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RE: [RC] [RC] [RC] Shavings in the Trailer/Peeing - heidiIn our arid western climate, that only helps short-term. On a long trip, they are dry and flying again within a few hours.
As for the ammonia issue, the feed question is a good one. Yes, high protein will yield more ammonia. That said, in a well-ventilated trailer that is moving most of the time, the same "breeze" that makes the shavings a problem usually dissipates the ammonia fairly efficiently, too.
I'd far rather have a horse that will pee anywhere than one that waits for me to take him out of the trailer. Too often when traveling, there simply is not a safe place to unload. Many of mine will not pee when the trailer is moving, but will take the opportunity to pee when we are stopped for any reason. I'd far rather have to clean out a yucky trailer than have a horse that gets uncomfortable in the trailer due to a full bladder, given the choice.
Back to the original poster--whether or not I'd get the horse out on a 6-hour trip depends on a lot of things, such as safety of an unloading area, disposition of the horse, and what the horse is going to do when we get there. If the horse is being expected to be at his peak best when unloaded, I might unload enroute. Otherwise, for such a short trip, I wouldn't bother. With green horses, we've often had them on the trailer for 2 days--but with hay nets and water buckets, and with enough "stop" time for them to relax and eat and drink. They come off bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and on long trips like that, they DO generally learn to drink in the trailer--which is an invaluable lesson!
Heidi
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