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Q&A: Solving travel trauma

Nick Thompson MRCVS

1 November, 2001

Q. I am planning to move house from Berkshire to Devon, and my 15-year-old horse is not a good traveller. By the time we arrive at our destination, he is soaking wet with sweat. Please can you recommend any remedies to make his journeys less stressful, particularly the long one when we move?

Sally Stallard, Charvil, Berkshire

Nick Thompson MRCVS replies: Travel stress can be due to a number of factors. Some horses panic from fear of noises, vibrations and the new and rapidly changing environment. Some will be fearful from a past event when travelling which has imprinted itself on the horse's memory. Others will sweat up because of the strange, changeable motion of the vehicle.

The following remedies may help. Ask your supplier about dosage amount and frequency. As with all homeopathic remedies, once you get improvement in the symptoms stop the dosing and reassess the patient. If in doubt, contact your local complementary veterinary practitioner.

Try them on short journeys first to find out what suits your horse before your move, and give him some stress-free trips to remember.

Remedies for the panicky horse must start with Aconite 20, which is best given twice daily for two days before travel, and can be given at intervals during transit. This is only useful for the really panicky horse, which may also be the types who refuse to load no matter what.

The Bach Flower Remedies can also be useful for this problem. I like using Aspen and Mimulus. These remedies are for emotional conditions stemming from fear, both of the known and the unknown.

Because it is usually difficult to tell why a specific horse is unhappy about travelling, I use these two flower remedies together. This is incredibly useful when one can identify the emotion behind the behaviour and address the problem at source.

For those horses which just hate travelling, look sick and sweat profusely, there are a number of remedies:

• Borax 30c is for the horse where downward motion (bridges and sleeping policemen) really aggravate the problem.

• Petroleum 30c (the remedy is derived from petrol, so it's not surprising travel is a major feature of problems it can help).

• Cocculus 30c is the third major travel sickness remedy.

All three remedies are often given with the flower essences: twice daily for a couple of days before the journey and then up to hourly during transit.

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