Road transport is one of the most stressful experiences in a horse's life — understanding and minimising transport stress is an important but often overlooked dimension of equine welfare.
The welfare of horses during transport depends on a combination of vehicle quality, driver skill, journey planning, and preparation of the individual horse. A horse that has never been trained to load calmly is already disadvantaged before the journey begins — forced loading with whips or ropes adds acute stress and fear to an already challenging experience. Good transport welfare means training horses to load willingly, planning journeys to avoid peak heat, driving smoothly, providing adequate ventilation and water, and recognising signs of transport illness (shipping fever) on arrival. The cumulative stress of frequent, poorly managed transport contributes significantly to welfare deficits in competition and sales horses.