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[RC] traveling - Roger's question - Laura HayesActually, if I had read your next post, I could have responded with the one about acclimating, because I have not really had trouble acclimating that was not related to traveling except for the feet on the RC horses. I like your plan. My problem has been bringing horses home who were not broke - some who were not even socialized, so it precluded stopping and letting them out. Actually we did pretty well with it, but it was not the method of choice. Cia and I are trailering out to PAC (2700+ miles-leaving Sunday!) and are going no more than 400 miles a day, then stopping for the evening and night. We are taking her horse, Wave, of course, and also my good old traveler, Music, to keep him company. When we stop we will go out for a ride, then let the horses relax for 12 hours or more. It makes for a long trip in days spent, but we want Wave to be at his best. I agree with you not to hire a shipper. I think there is no substitute for doing it yourself so you KNOW it is done right. One note, I always put a small bucket of water in the slant with the horse (unless I am traveling with Libby Llop, who is very diligent about offering water at stops, and provides one more person to do 'chores') and then he has the option to wet his whistle. You spill some, but so what....On the trip home from Colorado last spring, my husband and I tried to mastermind a device that would store and offer water to a horse in a trailer automatically without spilling or being dangerous. Maybe you'll see it on the market some day! I also bed the stall deep with shavings, hay and/or straw. It absorbs any sweat, urine or wet poop, and it provides the horse the option to rearrange his footing to suit himself. I think it provides protection against vibration also. As I mentioned in my other post, I don't tie in the slants, so they can put their noses down and blow them out if they need to. Some trailers have storage under the horses heads, I would rather not have a trailer with storage so the horses can put their heads down. I am no expert....so take all this with a grain of salt!! I have talked to my husband about him becoming a shipper when he retires from vet practice - he loves to drive and could certainly take care of horses! He has that stupid big truck too!!! Laura Hayes AERC#2741 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= http://www.endurance.net/ads/seabiscuit.html Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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