Summer Travel Tips for Your Horse: Keep Them Happy, Healthy, & Hydrated

Share This Post:

Traveling to summer shows and events can be exciting, but for our horses, it often comes with a heavy load of emotional and physical stress. From the heat and unfamiliar surroundings to performance anxiety and exhaustion, it’s a lot to ask of even the most seasoned equine athletes.

Here are some key things to consider when prepping your horse for summer travel, and the strategies I’ve personally used to help mine stay healthy, limber, and ready to shine.

The Hidden Stresses of Travel

Even if your horse is a pro at trailering and showing, the body still keeps the score. Here are some common stressors to keep in mind:

Unfamiliar water: Water that smells or tastes different (due to different minerals or treatments) can cause horses to avoid drinking. A simple solution is to use a water filter or bring your own supply.
Heat and traffic: Long hours in a trailer during summer heat can cause dehydration, stress, and fatigue.
Sleeping away from home: Just like us, horses don’t rest as deeply in unfamiliar places. A couple of nights of shallow rest can impact performance and recovery.
Anticipation and anxiety : New environments, crowds, and the energy of a show can create nervous tension that tightens muscles and depletes the immune system.

These layers of stress build up fast, and if we’re not supporting the horse’s system properly, it can result in tight muscles, shortened stride, gut issues, and even mysterious lameness later on.

My Go-To Travel Support Protocol

1. NCD (Natural Cellular Defense) for Passive Detox & Immune Support

I always give my horses NCD leading up to and during events. It’s a liquid zeolite that helps pull toxins and lactic acid from the body. This is huge because:

Tight muscles = limited joint mobility. When a horse’s muscles are tense from stress or overexertion, joints can’t move freely, which affects stride, flexibility, and increases the chance of injury.
Lactic acid buildup from nervous energy and physical effort can cause stiffness and pain.
Improved recovery: My endurance horse, Tiki, had dramatically better post-ride recovery when using NCD. His heart rate dropped from a typical 122–134 bpm to just 106–114 bpm during a 50-mile ride. That meant better oxygenation, cooler muscles, and more efficient hydration.

➡️ Bonus: NCD may also help reduce viral load, supporting your horse’s immune system when they’re exposed to lots of other horses at public events.

How much do I give? I just squeeze the dropper directly into the mouth 2–3 times a day, probably 10–15 drops each time. On Amazon subscription, it’s around $24/month, a small price to keep your horse feeling and performing their best.

2. Avoid Deworming or Vaccinating Within 3 Weeks of a Show

This one’s important! I’ve seen it again and again, a horse “ties up” at an event (cramping of the hindquarters requiring vet attention), and when I ask, “Did you recently worm or vaccinate?” the answer is always yes.

Injecting chemical wormers or vaccines too close to an event can overload your horse’s system, disrupt gut health, and add more internal stress when their body is already working overtime.

3. Dynaspark Liquid Electrolytes

This was my other not-so-secret weapon. Instead of the paste electrolytes (which can burn the esophagus and are often too concentrated), I use Dynaspark liquid electrolytes in small, frequent amounts:

Mixed into mash or sprinkled on pellets
A splash in the water bucket to encourage picky drinkers
Carried in a pop-top travel bottle for trail use, I’d squirt a bit into Tiki’s mouth at water stops

Most riders struggled to get paste electrolytes into their horses… Meanwhile, horses would try to eat my bottle once they smelled what I had!

Read my other blog post: Summer Heat and the Best Electrolytes for Horses →

🎧 Apple

🎧 Spotify

🎧 YouTube

Tricks for Trailering Your Horse

If your horse suddenly refuses to load — or arrives stressed — the problem may be with the trailer, not the horse. Here are quick fixes that make a big difference:

Balance the tires every year. Vibration from unbalanced tires feels like an earthquake to your horse.
Silence the noise by gluing a yoga mat or carpet to the tack wall. Constant banging from bridles = unnecessary stress.
Add familiar scent by tossing in a bit of used stall shavings. Horses recognize their own smell and feel safer.
Check the step height. If the step is too high and your horse’s shoulders or hips are tight, loading can physically hurt.
Let them ride how they want. Some horses feel more balanced riding backwards—don’t fight it if they turn around loose.

🎧 Apple

🎧 Spotify

Travel Well, Perform Better: Set Your Horse Up for Success

Traveling and showing can take a serious toll on your horse — physically, mentally, and emotionally. But with a little extra care and intention, you can help your horse arrive calm, limber, and ready to perform.

From filtered water and gentle electrolytes to balanced tires and quiet trailers, every small adjustment makes a difference. When your horse feels safe and supported, they’re more likely to load with ease, recover faster, and enjoy the experience right alongside you.

Another powerful way to prep your horse for travel and show season?
Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding.

This bodywork method helps release deep patterns of tension, improve joint mobility, and restore balance throughout the entire body — especially the shoulders, hips, and poll, which are key for smooth trailering and peak performance. It’s a game-changer for horses who tend to show up stiff, spooky, or sore.

👉 Learn how to do it yourself through our home study course or clinic offerings — your horse will thank you.