Behaviour problems are more likely if a whip is used to load horses for travel

A new study has found that horses were 5 times more likely to have travel-related behaviour problems if a whip was used when loading. The study, carried out by Italian researchers has found a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of behaviour problems and injuries when loading and travelling horses.

The research team asked horse owners and handlers to fill in an online survey. Respondents were asked if one of their horses exhibited travel-related behaviour problems or had been injured during transport up to two years previously. They were also asked to describe their equine background, experience, transport vehicles and practices.

The results are fascinating. The team found that the likelihood of a horse displaying travel-related behaviour problems increased by five times if the horse handler was female, by more than three times if the horse handler did not check brakes before transport, by more than five times if the horse handler used a whip when loading, by thirteen times if the animal was sedated, and by five times if the vehicle did not have design features for horse protection and the bedding did not consist of shavings.

They also found that transport-related injuries in horses were associated with a lack of checking the brakes before transport, the presence of padding on the chest bar, the absence of a rubber mat on the floor, and the horse already displaying behaviour problems during the loading process. The likelihood of a horse sustaining a travel-related injury increased by three times if the horse handler did not check brakes before transport and if padding on the chest bar was present, by two times if a rubber mat was not present, and by eight times if the horse had travel-related behaviour problems.

Horses and handlers were simultaneously injured during 50% of the accidents described by respondents.

Sadly these figures aren’t surprising. I do see a lot of horses with behaviour problems related to loading and travelling. Sadly many of them have developed behaviour problems as a result of the practices used when loading. I’ve seen horses who have been forced to load using whips, lunge lines, pressure halters, chifneys, pulley contraptions to pull them on to the vehicle, water jets have been fired at them or even electric cattle prods used, many have been injured. The horse then understandably becomes even more anxious about the whole process and their behaviour can become dangerous.

The researchers commented “The use of loading equipment such as a whip should not be recommended, and the application of the least traumatizing methods to train horses, such as habituation and self-encouraging should be encouraged.” I’d recommend using positive reinforcement training techniques too.

Horses may need to be transported for a whole host of reasons, from occasional journeys like vet emergencies or moving home to more frequent trips to attend shows or clinics. Whatever the reason, horse owners need to be fully prepared for any eventuality. It is vital to train your horse to load and travel well, they must be safe and comfortable and their experience as stress-free as possible. Bad experiences can leave a lasting impression on the horse and the issues mentioned here are pretty much all avoidable!

A word of caution: it is important to remember this study is survey-based. Respondents are self-reporting which could lead to a number of biases eg. participants may not report their experiences accurately. The authors of this paper have warned that the small sample size is a limitation. To get the full picture I would recommend reading the paper in full – details below.

Equine Transport-Related Problem Behaviors and Injuries: A Survey of Italian Horse Industry Members. Dai, F.; Zappaterra, M.; Minero, M.; Bocchini, F.; Riley, C.B.; Padalino, B. Animals 2021, 11, 223.

You can read the paper in full here: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010223