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Expert
Posts: 1723
  
Location: michigan | It happens to everyone eventually and this past weekend was my turn..adventures in horse hauling...I finally took my horse home from the trainers. He had been there 6 months and had gone to two shows. Things were working so it was time to bring him home. We loaded him up and off i went for a four hour drive home. I was alone..but I have hauled long distances before solo so it was just a matter for getting going ( plus a fresh Starbucks)...I stopped about 2 hours into it to eat and as I walked back to the trailer I could hear the horse stomping and saw the trailer rocking. I dropped down the window to make sure he wasn't under a divider or otherwise caught on something but he just appeared scared at the noise of a passing motorcycle. So I slammed the window shut,got it and went. Less than 10 miles later, I checked the side mirror and there was the horse,head popped out of the window that apparently didn't shut. As fast as I could, I pulled over to the side of the road ( US HWY 127 and saying don't jump stupid don't jump) and since there was little traffic I could hop out and get that stupid horse back in before he tried to leap out. That was a real possiblity since now he was in a full fledged panic,tearing up the mats, kicking and jumping. There wasn't anything I could do...I wasn't going in there to get the mats away from his feet and I wasn't going to unload him either. I slammed the window shut ( and this time I checked it) and took off. Horses have a hard time kicking and keeping balance at the same time. I finally noticed him settle..we had another 2 hours to go. I figured no more stops just go. But I had to stop for gasoline with 40 miles to go. My concern was the idiot going nuts again. Not to worry the poor critter was tired out. Got home unloaded..no damage to either horse to trailer The next day I loaded and unloaded him. He was ok and so was I. This was the worst trailing incident I have had and hopefully the last.... |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | You done good...!! Hammer down, mash that motor, get them home.....!! They can't cut up be for so long, seems that the more they ride the easier it becomes. P.S. Alway double check those doors and latches and "Circle of Safety" before backing. |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | lesson learned! |
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Veteran
Posts: 213
Location: Virginia | Also check for a wasp/hornet nests before loading. There are pictures (somewhere on the internet) of a horse jumping halfway out the window of a trailer (he had to be cut out the rest of the way) and later investigation found a large nest of angry bees that was stinging the horse. (Kinda harsh to call the horse 'stupid' IMHO) |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | No- this horse can be stupid. I doubt his feelings were hurt.... |
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Member
Posts: 31
Location: Mt.Carroll,IL | I too have had three of those "Holy Crap" moments when hauling horses...The first one was when my late older sister and I were going to the one of the local state parks to ride....We couldn't figure out why her gelding was in such a hurry to get out of the trailer when we got there and when we got back home later in the day....We even sprayed the inside of the trailer for flies cuz we thought that was what was bugging him...When we got home and unloaded and after doing some investigating when found a fairly good sized wasp nest in the trailer....I now check for any BEFORE even loading a horse... The second time was about when I was hauling my half Arab Pinto mare to the trainers about 5 years ago....She had never been hauled, except when she was foal when I was re-breeding her dam, and had never been hauled alone....I always haul the horse in the middle stall of my 3 horse trailer and never thought she would move the divider in the trailer...Well, she was fine when I stopped to check her, but by the time we got to the trainers, which was 20 miles away, she had gone down and when she got back up she had moved the front divider up out of its holding spot...She was fine but a nervous wreck... The third time was about 2 years ago...Went down to southern IL to pick up a horse for a friend...He loaded fine and off we went...After we had been on the road for about an hour and a half we stopped at the first rest area we came too... Got out and checked him and low and behold he had a front foot in the hay bag....Have no idea how long he had been riding like that...Got it out of the hay bag and tied the bag on the left side of his head and alot shorter...Now I stop alot sooner to check horses...Learned my lesson one too many times.... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1871
Location: NY | I would of done the same thing just get home as fast as possible glad you both are OK |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522
Location: Tucumcari NM | Had a similiar situation while hauling a load of pigs to the butcher shop. Got to downtown Clovis NM when I stopped at a traffic light. Checked the mirrors, as always, and was shocked to see a pig's rear protruding from the open escape door! If that animal had escaped before I could slam that door shut I would have driven off and pretended that I had never seen him before! Marla |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | Pig? What pig? |
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Holy crap moment
