Posted 2009-10-30 10:39 PM (#112625) Subject: A/C for horses
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Richland, WA
Does anyone have a trailer with a A/C unit for the horse area? I live in a hot area, and my horses tend to get sweat. I had (for the first time) a horse over heat and mildly colic from traveling a few weeks back. So I've been trying to brain storm some options. I owne a Sundowner 777 straight load and it has small sliding windows on the escape doors and slider windows along the sides, and of course the roof vents. So I was thinking if I had a A/C unit, I could close up the windows and make it a quieter environment along with control the temperature. I wouldn't want the horses getting too cool (of course) but some cooler air blowing on them might help them be more comfortable and less stressed from the lack of sounds of passing semi's and cars etc.
Anyone have a A/C unit and if so, can it be used while in transport? Can you give me details on how you use it and how you like it etc?
Posted 2009-10-31 7:37 AM (#112628 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Most roof air conditioners require at least 13 amps of 110 ac power to operate. Unless you're prepared to run a generator while en route, it will be difficult to obtain the necessary amount of electricity from other sources.
Posted 2009-10-31 8:34 AM (#112632 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Member
Posts: 29 Location: Aiken, SC
Assuming you are currently riding with all four windows open fully and the roof vents opened forward to force air down on your horses. There are several ways in addition to adding fans to help cool trailers down. You can ride with the tail curtains open. If that is not an option you can add windows in your current tail curtains. You can line and insulate the horse compartment. Just remember when you line and insulate your trailer; in the winter time it will hold the heat in just as well as it holds the heat out in the summer so you wil need to keep the roof vents open backwards as well as a window or two cracked to let the heat generated from the horses to escape. You can add drop feed doors to the two escape doors. You can paint the roof white there are several materials that work quite well avaiable now talk to your local horse trailer dealer. I just think by adding an a/c you are opening a new can of worms. The sudden change in temperature from a nice cold trailer to high summer temperature can cause the same problem you are trying to avoid. And you can do all of these things mentioned for less money than adding a 13,500 BTU a/c and generator that will run it and fuel. Just my 2 cents.
Posted 2009-10-31 8:44 AM (#112634 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
....... Wonder how many BTU's of A/C it would take to keep two, 1000# horses cool in a 14', two horse, uninsulated trailer in say,,,, 95 degree heat. Maybe bring the inside trailer temperature down to 80 degrees... Remember, you already got 2000# of meat that radiating about 100+ degrees of heat and alot of humidity!!
Posted 2009-10-31 9:28 AM (#112640 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Elite Veteran
Posts: 795 Location: Tenn/Ala.
I can't add a lot here- but have been through this enough to know that there are several kinds of heat or situations to deal with. As Retento said- realize a horse is like a 1,000# furnace, so we need to get that heat away from him, and to top it off we may have heat trying to come in. Otherwise- there is heat that is an issue while sitting still, and then moving. White on the roof and roof lining/insulation are very helpful while the trailer is sitting still. Once it is moving, their benefits are negligible. (If you don't think so. Touch a trailer roof on a hot day. 120 degrees plus. As soon as you have trailer movement over 30MPH or so, it cools to ambient.) That is when airflow comes to play. You can have roof vents and windows on the front, but if the air cannot exhaust the rear, you'll have nothing but a large cavitation area filled with hot air swirling around. So- make sure there are large openings at the rear of the trailer as there is a large vacuum there anyway. Remember how the rear doors get dirtiest the quickest? On roof vents- I'd suggest you take a ride in your trailer to feel exactly how yours work. Common sense tells us that they should open forward to push air in. On many trailers, especially bumper pulls, the vents are very far forward and there is a turbulent area on the outside of the trailer over the vent. So a vent open forward can be doing virtually nothing. Open the same vent backwards, and it becomes a vacuum sucking air out. Hopefully air that is coming in trough a side or front window, etc. Just my .02$ worth.
Posted 2009-10-31 3:09 PM (#112651 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Member
Posts: 29 Location: Aiken, SC
Retento from what I understand from some of the show cattlemen I've run across; they say having a/c units keeps there stock very cool. Some of them brag about having a 30 degree difference in thier trailer and outside. I just would hate for someone to spend the kind of money it takes to make the a/c work just to find out they created the same problem they were trying to prevent.
RTSmith you are right the white painted roof does help mostly when sitting still. The 30 degre nose on the Sundowner helps to make sure air does flow thru the roof vents when they are opened forward. The 19 X 53 windows in the back are placed so when they are open it helps to move the air out from the roof vents and the windows in the escape doors when the tail curtains are closed.
Posted 2009-10-31 5:36 PM (#112656 - in reply to #112651) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
Originally written by sundownerofaiken on 2009-10-31 3:09 PM
Retento from what I understand from some of the show cattlemen I've run across; they say having a/c units keeps there stock very cool. Some of them brag about having a 30 degree difference in thier trailer and outside.
Some of the Cattlemen around this area, the ones that show(big time), keep their show steers in a cooler. That's right, keep that long hair on them. Us horse people want them slick. Weird huh!
Posted 2009-11-01 6:28 AM (#112666 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
The best horses in the world are hauled everyday without A/C and with the outside noises from traffic ect..... If your horses are having "issues" with being hauled it may be to some other underlying issue. I hate to be the bad guy here but It's really not all that hot in WA. there are horses hauled in the 100+ heat in Texas/NM/Airzona heat every summer without issue. I have ridden in the back of a horse trailer and can verify that there is alot of air movement with the vents open, even at low speeds, this is one reason I won't haul with shavings as I couldn't believe how dusty is was with them flying around. I would try to determine what other issues may be causing your horse to colic/sweat from trailering. Not trying to start a fight, but this years Derby winner was hauled 30 some hours to Louisville in the back of a trailer.
Posted 2009-11-01 5:50 PM (#112683 - in reply to #112658) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Veteran
Posts: 236 Location: Little town in Pa
Tico is right. Removing the screems will grealy increase the air flow, you may want to keep the screen on near the horses face but remove them from the butt side. I was working on my trailer one day and I fireman was talking to me about air flow in a burning building and screens greatly reduce air flow.
Posted 2009-11-04 6:33 PM (#112804 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Veteran
Posts: 192 Location: Hutto, TX
YOu can have zippers added to the velcro in screens as well. My 4 Star is very hot. I insulated, added fans, and open the screens. Helps a lot, and this is in Texas.
Posted 2009-11-04 8:52 PM (#112808 - in reply to #112625) Subject: RE: A/C for horses
Member
Posts: 22
we can and have installed vents and ac's nuera transport is where we buy allot of our products for our trailers and they do have ac units with or without heat strips.http://www.nuera-transport.com/en/transport/
A/C for horses
