This may seem like a dumb question, but were going to be making a 14 hr trip with my 4 horses in my slant load. my horse trailer has no windows just the little rows infront of them

 thats my trailer..

i plan on having hay bags, but how am i supposed to water them!?

I dont really feel like crawling under them to put water infront of them, and i dont think i could find anything small enough to hold any water for them that will fit thru the slats.. :/ heeeelp!!

Most horses won't drink while traveling. I've wet my hay down... kinda makes a mess in the hay bag though. We've gone 12 hours without them accepting water at rest stops and I have mangers to set a bucket in, they just look at me like "I thought this was the feed bucket?".

I give electolytes several days before a long trip so I know that they have plenty of fluids in them (electolytes will usually increase water intake). And then I offer them fresh water as soon as we get them settled into camp etc.

Keep in mind that some horses are very picky about a new locations water smell/taste and will not drink right away. My horses don't have that problem, but my friends horse does so she just brings 2-five gallon containers and slowly transistions the water to the new water source.

Does your stock trailer have mats? If not, it would be wise to invest in some and also also straw, shavings or other soft absorbant bedding. You'd be surprised at how much heat is transferred from the tires to under the trailer floor. Fly masks would be a good idea too with stock sides or drop down windows.

Are you headed to some where fun? :)

We water them good the day before with plenty of salt in the feed and Aloe Vera juice. Horses don't come off trailer until we reach our destination. We offer water at 6 hours into trip, most of the time they won't drink, just want to play and blow bubbles. We keep the hay damp and keep the bags in front of them the whole trip. Evey minute your goofing around with the horses wandering around out of the trailer is a minute you could be rolling to your destination.... Right, wrong or indifferent, that's the way we do it. Never had a sick, stocked up, lame, ill, etc. horse in 40 years of hauling/traveling. We have never hauled over 20 hours before.... Anything much over that and I would overnight at a "horse motel" and split the trip into two days.

PS... Be sure your trailer tires, brakes and wheel bearing are up to the task.

Each of my 2 horses has gone for a 9 hour trip without unloading until reaching our destination with no problems.  I`ve offered water in a bucket when I`m stopping for my rest stops which sometimes is accepted, sometimes not. 

I carry molasses to add to water to tempt them to drink.  Also it`s good to add to "strange" water at your destination if your horses are fussy about the new smell/taste.  In addition to being delicious, molasses is a natural electrolyte so it`s good for them too!

If they`re peeing there`s a good chance that they`re hydrated as what goes in must come out!

Go buy a bag of beetplup and start adding it to your horses feed a few days before.  We use it everyday now since it gets so hot down here.  We have a supplement bucket with a lid that snaps down we use.  I put a half of bucket of beetplup and add water to just about cover the plup and let it set an hour and it expands to fill the bucket and we just feed 1 cup to every horse on a daily basis.  I bucket last us 3 days feeding 13 horses and 3 donkeys.

Really helps keeps then hydrated.

Don't forget your flymask, on a trip that long your horses eyes will really like you for it.

I have hung buckets in my trailer with water in them while travelling... each horse gets a hay bag and water bucket.  You could do that and then with each stop peek in thru the holes to see if they need more water.  If so, then put a hose in and fill..

northernmom,

How do you get the molasses to mix in with the water.  Isn't it really thick?

Yes molasses is quite thick, but I`ve never had a problem.  You`d want to stir it up abit but it should have no problem dissolving. 

Also tossing a few pieces of apples and or carrots into the water bucket might peak their interest in getting their noses into the bucket!