Re: Slant-loads/head-dropping/shipping fever

["Karen Sullivan" <greymare@jps.net>]

> Ray O. rno2m@virginia.edu
>   I once read that horses must be able to drop their heads in order to
> clear the sinuses,and that in long distance hauling,failure to allow this
> is a prescription for respiratory illness/shipping fever.None of the
> slant-loads I see seem to allow a horse to drop his head.(Is that
> correct?)Certainly it is common for a horse to come out of the trailer
> with hs head lowered and blowing several times.Comments?
>

HI Ray,

I think it depends totally on how much room the horse has to manuver....I
have an aluminum stock trailer set up like a slant (the tack wall is a
slant), and I just throw the horses in without dividers.  They certainly
could drop their heads enough to sneeze (you should see all the horse snot
on the wall).  They are snapped to very loose bungee ties.

What prevents them from lowering heads are straight load bumper pull
trailers with mangers.....

Karen