another thread.

[spotnnotfarm]

Well, I decided to scratch the entire weekend.