Posted 2008-09-19 10:31 AM (#91761) Subject: Leaving drop down windows open
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Portland, Oregon
I'm traveling around Eastern Oregon and see lot's of trailers with the drop down windows down and leaving the metal bars up. In some cases, I've seen both the windows and the metal bars down.
I've been driving with the windows up, but slid open, and the roof vents and rear windows slid to the open position..... it seems like there is lots of air in there... but I'm not a horse.
My horse seems comfortable and is not hot or sweaty during the trip.
what are your thoughts on leaving the drop down windows down while driving on the Hwhy- I'd say a max speed of 60mph
Posted 2008-09-19 11:14 AM (#91764 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736 Location: Western WA
My jailbar screen inside the drop down window also has mesh on it. I'll go down the road with the drop down window down, but only because of the mesh. The jailbars will keep a horse's head inside the trailer, but won't keep debris from flying inside the trailer and potentially hitting my horse's eye.
Posted 2008-09-19 11:39 AM (#91766 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Veteran
Posts: 250 Location: AL
We have drops on the head and butt side and always drop them in the heat of the South. However, we do have screens on the head side to keep anything from coming in. Love the airflow!! Have never had to open my vents except in the cooler temps.
Posted 2008-09-19 11:44 AM (#91767 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I use all variation depending on how hot or cold it is.
Sometimes I open the drops on both Head and Butt side, Sometimes I put the head side up and slide open the sliding windows but leave the butts windows down. As it cools in the fall and winter and I close more of the openings. In the winter when it's much colder, I'll shut all the drops downs and just open enough sliders to not over heat the horses. Depends on the temperature and how wet the horses may be from sweat or being hosed off.
I do have mesh on my jail bars like Headhunter. But even if I didn't, I've never worried about debris flying into a trailer and hurting their eyes. I can't tell you how many Thousands of miles I've driven my cars with my own window open and never had anything come through the window and hit me. I'd be more concerned about swirling wind INSIDE the trailer kcking up hay fines out of the manger or wood shavings off the floor.
If you want to tow with the drop downs open, I see no problem with it.
Posted 2008-09-19 11:48 AM (#91769 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
Slant load.... Roof Vents wide open, drop down windows with screens down, leave the jail bars up. Can never have too much air flow with a trailer full of 101 degree horses on a 90+ degree day.
Head to head..... Roof Vents wide open, sliding windows open, fans on high. Can never have too much air flow with a trailer full of 101 degree horses on a 90+ degree day.
Whether you think it's right or wrong....That's just the way we do it.
Posted 2008-09-19 11:56 AM (#91770 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Member
Posts: 45 Location: Indiana
We have bars on our windows and always travel with the drops down when the weather is warm. We've never had problems with things coming in. If you are worried about debris in their eye such as dusty sawdust you could put fly masks on them to keep that out of their eye. We hose down the shavings before we leave each time in case there is any dust.
I would never travel with the drops on the head side down without screens or window bars in them. Horses hanging their heads out the window is very dangerous.
Posted 2008-09-20 9:19 AM (#91808 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Veteran
Posts: 187 Location: KS
What everyone needs to do is ride in the back up their trailer for a few miles to see how much air is actually coming in. I do this every year just to make sure things are riding OK and that nothing is banging around in the tack compartment. I use just the jail bars in the summer and put fly mask on the horses. I have found that very little air seems to come thru those mesh screens when going down the road especially when stopped at lights.
Posted 2008-09-20 12:57 PM (#91816 - in reply to #91761) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Regular
Posts: 70 Location: Northern, CA
Generally, when working cattle, we use the stock trailer. Horses seem to like the air blowing through all the time. Have no qualms about towing the speed limit with the horses back there. However, when using the LQ, we leave the windows dropped, both sides, all the time (bars and nets), all vents open. Made the mistake (only did it once) of having the windows up and open (it was about 20 degrees out). Unloaded two very sweaty horses a couple of hours later. Something I always need to remind myself is: a horse is a horse, and you shouldn't put people constraints on them. "Warm and cozy", is a people thing.
Posted 2008-09-20 6:41 PM (#91817 - in reply to #91816) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
I travel with windows down, bars up when it is hot, but when it's not really hot I keep the windows up with screens in place. I put a flymask on my horse when I only have the bars up, in case anything flies through the bars.
I did have one concern about bars without screens. I think I brought this up a few years ago too... what if someone through a cigarette out and it flew back in with the horse, into their hay or onto the shavings? Yikes!
Posted 2008-09-21 2:49 PM (#91839 - in reply to #91808) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
I agree with Z71...everyone should ride a couple of miles in their trailer. It's amazing how the air flows in ways you would not expect. Also, you can see how the horses balance and how bad your driver is .
I have a stock sided trailer and I have never had a problem with things flying around or the horses being bothered. If it's really cold out, I blanket but usually only need a light blanket or sheet. Horses need a lot more circulation than we think they do and they handle lower temps much better than we do. We watch the temp in the truck and add or remove blankets/sheets accordingly. I've just about got it down to a science. I leave my drop downs down with the bars up on my two horse. It is a straight load and when I rode in it I was surprised at how the air flowed through it. When riding in the trailer you also hear every rattle the horses have to listen to and you can adjust or fix them.
You can purchase screens for your window bars in almost any catalog if the flying debris worries you.
Posted 2008-09-22 5:32 PM (#91909 - in reply to #91767) Subject: RE: Leaving drop down windows open
Regular
Posts: 92
Originally written by Painted Horse on 2008-09-19 9:44 AM
I've never worried about debris flying into a trailer and hurting their eyes. I can't tell you how many Thousands of miles I've driven my cars with my own window open and never had anything come through the window and hit me. I'd be more concerned about swirling wind INSIDE the trailer kcking up hay fines out of the manger or wood shavings off the floor.
Exactly. Stuff swirls around inside (I prefer not to haul with shavings for that reason) but stuff really does not blow in from outside on the sides of a vehicle. You could have a freak accident where something heavy kicked up or came off of a passing truck, but something like that might poke right through a screen as well. A metal buckle thingie flew off a passing truck once - cracked my windshield and sheared off a windshield wiper - but never, ever, has anything dangerous come in a side window. (Well, except cigarette smoke from people hanging their cigarettes out the window at stop lights, but that's another issue. ;))
I haul with the drops down, bars up. That's what I got the dropdowns for! There are always fly masks if there's concern about stuff swirling into horse eyes. Oh - here's a good one: one mare needs her personal head side drop latched up going down the road because otherwise she can't seem to resist rooting at the bars and giving herself a bloody nose, but she's ... well, she's unique, LOL! Just another one of those things that horses can do to themselves - but because my friend's goofy mare does this doesn't mean that everybody needs to haul with head side the dropdowns up. :)
Leaving drop down windows open
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