Re: I tried a slant trailer and I didn't like it. :-)

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>
> Now, we have this slant - this is going to take some thought.  I walk my
> horse
> up to it, and realise I
> can not walk in w/ him, and if we put a person out side the drop down
window,
> he
> wont see them
> with the carrot - hmmmmmmm.    I decide to walk in as far as I can w/ my
> horse,
> and then push him
> over to the wall and close the patrician - sound easy?
>
> Well, it was not.  My horse was very good, but unsure about walking that far
> into the this strange trailer.
> and I did not have my timing down to push him over and close the partition,
> so
> it took us a few tires
> at this (each time my  horse would back out - gently - but he'd back out)

<snip>

I have deleted the detailed description of your experience...it wasn't
anything
like what it's like to load the horses into our slantload.  I have a three
horse with a swing out tack room and it's so easy to load the horses!  We just
walk right up to the trailer, hop in, clip their trailer ties, and then swing
the partition closed...then load the second one, and then the third.  It takes
(if all of the horses are out by the trailer) about 1 minute to load all 3
horses and close the back doors.  They hop right in with no treats for bribery
and they can be loaded easily by one person.

>I keep reading how much the horses love slants, and I want my kids to be
comfy.
>Of course the new
>Equs mag' came last night and it again was praising slants.  I can also get
more
>for my money if
>I buy a slant, a 2 goose straight load will have to be a custom order (long
>story)
>
>But, I really don't want one any more.  Please tell me that I am making the
>right decison.  Please tell me
>that my horses have loved a straight load for over 7 years and have had no
>problems and there
>is no reason to change :-)
>
The trailer you tried sounds strange and not at all like mine.  I've found
over
the years that horses are much better about slant loads and even the balkers
will load better in them.  We've had both and I would never go with a straight
load again.  Besides, the horses travel better in a slant load, altho their
preference is to be facing backwards.  Not many trailers designed like that.

Sue 

"If all you can do is what you've always 
done, then all you can be is what you are right now."
                              author unknown

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.