Posted 2006-07-23 10:45 AM (#45265) Subject: One horse in a two horse slant
Member
Posts: 30 Location: High Point Pennsylvania
I have a two horse slant and have been contemplating just tying back the divider and giving my mare more room when hauling. Anyone do this? Or should I just take out the divider and give her all the room? I'd still tie her but am wondering if that would open up a new can of worms by giving her room to pull back against the tie?? She hauls fine with the divider closed but I notice that she always has slight dirty marks on her hindquarters from the divider and the back wall so I'm thinking that she might appreciate a little more room.... Pros & cons please!
Posted 2006-07-23 11:09 AM (#45267 - in reply to #45265) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
If she arrives at the destination not acting stressed but just with a bit of butt dirt, she is probably just leaning on the wall, which is no big deal. If she basically is a good hauler you can hook the divider open and give her more room. I suspect your slant in a 7' W.
Posted 2006-07-23 11:09 AM (#45268 - in reply to #45265) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
If she arrives at the destination not acting stressed but just with a bit of butt dirt, she is probably just leaning on the wall, which is no big deal. If she basically is a good hauler you can hook the divider open and give her more room. I suspect your slant in a 7' W.
Posted 2006-07-23 1:30 PM (#45276 - in reply to #45265) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Veteran
Posts: 209 Location: pensacola, fl
Your mare may even appreciate the wall for balance. I agree. If she doesn't seem stressed or hesitate to load she may be using the wall to lean on for balance.
Don't you wish we could read thier minds??(Well, sometimes)
Posted 2006-07-23 4:33 PM (#45279 - in reply to #45265) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
I've actually ridden in the back of the trailer with a horse, and I found that they will actually lean on the divider and sort of use it as "brace" if you will. I will use a roller coaster as a comparison. I REFUSE to ride a roller coaster if I'm going to be the only one in the car. Without having a person on one side for support and the side of the car for support on the other side, your happy little butt will slide all over that seat when the curves come up. The same is true for horses in a trailer. They will use the dividers to brace themselves against on the turns. Without a divider on one side, their body has the ability to move further and perhaps throw them off balance. When I travel roads I'm familiar with and it is hot, I'll sometimes keep one divider open and allow my horse more room. But if I know my route will have significant curves and stop & go's, I'll close the divider.
Posted 2006-07-23 5:27 PM (#45280 - in reply to #45267) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Member
Posts: 30 Location: High Point Pennsylvania
The trailer is a 7' wide and she is 16 hands but pretty short backed so she seems to fit well and have enough room. Maybe I am just so used to my old straight load that had just oodles of room.
Posted 2006-07-24 9:08 AM (#45311 - in reply to #45265) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Elite Veteran
Posts: 824 Location: Kansas
I usually run with just one horse, a mare who is not short-backed and seems pretty cramped in my 2H slant trailer, so I generally let her have the run of it. She appears to be happier this way where she can shift her hindquarters around some. Ideally I would get her a new trailer, but it's that stupid mortgage and grocery thing we have going.
Posted 2006-07-24 10:54 AM (#45314 - in reply to #45265) Subject: RE: One horse in a two horse slant
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560 Location: Mena, AR
In my 2 horse slant stock combo BP the first stall is too short so I go without the divider. The divider is really easy to get in & out. It seems funny to me the way they did it. There is lots of room in the trailer, but they made the angle on the first stall way to short. If they had just put it back another three inches or so, it would be great. The rear stall has all kinds of room in it. If your mare has room to relax her neck, I'd leave the divider in, if she's a little cramped up, I'd take it out.
Someday I'd like to have the divider made longer so it can make more room for the first stall.
One horse in a two horse slant
