Read the post for hauling over 6 hours but I have a few questions of my own..I am going from northern IL to southern IL I figure between a 6-7 hour drive. I will be picking up a horse that a gal is considering buying. I have a 3 horse slant stock side trailer. Do I need to put anything down like sawdust, shavings or straw?? I usually just put the hay that falls out of the haybags on the butt side. The horse is 3 years old and will coming home alone in the trailer, which is the best stall to haul him in?? When I usually haul one horse I put it in the middle stall. Also do I need to put a hay bag in the trailer for him for the ride home?? I have never hauled a horse over 60 miles before, so this is kind of new to me going this far.
Also anyone coming up this way for the 100 mile ride next week?? It is being held in my home town.
Posted 2009-08-31 4:33 AM (#110134 - in reply to #110133) Subject: RE: Trailering
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
I always haul with savings in the trailer. For a 6 hour haul, hang a hay bag. Put it high enough for him to eat and not get a foot in it. You'll be fine in the middle stall. That way if he won't back out, you can always turn him around .
Posted 2009-09-03 8:14 PM (#110260 - in reply to #110133) Subject: RE: Trailering
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Florida
IMO 7 hours in a comfortable trailer on a highway at 65 -70 mph is not a problem. Stop for yourself fuel, bathroom or food, make a visual check of the horse and keep going. We give light amounts hay in the begining and another dose of light hay at a feuling stop. I then carefully unload and allow a roll spot and plenty of fresh water and lots of hay. The reason I say carefully unload is my QH gets a little stiff after 7 hours and he has been known to stumble comming off so I watch out for him. Oh and we use shipping boots. I take them off before I unload.
Posted 2009-09-04 1:09 AM (#110269 - in reply to #110133) Subject: RE: Trailering
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Sedalia, Colorado
Originally written by luvarabs on 2009-08-30 10:45 PM
Read the post for hauling over 6 hours but I have a few questions of my own..I am going from northern IL to southern IL I figure between a 6-7 hour drive.
Most likely less...
I will be picking up a horse that a gal is considering buying. I have a 3 horse slant stock side trailer. Do I need to put anything down like sawdust, shavings or straw??
Rubber mats on floor are adequate, bare wood or alum-onation floors require more...
I usually just put the hay that falls out of the haybags on the butt side. The horse is 3 years old and will coming home alone in the trailer, which is the best stall to haul him in?? When I usually haul one horse I put it in the middle stall.
Depends on the balance of the trailer, #1 or #2 stall, keep 25% weight on goose or tongue.
Also do I need to put a hay bag in the trailer for him for the ride home??
Don't think so, short trip, plus I NEVER feed in trailer... if the trip is long enough to feed a rest stop with unload is best.
I have never hauled a horse over 60 miles before, so this is kind of new to me going this far.
Move west, you'll get used to hauling quick! 50 miles is a quick trip to the 7/11 (conveinience store). Our typical haul is 12 to 16 hrs horses in trailer, often with another 5 to 10 miles ponied to camp (preferably but not always with an overnight rest between), with no duress to our stock.
Are Western raised horses tougher? Probably not, just more accustomed to working for a living.
BTW- I grew up in Ohio, Sunday drive to Grannies house was an expedition at 25 miles. ;)
Posted 2009-09-04 8:28 PM (#110299 - in reply to #110281) Subject: RE: Trailering
Member
Posts: 48 Location: Northern IL
Okay, thought I'd let you all know how our trip went yesterday. I did put a bag of shavings down and wetted it down to cut down on dust. I do have mats in the trailer but they are not very thick so that is why I went with the shavings. I have the hay bags that hang in the corner of the stall and we put one of those in with hay for the ride home. However when we stop after about 40 miles to use the restroom and checked on the horse, he had one foot in the bag. Don't know how long he was riding like that but he looked very calm and wasn't thrashing around or all sweaty from the incident. We got him out of it and took the hay bag down and hung a regular hay bag from the tie ring. Back on the road we went.
The next time we stopped for a gas/potty break, we checked on him again and this time he had his lead rope wrapped around the hay bag. Again he looked really calm and didn't look all "freaked out". So we just took the bag down cuz it didn't look like he had eaten any of it any way.
By the way this horse is only a 3 year old and acts like a 9 nine year old. He is a sweetheart of a horse and think the gal who bought him will be really happy with him. He's a reg. national spotted saddle horse. I told her she made the right choice of buying him.
Thanks for all the suggestions....Each one is/was real helpfull.
Trailering
