Posted 2016-03-27 11:31 AM (#166579) Subject: New Trailer
Member
Posts: 14
Location: BARTLESVILLE, OK
Last Saturday I bought my very first trailer, a CM Dakota 2016 2 horse slant load 14 feet long. My Chevy Avalanche doesn't have any problems towing it. I do have a couple of question, what type of trailer ties do you recommend. I have heard that the Velcro Tie Safe Ties are a good safe option for the simple fact that if the horse panic that it just comes apart? Any experience with those. And halters - nylon or leather? I am thinking leather is that a good choice? I am sure I will have other questions, I am totally new to towing and trailering. Thank youBrandi
Posted 2016-03-27 2:00 PM (#166582 - in reply to #166579) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Regular
Posts: 78
I use rope halters because they're easy to adjust for each horse and less likely to break if one sets back. When I tie them to the trailer and walk away, I want them to still be there when I come back. I don't tie my horses in the trailer, but a lot of people do--it's a personal choice and there are reasons for either choice. Just be sure to have the butt bar or divider closed before you tie and then untie before opening the stall so that they don't try to back out while they're tied.
Posted 2016-03-27 2:21 PM (#166583 - in reply to #166579) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350 Location: Penrose, Colorado
why would you want to teach a horse that if he (panics) he will be free, once done it can become a real problem and hard to correct, nylon rope halters and leads and they will be where they should be and not running down the Interstate.
Posted 2016-03-27 3:27 PM (#166584 - in reply to #166582) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Member
Posts: 14
Location: BARTLESVILLE, OK
Originally written by Three 4 Luck on 2016-03-27 2:00 PM
I use rope halters because they're easy to adjust for each horse and less likely to break if one sets back. When I tie them to the trailer and walk away, I want them to still be there when I come back. I don't tie my horses in the trailer, but a lot of people do--it's a personal choice and there are reasons for either choice. Just be sure to have the butt bar or divider closed before you tie and then untie before opening the stall so that they don't try to back out while they're tied.
I am not real sure if I understand what your saying... I heard that you aren't suppose to use rope halters because they can get really tight if a horse were to pull back. When you say tie are saying tie using a lead rope or a trailer tie? And the horse that will likely be hauled will be in the slant using the divider...
Posted 2016-03-27 5:26 PM (#166586 - in reply to #166579) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350 Location: Penrose, Colorado
if you use a rope halter correctly it will not tighten on the horse, if I tie a horse in a slant stall it is with the lead rope. This is a personal thing but any metal hardware on a halter can and will break, that is why I use a rope type halter and if they are in good shape with no cuts I do not think there is a horse in the world that can break one. It is up to the person to tie or not when hauling down the road some horse need it and others do not.
Posted 2016-03-28 7:36 PM (#166598 - in reply to #166579) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
I use leather halters when possible, then nylon halters and last rope halters. I also use trailer ties, the kind that have a bull snap on one end with a quick release on the other. In a slant load you'll need the longer ties, you ideally want the horse to be able to drop their head and clear the congestion from their lungs. By drop, I mean head level along the topline, not eating off the floor or biting their neighbors (pun intended.) Teaching a horse to stand quietly while opening the divider, then snapping on the leadrope and lastly unsnapping the trailer tie can take some horses longer than others. If you don't teach them to wait for the leadrope then you'll be making monsters that hear the divider open and start pushing. Teaching a horse to wait can be the best thing you EVER teach them, for your safety and theirs. If the horse is loaded in the last slant then I will get them ready BEFORE I open the door because I HATE the feeling of having to slip along them inside the last stall (only if there is a rear tack) to undo the tie and put on the leadrope. You should put your smallest horse in the last slant stall that is also your best hauler, in that order. Teaching a horse that they can set-back and break halters/leadropes is very dangerous...you are walking a fine line with the Velcro ties IMHO. It can be one of the most dangerous habits to have and to break. My opinions are from my experiences and a few that I'd like to forget! If you need more help you can always just swing by the Tulsa Fairgrounds and see what the experienced haulers are doing.
Posted 2016-03-29 5:54 AM (#166600 - in reply to #166579) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Regular
Posts: 56 Location: Belchertown MA
We usually don't tie them in our slant load , we have mangers and the dividers go back far enough they can't get to each other and play. We also leave the lead ropes on them looped around their neck and when we get where we are going open door , drop butt bar and tell them to back out which they do slowly, grab the lead rope and good to go. Of course ours were taught to load and unload carefully and slowly, have to spend a lot of time with some but is well worth the end result. When we do tie them we have clips that will break if they pull hard enough as one time I thought my wife unhooked one and hadn't so when he got to end of tie his back legs started going under back of trailer but luckily the clip broke and he got himself up and was fine so now we usually don't tie. In our stock trailer we just tie with the lead ropes so they don'y play with each other but again they just stand there until we untie and tell them to back out.
Posted 2016-03-29 6:36 AM (#166602 - in reply to #166600) Subject: RE: New Trailer
Member
Posts: 14
Location: BARTLESVILLE, OK
We had a trailer loading session Saturday, and I had them just put their 2 feet in first waited a minute then backed off I repeated that a few times. Then I had them get all the way on. And backed them off, letting them take their time, and letting them feel for the drop off. With Chief my older horse, I did get him in the slant and I was able to close the slant, he was very quite. And I didn't let him move until I was at his head and was able to back him off myself. I don't want him to rush out when he hears the divider. With Scout my youngest did the same thing, but he didn't want to move over in the trailer enough to get into the slant position....and that's ok. I am not going to rush him. I want to get leather halters, but I have thought about using tie ring blockers. Anybody use those in their trailers?
New Trailer
