Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Horses can get into trouble in any trailer, no matter how careful you are and how safe you think it is.  We have a Sooner 3H slant load LQ trailer. Several years ago we drove from Massachusetts to Ohio two pick up two new horses.  The were about 2 hours apart, we picked up the first one (a 4 y.o. Arab gelding), loaded him in the front stall of the 3H slant, so he was all the way to the front.  It was about a 2 hour drive to get the second horse, we had a full tank of gas and it was a short trip, so there was no reason to stop to check on him.  He loaded uneventfully, and we did put a sheet on him and wrap his legs, he was attached to a trailer tie and he was in with the standard slant load bars.  Well, we arrrive at our destination, we were talking to the seller of the second horse and decided to open the drop downs so the other horse could stick his head out.  Well, Hubby climbs up and, voila, no horse in the stall.  He panicked.  Went to the next stall in line.  No horse.  He ran around to the other side of the trailer and opened the drop down.  The horse was in the last stall facing the wrong direction.

The trailer ties we have will release with pressure on them so if a horse goes down in the trailer, they won't be haning by them.  This horse had gotten the trailer tie to release, he limboed under the divider (he is 15.2), not just the first one, but the second divider and had done a 180 in the trailer.  Thank goodness for the sheet.  It was ripped over his topline, but he only had a minor scratch.

I consider this trailer to be very safe and well designed.  But when you have a horse determined to do something, they can figure out a way to hurt themselves. 

Carolyn Burgess

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [RC] not just mangers...
From: Michelle Aquilino <michelle.antoinette@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, April 19, 2009 8:02 am
To: ridecamp <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Sorry, I was at foxcatcher and a bit behind on RC...  =)  I see that this was sort of already brought up, but without an actual story.  in response to the comment that a chest bar is different from a manger, because of the wall...  horses can get themselves into all sorts of a mess, it doesn't matter whether there is a "reason" or explanation for the act.  We have no idea how or why this horse would get it's legs over the chest bar, but he DID, he COULD, and that's all that matters.  Are there ways for a horse to get stuck in such a way in a slant load?  The only thing I have worried about (in regards to leaving her untied while traveling, as some suggest), is her getting under the divider somehow, but I think this would be difficult...  so maybe simply overreaching under it (to get to some hay or something) and not being in a good condition to respond to changing road conditions or turns.  I've been really interested to try one of those trailer cams, just merely for the curiosity of seeing how she's doing, how she reacts to different things on the road.  I think it would give me a greater appreciation for the stress of the travel (even though I try to drive really carefully in general, some highways are freaky bumpy, I'd have to go at a slow enough speed I'd probably get pulled over for, in order to avoid all those bumps =(  ).

On Sun, Apr 19, 2009 at 8:42 AM, Michelle Aquilino <michelle.antoinette@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I purposely got a trailer withOUT mangers, because of what I heard about horses getting stuck up there.  ...
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"Don't breed or buy while shelter animals die"

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"Don't breed or buy while shelter animals die"

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