It really takes alot to get to me, but this one did.  I was home feeding in the rain, the better half called just crying telling me to bring the tractor and get there fast. (I'm thinking she had a wreck or something stupid like normal, with her overreacting)  So I hooked up the trailer, loaded the tractor and went to FM407 and 287 a few miles down the road and could not believe my eyes....  Older Ford pick up, a POS worn out stock trailer (the old kind with wood sides and no top) and behind it a horse lying on the ground.....  (For the first time she was not overreacting!)

The trailer has fresh paint on the floor, NO RUBBER mats, truck crossed the rail road tracks and thats all she wrote, horses leggs came out from under her, broke her hip in 2 place and cut her head open.  The bad thing about it is the peole just bought the horse from a teenager that was following behind to she where her horse was going to be living.  Now you see why this is bothering me so bad, not only for the horse that never had a chance , but for the teenager that had to witness the entire deal along with my better half who was 2 cars behind them trying to get home from work.  She (the better half) unlike most people will not leave any animal of any kind without trying to help.  So while trying to call a vet, trying to call me, and trying to get someone esle to stop and help all while pooring down rain and realizing that the only thing to do is put her down.  The only vet was over 30 mins away and with the horse thrashing and bleeding badly, 1 man that stop to help had a handgun.....     Firemen did know what to do, sheriff was nowhere around the owner in a daze, the better half made the call to put her down NOW, and not left her suffer any longer.....

SO I guess what I am getting too, use caution while hauling in the rain and check your mats or whatever you have on the floor, mats are a really cheap investment if you use stock trailers to haul with.  I have never seen anything like this in person before and pray that I never will again.

Thanks for you time and thoughs for the better half, she has been beating herself up trying to figure out if she could have done something to prevent this.  She followed the people to there house and offer to haul any other horses for them until they could buy a safe trailer....

HTB

This is a very sad story - our thoughts go out to you all.

So unneccisary wasnt it.

I would have done the same as your better half if I had been in her position....strong lady.

My sad note is that my four year old mare was diagnosed with moon blindness in her right eye last night. She is my been there, done that, do everything dream horse. I've roped off her, worked security riding right down the midway of the fair at night with all the noise, people and flashing lights, cut cattle, and started doing Cowboy Mounted Shooting with her this year.

We rode Sunday and she was a little bit jumpy. Monday night noticed her eye was cloudy. Vet was here yesterday and we are treating it aggresively but has probably already lost her sight in the eye. Praying that it doesn't get to the other eye.

Quote, HTB... I guess the worst part of this that I did not mention was the people that just bought the horse said that they are some sort of "rescue" group that just started.

 That had to be a bad deal to have to witness... Not trying to belittle any one rescue group, but some of those folks don't know their a$$ from third base. I know they are trying to help and or do the right thing but some of those folks don't need to be around or handle any thing much bigger than a Pygmy Marmoset. Alot of them don't know and understand large animals and refuse to listen to reason and logic. Sometime it's better when they don't intervene.

How fast did this come about? A matter of days, weeks, ??

Quote... A $40.00 mat may have stopped this....

A .35 cent bullet could have prevented this.... Mean folks out there.

Just heard this on the noon news.... http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/5221969/