There is an article in the latest Western Horseman about scramblers.  I had an old mare that would do it in a straight load 2 horse trailer. I started hauling her in a stock trailer and let her turn backwards and she rode with no problems.

NEVER DO THIS!! IMO, horse people who do this have no right own horses. It is very cruel and dangerous. Not only can they lose an eye from debris. It can kill them if their head were to get hit by a tree or passing truck. Your horse is a scrambler. What if she is scrambling a loses her balance with her head sticking out the window? A big gash under her throat? Break her neck? I know these are extremes, but it is possible. I would never put an animal I love in that situation. Those other people who seem to never have any problems with it is because it hasn't happened yet. Sorry my post sounds so harsh, but it really gets my blood going when I see this.

I had a horse try to jump out an open drop down feed window on my Featherlite - and have the dents around the window to prove it .  We were loading, not hauling, but still it was scary!  I would never leave the drop down open, especially for a horse that is claustrophobic in the trailer.

Could an electrical short cause the horse to be shocked by the trailer?  I thought I read about that somewhere, but I'm not sure if it's possible...  Anyway, might be something to check (brakes, blinkers, etc).

One of my best trail riding horses paws in my nice enclosed trailer (but not in the junky open stock trailer).  He knocks the trailer around.  I sympathize with you, because it definitely raises my stress level to haul him anywhere.  I can't put in a feed manger because he gets his hoof caught and then destroys it getting himself loose (and this is a manger set nice and high).  Doesn't matter if he's hauled in the nice trailer loose or enclosed, he just doesn't appreciate it.

Happy Trails,

Michelle

Thanks for all the input.  I agree I don't want to haul with window wide open, scares me way to bad and I am sure people have had serious accidents.  I have checked for wasps or bees, nothing.  I did not think of a electrical short, but wouldn't the other horse feel that too.  He was fine and never was even bothered that she was scrambling.  I have run it all over and over in my mind and the only thing I can come up with is that the other horse did urinate in the trailer and I have not been using shavings or anything over the mats for bedding.  She never urinates in the trailer and most of the other horses we haul with don't either.  I am thinking it made the floor slippery and she could not keep her footing.  I cleaned it out when we got the destination and noticed he went and that with the hay on top it was slippery.  When we got home I was more concerned about her than cleaning so I did not pay attention.  When I went to clean it I noticed he did go again and the alfalfa that the lady fed him was very dusty and seemed to cause it to be even more slippery.  Do you think he might have been crowding her at all since he does ride with his head out his back legs would be spread closer to her than if he were all the way back and then would have to stand slanted so they would not interfere?  I need to give her a break and try and heal before hauling her again, but I am going to see in a short trip what she does.  I have a 2000 Sooner with mats up the walls and covers the whole floor and I always thought they were skid proof, but if wet I would think it could cause a problem.  Does everyone use shavings or nothing at all?  If she continues I am going to put them down and see what else I could do to help her brace herself.  I also thought it might have been weird for her cause I had just put up padding on the divider (don't know why Sooner did not), but she has been in trailers with padding so I would not think they would bother her.  Plus she started to do it half way thru the trip. The padding is just like most of the slant loads and is very secure with no exposed bolts or screws for her to get hurt on.  My husband hung them so they are hanging from the divider and nothing goes all the way through them.  Any thoughts?

Thanks!!!

It sounds like you hit the nail on this one regarding the gelding peeing in the stall next to her and making things slick especially when you mention it started about halfway through the trip, usually when they go potty. I haul with shavings in the horse area for this reason, plus it absorbs the urine when they go and doesn't splash up on their legs. The smell may have been bothering your mare if she was/is in heat at the time. Mares are mares no less, I can relate to their moodiness and unpredictable nature. Hopefully next time you haul her she won't have bad memories. I would definately put some shavings down, some on here will disagree. You need to rule out the problem one thing at a time.

Good luck to you and your mare!

As suggested, the latest Western Horseman article on scramblers is excellent! Worth a look!

Brenda

Thanks for all the advice.  I got the Western Horseman article and it had some great suggestions...thank you!!!  I have an update!

Last weekend I finally put her back in the trailer in the last stall so she would have room to spread out if that was the reason.  I did not tie her cause the article said to give them freedom and said the wall could cause some problems.  I drove her about 45 min away and NO problems.  She drove home great and then I put her in the first stall against the wall to see what she would do and pulled down the street and she scrambled, ripped off a boot and scraped her leg in 2 minutes.  I could not believe that it made such a difference to be in the 2nd stall.  Now I can't haul her in my two horse with some friends cause they say their horses won't fit up there.  I am not sure if other people have horses that won't fit width ways in a slant load, but she has not even tried it so I will have to convince my friend to give it a try (16.2 Dutch Warmblood).  I thought about giving her the option of us taking out the divider and using it like a stock trailer, but with mine scrambling and her big horse it might not be a good thing....any thoughts?

Thanks!

Glad that you are successful in sorting this out. I was thinking that (1) the gelding splashed her when he peed and (2) the smell could have set her off.

So far as hauling with your friends.... I say take the time NOW to get your mare relaxed again about hauling. It may mean that everyone hauls in their own rigs for a summer ... but I think you need to consider the long term - whether you plan on keeping the mare or sell her - you sure don't want her all gouged up from scrambling nor do you want to hide that she has a problem.

Once she settles - you can probably take the dividers out and haul like a stock trailer. That's one thing I wish they would do in the enclosed slant trailers, is put sturdy tie rings on the "butt" side so that it is possible to put 2 horses side by side.

And - if you are showing, it isn't possible, but if you're not, you could also consider some calm & cool paste (4 hours before) or quietex powder a few times before hauling. Just to help her get past this.

<<I am not sure if other people have horses that won't fit width ways in a slant load, but she has not even tried it so I will have to convince my friend to give it a try (16.2 Dutch Warmblood). 

My friend has a featherlite 3 horse slant, 7 feet wide, and my 15.3 quarter horse doesn't fit in the first stall.  If I got a slant, I'd have to get the WB slant like 4 Star offers.

Jbsny