Transporting your horse does not have to be a stressful event for you or your horse. This is the message the Alberta Farm Animal Care is delivering with their new Horse Hauling Course.
Twenty-six people attended the inaugural course in Gibbons, Alberta on April 10. The audience consisted of horse owners, caregivers and commercial transporters with experience ranging from new to the industry to extensive equine background. The course is aimed at assuring the safe and humane handling of horses before, during and after transport.
The horse hauling course was developed and is delivered by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , a livestock handling expert from Blackie, Alberta. The course covers trailer design, animal behaviour and handling, handler safety, biosecurity, horse comfort during transport and incident (accident) response. It includes transport regulatory requirements for Canada, insurance requirements, manifests and horse permits. Participants are also made aware of existing industry resources including the Recommended Code of Practice and the unfit guidelines that will assist them in making decisions on behalf of their animals.
The need for this training session was identified over a year ago when AFAC began receiving calls from horse owners and stable personnel who had questions and concerns about the transport of horses.
Mikki Shatosky, the course coordinator, says “We, the livestock industry, must continue to provide education to the people in the field. Livestock handlers and haulers must be open to new information and learn techniques that will ensure the safe relocation of the animals in their care. This course provides that information. If we can get people to think about the animals as individuals and consider their needs – then we have achieved something.”
The course includes both classroom lecture and hands on activities involving a variety of trailer designs. “It was a very interactive training session”, noted Leita Lawrence, a trainer and instructor with Shenfield Ranch in Gibbons. “There were a lot of ‘Aha!’ moments in the training session. A few people said they wished they had this information before they bought their trailer”.
To learn more about the horse hauling course or to book the course visit www.afac.ab.ca or contact:
- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 403.684.3008
- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 403.932.1877
- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it AFAC 403.932.8050