Keeping Horse Trailers Cool In Summer Months

Summer months are often the busiest time of year for horse owners.

This typically involves a great deal of travel. Excessive heat can wreak havoc on a horse’s health, especially if the horse is already unwell. Even sick horses may need to be transported during summer, although it isn’t recommended. Ensuring that your trailer remains as cool as possible during travel is the best way to guarantee your horse’s well-being no matter what condition they’re in.

Keeping Your Horse Trailer Cool

Horse trailers trap heat. It is extremely important to take steps to make sure that you provide as much ventilation as possible.

• First, install a thermometer to allow you to monitor the temperature inside the trailer.
• Make sure to check the temperature inside every time you stop for a break. Even if you don’t need to take rest breaks often while you travel, it is still a good idea to stop to check the temperature of the trailer regularly while you are on the road.
• Before your trip, make sure that you ventilate the trailer properly. This includes opening all windows and vents.
• If your trailer comes equipped with a fan make sure to turn it on as well to ensure it is functioning properly.
• If your trailer does not come equipped with these things, modifications can go a long way in keeping your horses safe and comfortable.

After you’ve vented the heat from your trailer, make sure to load everything you need prior to loading your horse. This helps to avoid heat build-up inside the trailer from the horse’s body. You should get on the road immediately after your horse is loaded for the same reason. If possible, you should drive during the night, in the early morning, or in the late afternoon when it’s cooler to avoid excess heat build-up.

Modifying Your Trailer

You can make modifications to your trailer to help keep it cool and safer during summer months.

Install oscillating fans to help circulate air and keep the space cooler. The fans can be installed on the same circuit as the trailer’s interior lights and controlled with a remote switch. You can also hire a fabrication company to install windows and screens in the trailer for better ventilation.

These are all things you should keep in mind if you are looking to finance a new horse trailer or upgrade your current one.

Keeping Your Horse Cool Inside the Trailer

While it is important to ensure that your horse trailer stays cool during travel, it’s just as important to make sure that the horse itself remains cool as well. If you’re traveling to show your horse at a competition or in horse shows, it’s likely that you want to keep it as clean as possible during travel. Although you may want to keep your horse clean by covering it with a lightweight blanket or sheet you shouldn’t. This prevents the horse’s body from dispelling excess heat properly. You should also place rubber mats under the horse’s feet to keep the heat off its legs.

Keeping your trailer cool is an important step in ensuring your horse’s health during travel. While implementing ideas to keep your horse and trailer cool, you should also make sure that you keep your horse calm during loading. Remember that stressed horses are more susceptible to heat, making your efforts to keep them cool less effective.

Contact Southeast Financial today to find out how we can give you peace of mind by protecting your investment!