Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff
First, comparing open trailers with closed trailers:
On the one hand, living where we do (Alabama Gulf Coast), temps & humidity
both stay in the 90s from May through September, and really really cold
weather here is 40 in January. We won't travel much during cold weather
anyway, in which case we can blanket the horses, and of course not load
them wet (which we wouldn't do anyway). It seems that the closed trailers
with small pop-out windows would be furnace ovens during the summer, and
there's no way to make the horse cooler inside a hot trailer (especially
when stopped on the side of the road to change a flat, for example, or
passing inspection at a weigh station). So open is better!?
On the other hand, when it does get cold here, it's a very damp cold since
we're on the coast. Wouldn't the damp cold air blowing over the horses
heads when driving in cold weather be very bad for them, even if they are
blanketed? We are looking now at a slant-load that is open about 18"
along the sides on the top edge (head-height for the horses), has open
gate-type doors in the back, and is closed on the front and roof. Would
putting a plywood cover across the back doors during cold weather reduce
the draft enough to make it comfortable for the horses, or is even that
not necessary?
How well do horses handle the temperature & wind extremes of trailering?
Second, so far all the used trailers we've looked at have wood plank
flooring. Should we put rubber mats or something similar over the wood
planks? Are there any cheap alternatives that are also good?
As always, any and all advice greatly appreciated!
Glenda & Lakota
Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff