We have 2 "pet" horses that we rarely haul except to evacuate from hurricanes.  Both our evacuations were about 6 hours each way and the hotest part of the day was around the mid 90's.  We have been leaving around 3 in the morning to lessen the heat  and traffic stress on the horses, but this is hard on us getting up this early.  One of the horses is 20 years old and is basically healthy, but he sweats badly even with this effort.  He doesn't appear to be at risk, but he does appear to be unhappy.  We purchased a new Calico 2 horse slant with stock sides since we didn't expect to use this very often and didn't have any experience in long distance trailering.  I am looking at buying a new cooler trailer with drop downs so we can water at stops without opening the back or escape door. We also need easy slam latches on the dividers, our horse became very nervous when our pin style latches stuck at our destination.  It took 2 people to get the pin out. We will probably get a 3 horse, because one doesn't load well first  ( when away from home) and likes to have plenty of room when he is second(might be a buddy sour issue).  Has anyone seen a trailer air conditioner that can run for a hour or two if necessary while moving(or stuck in traffic) on the road.  I am in southern Alabama area.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated...

Slat sides (as in a stock trailer) will give you air flow. Putting in an a/c with slat sides would be a waste of money - obviously.

A fiberglass roof with many vents would be cooler than steel or alumn and having the roof insulated against the heat of the sun could help. To run an a/c in the horse area, you would want an enclosed trailer where it could be insulated in the walls too. A roof a/c unit can be installed in the horse area, or electric fans can be installed in the corners of the trailer to run off the truck battery which will be charged while running.

I realize that you live in a very different environment that I do. Much more humid that our dry western heat. I haul from Northern Utah to Southern Colordao and Southern Utah a lot in the summer.  I've been through Moab several times at 110 degrees.

I stop when I can and hose down my horses.The fairground in Moab Utah ( and most others) has a nice wash rack. A good soaking half way through the drive seems to help. I always carry water in the truck or trailer for them to drink when I stop. I also load the horses up with soaked beet plup prior to leaving. They like to eat it and it adds extra water to their gut when they might not drink.

As long as I'm moving I don't worry to much. If traffic gets stopped up and there is no air moving, then I get a little concerned.

I've thought about putting an ac in the horse area.  It would make it very convienient to have the extra space when camping.  I could have the front area and, once it is cleaned, the kids could have the back of the trailer. 

But, that is just daydreaming for now.  What I have done is to get some of the flat backed bucket holders and mouted them in the stalls so when we travel I can have a bucket filled with water for the horses at all times.  Going from S. Tx to NM this summer I filled them with water and refilled them when ever we stopped (3 girls, we stopped about every 2 hours).  I also screwed a piece of matting over them so when they are not in use the horse can't accidently scrape themselves on the brackets.  I was concerned about the trailer tie/ halter getting caught on them, but I hung the brackets low and kept the tie adjusted so they could lower their heads, but not enough to where the halter could touch the bracket.  My young mare had fun "kneeing" the bucket and splashed water all over the place.  Every time we stopped, her head and chest were soaked.   I carried water from home and added electrolyets for my older mare who usually won't drink away from home.  I think it made a big difference for her.

Hi,

A standard 110 volt RV A/C unit on top, runnnig off a big enough inverter wired to your truck should work. You may need a second battery and or larger afermarket alternator.

A 3 kw honda generator in the bed will definatly run one ac unit in an R/V, my freind does it, and they are relatively quiet. Here is a link to an A/C that is low amp http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=16332&tab=spec and a 2kw that seems like a bargain that would theoretically have enough power to run the A/C http://www.racedayaccessories.com/products/Kipor_Camping_Mate_KGE2000Tc_2000w_Electric_Generator-483-13.html

Block of Ice plus 12v fan would help but both must be mounted high, cold air sinks :)

Good Luck, We live in FL and just bought a 4 horse sooner with insulated roof and walls so we can evacuate all 4 of our horses at the same time. Last year we only had two and traveled at night with our stock trailer.

Tom

  I watch the animal "cop" shows on Animal Planet a lot. Have noticed that in the one from Houston, where they do a LOT of equine rescue, their trailers are all the covered,hitch-in-the-bed(not sure that they are called"goosenecks", as there is no real extension out over the bed, just the hitch itself--??-but am sure youall know what I mean!) but metal bar-sided, stock trailers. Allows for COMPLETE airflow, yet some protection from rain, etc.-openness encourages horses to load, hauling position is not too restrained, etc. A VERY basic kind of trailer, but in the situation described by the original poster(hot, humid climate, strong possibility of sitting stopped in traffic for awhile), it's an option I'd consider. Perhaps open coolers of ice up front? Fly masks on horses, in case of airbourne debris, bugs, etc.?

  Just a thought....

  Margo

I live in South Fla and have a 2H that I had 4 ceiling vents installed as well as a fan installed at the rear of each stall.  They blow air over their backs helping to keep them cool even when at stops. The trailer has a window at each stall on the front and back sides that I slide open, but I don't drop down the windows.  I don't feel that is safe.  My trailer is fully insulated, so I have rarely found any horse to sweat inside it.  Even on a hot day, my trailer is relatively cool inside.  The insulation makes all the difference in the world. 

I live in South Fla and have a 2H that I had 4 ceiling vents installed as well as a fan installed at the rear of each stall.  They blow air over their backs helping to keep them cool even when at stops. The trailer has a window at each stall on the front and back sides that I slide open, but I don't drop down the windows.  I don't feel that is safe.  My trailer is fully insulated, so I have rarely found any horse to sweat inside it.  Even on a hot day, my trailer is relatively cool inside.  The insulation makes all the difference in the world. 

What brand of trailer do you have?

I got a new steel trailer last year which I totally hate. It is a piece of junk and I made the decision to bite the bullet yet again and this time get an aluminum trailer and trade it in against it (which is hindsight I should have just simply got to begin with but I didnt think that I could justify the additional money involved ...)

 So - I am getting my new Silver Star 2+1 aluminum gooseneck trailer in a few weeks and I am SO excited about it!

 I'll get my farm logo on the side, they are putting as many hooks and bridle and saddle racks in the tack room as I want, the 2 standing stalls can convert to a 2nd box stall, I'll get recessed hooks put in for hanging buckets for grain and water on longer trips - just everything necessary for the comfort of the horses that are travelling for any distance ...

 Now ... here goes ...   ... I spoke with them this afternoon and after these brutally hot 2 weeks we have been going through, I asked about putting an air conditoner unit in the back horse area and I am now seriously considering doing so. I feel SO sorry for FF either being hauled in stop and go traffic, or standing stall at the shows in the blistering heat we have gone through, and in some case it was raining SO hard, I needed to shut the side door and it must have been stifling in there (it was up to 37C on my truck thermostat or about 105-110F) so I am now very seriously considering putting one in there for her.

For a 13,000 BTU unit it will run me about $1300-1500.00 more, plus we have a generator that we bought several years ago during our big power outage that we have never used since we bought it that can power the unit externally, so I am pretty well good to go I would think. And any time I fill the truck up with gas I'd simply fill the generator as well.

Who has seen or heard of AC units in horse trailers (I am thinking some of our southern horse owners must have them!) and what are the pros and cons and what do I need to be aware of with them? Any health related issues with them coming out of a cool environment into the heat or no more than you or I doing the same thing???

Any issues with humidity building up the interior because of the cold air and rusting or rotting things out inside? Any breathing issues associated with them or do the benefits far outweigh any cons?

 I know some of the large commercial rigs have them, just dont know of any private horse owners that do in their smaller trailers ...

 Thanks for any and all comments!

Anyone else have any pros and cons associated with A/C'ing the horse area of trailers???

And is an external generator necessary or can it run off the truck power instead?

Many thanks!

AC not something you really want to do IMO.  I agree that if you are going to order a trailer having fans installed is NICE!

Trail-et, Hawk, Equispirit will all do this (I know) and other brands will install them if you tell them you want them.  You WANT them!

AC is really too risky chills, leaks, etc.  If your old horse gets chilly and then hops out into 100 degree days you might have a nasty case of respriatory(?) illnesses to deal with.

last summer, i spent 11 hours on the road during hurricane rita evacuation, a trip which normally takes me less than 3 hours, so the majority of the time i was sitting.

i was pulling my 3H BP with 3 BIG horses with my diesel excursion. (this was a sort of last minute evacuation as the hurricane was supposed to hit the houston area, not us!) that diesel engine saved my behind. i had 3 kids, 5 big dogs, 3 cat carriers full of cats, a carrier with 3 birds and the kindergarten guinea pig...and my kids are not in kindergarten!)  we HAD to leave the AC on in the car or we would have had dog drool everywhere, and probably dogs trying to escape the heat of the car.  During those 11 hours, most of it sitting in 101 degree heat (according to the car temperature gauge), I only used up about 1/2 tank of fuel.  all around me were vehicles abandoned on the side of the road, out of gas and/or overheated engines, or people in their cars with their AC off, looking absolutely miserable. 

AS FOR THE HORSES, two are seniors, so i was worried about them. the INSULATED TRAILER, drop down windows, probably saved them from serious complications. friends also evacuating were using their stock type trailers (all open with  slats and had some problems with horses overheating.  for one thing, with the slats, the horses could not be given water.)  anyway, i will never get another trailer that is not totally insulated.    good luck.