Effects of the different transport phases on equine health status, behavior, and welfare: A review

The aim of this review is to provide practical outcomes on how to manage equine transport stress. Many horses travel frequently during their life, and transportation is one of the major causes of injuries, health disorders, and economic loss for horse breeding and the wider equine industry. There are a number of recent publications in this area, but practical strategies aimed at reducing transport stress are still limited. The results published over the last 20 years are reviewed here to suggest improved procedures to follow before, during, and after a journey. Transport stress involves physical and mental stressors during handling, loading, transportation itself, unloading, and adaptation to a new environment. This article reviews how all these transport phases affect equine health status and behavior and best practice management strategies. The suggested outcomes could be useful for equine technicians, owners, breeders, grooms, and veterinarians to safeguard horse well-being.