Transport av häst på land
The aim of this review is to evaluate the best way to transport the horse. When it comes to transporting horses there are a number of different types of trailers and trucks that you can choose from today. The most common type of trailer is designed for two horses and the horses are transported facing the direction of travel. Studies has been performed to determine if that is the most advantageous direction for the horse to travel in, in terms of balance and levels of stress. Stress is a widely discussed subject and the definition is not fully developed. One common definition is that an environmental change overtaxes the animal?s controlsystem and reduces the fitness of the animal. Transportation is believed to cause stress to a horse and this is partly due to the level of noise created inside a trailer, partly due to the confined space and partly due to the balancing-problem the horse experiences during transportation. Several studies has been done on horses facing the opposite direction of travel and whether they can balance themselves more easily. Studies has also been done to investigate if transportation induces respiratory diseases in horses. Transportation is believed to cause respiratory diseases because the horse is forced to hold up its head in an unnatural way if it is transported facing the direction of travel. This head position exposes the airways to e.g. bacteria and dust and prevents the clearance of mucus from the respiratory tract. More research is needed on this subject but so far there is clear evidence that horses facing away from the direction of travel can cope better with the transportation situation. The laws of animal protection needs to be more clarified and be based on scientific studies.