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New User
Posts: 2
| Ok, I have a really dumb question... I have always had a horse trailer with rubber mats to haul my horses in...this weekend we are going to be using my SO aluminum stock trailer with skid resistant aluminum floor...should I put shavings down? And do you tie them? |
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Expert
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Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Yes and Yes.... Do these horses have shoes?? If so, put down alot of shavings, steel shoes on that aluminum floor will be like skating on ice.... Metal against metal tends to be very slippery, specially when it gets wet. Best to go ahead and invest in some mats. You got a Tractor Supply store nearby?? http://www.tractorsupply.com/equine/horse-stalls-accessories/rubber-matting/royal-mat-rubber-horse-stall-mat-4-ft-x-6-ft--2219003 |
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New User
Posts: 2
| Yep he has shoes...not an option to get the mats...so you would put shavings?? |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Originally written by ctra2011 on 2011-01-26 2:25 PM
Yep he has shoes...not an option to get the mats...so you would put shavings?? You got to use shavings or mats.... You can't expect that horse to be in one piece by the time you get to where you're going with shoes on that bare aluminum floor..... Just because someone told you that it has a "skid resistant aluminum floor" doesn't mean a horse with shoes can stand on it. he probably can't even walk on it standing still...... All it means is it has those little ripples in it so you might not slide down. Ever seen a load of cattle or hogs sliding a falling on those skid resistant aluminum floors? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth | My trailer has that sprayed on Rhinoliner, BUT...I still use trailer mats. I myself, would not haul horses on that surfaced without mats. It's slick when it gets wet.
I would use shaving or pellets (water them down first) over the mats.
My horses are tied...because I took down the divider. Other wise, I do not tie in the trailer. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth | Originally written by ctra2011 on 2011-01-26 1:25 PM
Yep he has shoes...not an option to get the mats...so you would put shavings??
IMHO...you're risking an accident by not using at mats. Why are mats not an option?
IMO..That flooring is NOT meant to be used with out mats.
I would bed the trailer deep in shaving to help your horse with his balance!
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Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain... | As a person that has used many trailers with and without mats, no, not with shoes. You'll need to put shavings down and pretty deep so that the shoes aren't in contact with the aluminum. The shoes will skid all over the "non skid" aluminum. If the horse was barefoot, it would depend on the distance you were going. Safer bet is with bedding. As far as the floor not mean to be used without mats, the vast majority of stock trailers used in this country don't have mats in them, unless they are primarily used for horses. I move mares and babies all the time in a 24' stock trailer with no mats, untied. It's amazing how you can tie a horse in a large area to have them scramble, yet turn them loose and have no scramble. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 781
Location: La Cygne, KS | A vet bill is going to cost a lot more than buying some mats and shavings. Even if you buy just a few for the area the horse will be standing is better than none at all. If you have to stop fast, that horse will skid across the floor. I wouldn't care if the mats are worth more than horse, your horse is trusting you to provide a safe ride. And if the horse gets even slightly injured without you even knowing it, it may be diffult to haul it in the future. Last year my friend's mares were injured in a matless wood floor stock trailer. She was unable to ride from the scrapes and cuts when she got to the trail head. And the mares were not tied. Each was in it's own section divided by a middle gate. Better to do things right and safe, then learn the hard way. |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | Absolutely bed deep with shavings. Those shoes will be like skates on greased glass. Nothing against shoes, or metal floors, but the two together, with weight, movement, and moisture....= really disastrous results. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
Location: northeast Texas | Also those rubber mats dissipate road heat and vibration. I wouldn't haul on a wood floor without them either. Its more than just the flooring being slick. Go find a bumpy rough dirt road, stand up in the bed of the truck and lean against the cab and have someone drive (slow enough to be safe) down the road and see how bad your shins will hurt. Thats from road vibration. Its the same as working a horse on a hard surface. Its hard on the leg tendons and joints. Bedding deep with several bags of shavings will work if the trailer isnt slatted all the way down to where they would blow really bad. |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | Shavings,sawdust or straw..all are good bedding options for a horse trailer. I have never watered down sawdust/shavings and yet they horses haven't gone blind or are wheezing. |
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Aluminum floor when hauling horses
