According to a report from Kansas Ag Statistics, Kansas continues to be a national leader in several livestock categories.  During the fiscal year of 2007, the state ranked first in animal fat exports with $145.1 million shipped overseas.  The state reported that $419.5 million worth of hides and skins were exported from the state last year, making it the first in the country.

Additionally, Kansas has exported over $596.2 million worth of live animals and meat.  The state ranked third next to Iowa and Nebraska.  However, the live animals and meat exported from Kansas accounted for 16% of the state's total livestock exports.

Overall, the state of Kansas ranks sixth overall as a product of agricultural products according to 2007 fiscal year numbers.  The state's total value of livestock exports is $3.8 billion, which is up 23% from the previous year and is the highest amount the state has ever recorded.  Although, the top ten states in livestock exports saw an increase in their exports during the 2007 year.  Kansas accounts for 4.7% of all U.S. agricultural exports with $81.9 billion in total according to last year's numbers.

These numbers are incredible when you consider the amount of strain the economy has put on livestock transporters in 2007 and 2008.  In 2006, the price of diesel and gas began to climb quickly.  In 2007, gas prices soared and in 2008, they have been consistently high with no sign of dropping.  This has put a large strain on all livestock transporters no matter where they are located.  It also increases the cost of farming in all states, including Kansas. 

The increase in diesel and gas has caused all aspects of livestock and agricultural farming to increase dramatically as livestock owners are working harder to simply feed their animals due to the high cost of feed, which has been a direct effect of gas and oil prices, and makes it difficult for them to afford the rates of livestock transporters.

Livestock transporters are also feeling the pinch on their wallets as the price of diesel continues to remain high and they have to increase their rates and share the expense with their clients.  This strain is not only being felt in the US, but around the world as well and is being felt in countries such as the UK and Australia where diesel prices are high and causing the prices of wheat and grain to remain high as well. 

There are many different means available to transport horses and other types of livestock animals. One commonly used form of transportation for livestock is the double deck trailer. One reason why this form of transportation is often used is that it allows livestock owners to transport more animals at a time, which will result in larger profits and less time wasted transporting animals.

Recently, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has reiterated their opposition to the use of double deck trailers for the transportation of horses. One of the steps that were taken by the AVMA was the approval of a new policy stating the humane methods that should be used to transport horses and other equine animals. This new policy on horse transportation was proposed by the AVMA welfare committee and was approved on April 12, 2008 by the AVMA executive board.

Even though this is the AVMAs amended policy on transporting horses, it is not the first time that they have opposed the use of double deck trailers to transport horses. In previous years, the AVMA has also showed a great deal of support for the regulations that were written by the USDA regarding the use of double deck trailers to transport horses. The USDA already had regulations in place that prohibited the use of this type of trailer to transport horses.

The new policy released by the AVMA also has other guidelines that will help transporters determine if their trailer is appropriate to use to haul horses. One of the regulations states that the trailer must have sufficient head room to allow the horse to stand with their head and necks extended in a normal, natural position. The regulations also state that the transport vehicle must provide enough ventilation to keep the horses comfortable during the journey.

There are also several regulations regarding the safety of the trailer. One of these regulations states that they trailer must be free of any protrusions that could potentially cause an injury to the horse and that all of the doors and ramps on the trailer are large enough to allow the safe loading and unloading of the horses. There should also be good footing on the floor of the trailer to allow the horse to maintain their balance during transport. The final regulation states that there should be segregation between the stallions and other horses.

Shipping horses is not a new thing. Before there were planes and vehicles, horses were transported from one destination to another using boats and trains. The only thing that is different today is that people know more about how to properly take care of horses during their journey. Researchers have already gone to great lengths to learn how heat affects the health of horses. In 1999, several researchers were brought together to review the different types of studies and other forms of literature that could be used to relieve the stress of shipping on horses. However, even with expanded knowledge of horse travel, thousands of horses still experience shipping fever after a long journey.

Many researchers are now spending a great amount of time and effort trying to understand the exact causes of shipping fever and ways in which the illness can be reduced or eliminated. Current and past research has already shown that the quality of air that the horse breathes while traveling plays a large role in whether the horse will develop shipping fever. The cleaner the air inside the trailer or transport vehicle, the better off the horse will be. This is because there will be fewer particles and bacteria that will be able to settle in the horses lungs.

It is a known fact that the only way a horse is able to clear its airway of the particles that it has inhaled is to lower its head. When owners tie their horses inside the trailer, the horse cannot lower its head to clear its airway and the inhaled particles and bacteria have a much better chance of settling in the horse’s lungs.

Current research strongly suggests that there needs to be a better type of ventilation system installed in trailers and other transport vehicles. Today’s researchers do not understand the complex aerodynamics that is needed to reduce particulate matter inside a trailer or inside an air stable on airplanes.

It is also important to give horses enough time to recover from a long journey. Many individuals think that stopping for thirty minutes every few hours during a trip will reduce the chances of a horse developing shipping fever; however, past research has shown that this simply is not enough time for a horse to recover from a long journey. Ideally, a horse should be allowed to rest and recover over night, usually six to eight hours, from a long journey.

There has been a great amount of talk regarding the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, especially in the area of the equestrian teams.  Several of the world's top Olympic competitors have already decided not to attend this year's Olympic Games because they feel that there is too much of a risk transporting their horses.  One private horse transporter is going above the call of duty to ensure that the horses he is responsible for getting to Hong Kong arrive in pristine condition.

Martin Atock is the managing director of the horse transportation company that is supported by the Olympics, Peden Bloodstock.  The project of moving a large majority of the horses that will be competing in the Olympics is the largest project that Atock has ever attempted.  This type of project is one that is sure to provide many different challenges along the way.

One way that Atock is keeping everything in order is by carefully planning for any event that could take place before it happens.  This will allow him to have an accurate plan in the instance that there is some type of emergency or other situation that needs to be handled.  The two main concerns that are currently on Atock's mind are colic and claustrophobia from the horses.

In a sense, horses are just like humans.  Most of them will be able to handle the long trip with no problems, yet there will be a few that will have problems during the trip.  It is these horses that will require the most attention to ensure that they arrive in good health.

One method that is used to help agitated horses during the trip is pairing them with experienced flying grooms.  These individuals have a great deal of experience flying with horses and know all of the various procedures that are used to keep a horse clam and safe during the journey.  One of the reasons why trained flying grooms are used instead of the horse's regular grooms is that individuals that are not trained can become nervous as well and the horses will notice this emotion, which will make the situation even worse because the horse will become more agitated.

Once the horses arrive in Hong Kong, they will calmly be moved from the planes to air conditioned trailers that will carry them to the main venue, which is approximately two hours from the airport.

The horse trailer industry is not nearly as large as the automotive or recreational vehicle industry and will not produce as large of profits as the other industries. Because of this, many horse trailer manufacturers do not have the resources to spend on research and development to design trailers that are safe for both horses and humans; however, most horse trailer manufacturers are spending a great deal more time and money to ensure that horses are safe on the road.

One of the changes that horse trailer manufacturers are making is to use galvannealed steel to construct the trailers. Aluminum has been the mainstay material used to construct horse trailers for many years; however, steel is a much safer material to use because it is stronger than aluminum and it will maintain its shape better when placed under stress. It has also been found that aluminum has an increased chance of tearing and causing injury to the horses. Steel will not easily tear and in the end, steel is less expensive than aluminum.

Another change that can be found in new horse trailers is the interior stall design. The traditional stall layout has been the standard slants. The only problem is that most horse owners have found that the slants are too small and that the design can create problems. This is because it is impossible to unload a horse from the front of the trailer without unloading all of the horses in the back. This means that if a horse in the front gets in trouble, it can take several minutes to get the rest of the horses unloaded to tend to the injured horse. Horse trailer manufacturers have addressed this problem by creating the four-horse center load stall design. This stall design will increase safety for both horses and handlers during loading and unloading and make it possible to unload one horse without having to unload them all.

Manufacturers have also begun using energy efficient LED lights instead of standard light bulbs on most horse trailers. LED is also longer lasting and since the lighting strips run the entire length of the ceiling, handlers will be able to see clearly in the dark and decrease the risk of having an accident loading or unloading at night. Trailer manufacturers have also made improvements to living quarters to improve safety and comfort to the people that will be staying in the trailer.