Posted 2010-09-25 4:17 PM (#125207) Subject: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
New User
Posts: 2
I am getting ready to travel 14 hours with my horse. I have a three horse slant horse trailer. The dividers are removable. I have large drop windows with bars and screens front and rump.
Should I tie his head? Should he be allowed to move around in the entire 3 horse slant box and not be tied at all? Should his head not be tied, but have him left in his slant stall?
He travels great so I am not worried about him being restless. The majority of the trip (8 hours or so) will be on I-70 which is without many hills or curves-straight shot. I can travel with him in the slant dividers with several inches on all sides too including a foot behind him on rump side. He has room to spare in a slant stall.
Posted 2010-09-25 7:54 PM (#125216 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
This is what I do: Bed the trailer fairly deep, Tie him up and keep his hay bag full of good hay. I always offer water when I stop for fuel too. I had one mare that wouldn't drink strange water, so I always had to bring some water from home. I try to keep some fresh air moving thru the trailer also. I personaly don't like to haul more than 10 hours straight. You say he hauls great, so you shouldn't have any problems. Have a great trip and stay safe!
Posted 2010-09-25 8:37 PM (#125218 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Location: KY
On a long haul, we try to stop several times for at least 30 minutes and let the horses rest from the movement of the trailer. We do NOT unload. We have stopped for several hours in order to get some sleep with horses on the trailer. Of course we offer water and give hay and a treat or two at the stops.
Posted 2010-09-26 12:12 PM (#125230 - in reply to #125224) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447 Location: cedar rapids iowa
I prefer not to haul with a hay bag because they eat hay but typically won't drink. I would offer hay and water at dinner breaks only. So every 4 -5 hours they would get untied and fed for at least a half hour while you ate a relaxing dinner. I prefer to keep them in a slant so they can lean against teh partition for support. I have hauled many long trips this way.
Posted 2010-09-26 4:46 PM (#125232 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
We bed the trailer, tie the horse(s) in the slant stall and make sure that they have hay. We offer water at fuel stops. Sometimes they drink, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they eat, sometimes they don't. As long as they are pooping and looking reasonably well I don't worry about it. We have traveled up to 12 hours with no problems. If your horse rides well, a lot of people like to let them loose in the trailer but it isn't necessary unless your slant stalls are particularly small for your horse. I prefer to tie my horses because they always manage to look for trouble. I tie them fairly loosly so they can put their heads down but still know they can't do something silly like turn around in an area that there is not room for turning. I'm sure you will be fine. Have a safe trip.
Posted 2010-09-27 10:11 AM (#125242 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
I have made several trips overs 11 hours...a few just under. This is what I did- I bedded down with deep straw or shavings whatever I had available. I did not tie and kept the dividers closed ( 3H Slant GN) I also do not wrap legs. I didn't stop unless I had to ( potty break/coffee/fuel) Otherwise my plan is to get to the destination quickly and get the horse off and not drag it out by stopping every 2-3 hours for a horse break. I did offer water ( if its hot) but generally they do not drink. I do not offer hay ( no water= no hay) When I got the destination the horse was neither starving for food or water so they can last without for a 11-12 trip. I was a bit more concerned about my comfort as I was driving the truck alone ( a female alone armed with a 38) and needed to stay awake and be comfortable. The horse was fine in the trailer. Do not unload the horse.
Posted 2010-09-28 10:26 AM (#125280 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
It was a 14hr trip when we moved here and I found a fair ground that was a bit over half way and stopped for the night. The horses had large pens so they could stretch/roll and lay down if they wanted and I got a good nights sleep.
Posted 2010-10-02 11:44 AM (#125393 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Location: Colorado
We will put shavings in the trailer, and give the horses access to grass hay. Normally, I won't tie them. I think they need to put their head clear down once in a while, and I want them to be able to do that if they want to. For a trip of 8 to 10 hrs, I'll stop, unload, and water my horses once. Over 10 hours, probably do that twice. When we haul like that, we are usually going to a competition or show, and we'll want the horses fairly fresh. If I was just going to move them, and not ask them for much for a couple of days, I wouldn't worry too much about unloading them. I would want them to drink, though, and I'd let them rest a time or two. They will rest in the trailer if it's stopped- I'll try to give them a little time to relax when we stop for a meal.
Posted 2010-10-06 3:26 PM (#125535 - in reply to #125207) Subject: RE: Traveling 14 hours with my horse
Veteran
Posts: 186
Several times over the past 30 years have had a horse in a trailer for 14 to 20 hours. Not by choice, but anyway what I do. Take out the center partition didn't tie the horse so the horse can turn around. Only give a couple flakes of hay if they don't drink they don't get any more hay. Every horse I have ever hauled has ended up standing with their head to the rear of the trailer - not to the front like slant or straight loads stand them, sometimes they switch sides head to right rear next stop its head to left rear, that way they are taking stress on different sides of the body. This works for me with a clam well traveled horse, never had any issuses with stocking up. I don't wrap legs either unless it is really cold then I use shipping wraps. Usually stop for at least 1/2 hour or more every 3 or 4 hours of driving and take myself for a walk...
Traveling 14 hours with my horse
.jpg)
