Re: slant load stress

["(Joyce DeVries)" <jdevr@mail.dave-world.net>]

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> From: susan <smw@sos.net>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Re: slant load stress
> Date: Tuesday, June 16, 1998 12:04 AM
> 
> I own a 3 horse slant load.  It is my third (and final!) horse trailer.
> I had a two horse straight load prior to this and a three horse straight
> load (very rare!).  I will not haul in a straight load again unless it
> is absolutely necessary.  My horse is hauled a minimum of once a week
> and we average over two thousand miles a year on the road.  No
> leg/stress problems.  My companions also have slant loads (total of
> eight rigs).  No problems with their horses, either.  We do mounted
> drill work at a fast canter, so if there were stress problems I think
> they would be clearly evident.
> 
> Susan
> 

Okay,

I was going to leave this alone, but I guess I had better put my 2 cents
in.  True, horses that are not hauled LONG distances usually do just fine
in slant load trailers.  It is when you haul around one thousand miles
every month or two that you begin to see muscle soreness.

I do Equine Sports Therapy, which mostly involves massage therapy.  Over
the years I have noticed that horses hauled in slant trailers DO have
shoulder and occasionally hip problems.  It usually does not show up unless
the horses have been hauled for 4 hrs or more, and/or multiple days.  There
was one ride in particular (when I began noticing this) that most everyone
had to travel 4-8 hrs to get to the ride.  I couldn't figure out why all of
these horses were sore in the same shoulder and diagonial hip.  Then I
began to notice that every one of these horses were hauled in a slant load
trailer.  From that day on, I began noting when & where horses who were
hauled in a slant load trailer were sore.  I also did some studies of my
own, since I hauled a lot.  When left free in the trailer to move around, a
horse will always (at least in my many experiences) travel straight
backwards (tail in front of trailer - head facing rear of trailer).  Now
wouldn't you think that the horse is smart enough to figure out what is the
most comfortable and least stressful way to travel???

My advice to those hauling in slant loads is to take out the dividers in
the trailer and let the horse move around freely, or it you have a trailer
full, and/or the horses do not get along well, try putting them in
backwards for 1/2 of the trip.  We have a 3 horse slant, and usually haul 2
horses.  We take the dividers out and tie them, leaving the trailer ties
long enough so that they can at least stand straight forward (which is what
they were doing on their own).  If we are going to haul more than 6-7 hrs,
and/or we stop to let them out to walk around, we will put them in
backwards to alternate the muscle usage.

If I ever get to buy a new trailer, I would prefer to have box stalls
similar to a stock trailer, so that each horse can move about freely and
stand in whatever direction is most comfortable for him.