Re: Tying in Trailers

["Cathy Adair" <cadair@prodigy.net>]

Alright I can't resist this one. Here's several viewpoints about the
subject all from one person... But wait, I am not trying to start the
trailer wreck horror thread, so don't take this out of context, okay?

I used to have a 2 horse trailer. About 15 yrs ago, on our way home from
the high country, my husband hit a deep pothole. The resulting jar sheared
bolts in the hitch (ok, I suspect some shearing had already taken place but
he disagrees so we will leave it at that) and 1/4 mi down the highway our
trailer passed us. It flipped end over end and ended in an irrigation ditch
right side up facing the opposite direction at a tilt. In the trailer was
my Arab and his QH gelding. Tied. With water coming in...

As we pulled the truck over I heard a banging so I knew one horse was
alive. The Arab backed out over the intact rear doors as I reached the
trailer. I do not know how he got untied but I was grateful he did. His
side of the trailer was tilted - the escape door and the feed door were
under water. He got out by standing on the QH so the top of the rear door
was just a couple steps away. The bank of the irrigation ditch was right
there behind him. Piece of cake. We opened the other door and climbed in to
release the QH who was quiet because he was unconscious. A neighbor came
by, brought his tractor and towed the trailer out of the ditch. The rear
door was still open, the now untied QH's body slowly slid out of the
trailer and into the ditch. To our amazement, he woke up in the water and
began to graze along the ditch. 

They were fine. The trailer was an older one and heavy as could be and with
some welding, it was fine too. The horses spent the night at our neighbors
and he hauled them home in the stock trailer. Yes, they climbed right in.
The vet checked them out and said they didn't look like they had been in a
wreck, just a pasture argument - scratches and scrapes. Yes, we were all
lucky. 

Now I haul with a slant load stock trailer. When I haul only one horse,
depending on which horse, I either tie or leave loose. One horse rocks and
twirls. Tied. One horse used to sweat and tremble and seemed happier loose.
I leave her loose unless we bring company. Two others are always tied
because they like to play hide and seek when they are loose. There's
nothing more irritating then trying to convince a playful horse to be
caught in (of all things) a stock trailer... I would like to haul them
loose but on the other hand, maybe not. If I haul a long distances, they
are offered hay in a hay bag. I dampen the hay too. 

Surely I am not the only one who ties some and not ties others? Or am I?

Cathy