Payback is great! Just 31 days ago, my wife and I (as 1st time horse owners and trailer haulers) completed a 4-day haul of our 6-yr old TWH mare with a (new to us) 1999 4-horse Ponderosa behind our 2500 HD Silverado. The trip began in Mountain City, TN and ended in Gardnerville, NV. Including side trips for tack and accomodations, it totaled slightly over 2,600 miles. We had considered having a professional do the haul but after some horror stories recounted by horse-owner friends decided we'd rather know ALL the trip details even if it meant taking the plunge as rookies. Fortunately, I came upon this forum and raided it for every detail thread that looked relevant. Among those we have to thank very much for sharing their questions and advice...even with a spy at the time: Reg, NoSpam, AppyRider, Perry, barry, xyzer, MrTruck, Quelah, hconley, Lobo, PAWALKER ..etc.
To the extent it might help any who follow, some findings from our trip... Our mare was treated to 3 bales of hay from her origin pasture, 25 gallons of water from her origin well. Wrapped her - all 4 in shipping boots, new 3/4 in. rubber flr mats over pine flrboards, fly-mask, bungy-cord w/ panic snap. Bought a Prodigy Brake Control and repacked the bearings. Took the advice from a local TB trainer - her stamina wasn't the issue; ours was the determining factor of how far we drove each day. But we kept the speed w/in the limits and were SUPER careful on exit ramps and turns. Though the first two days got up to the high 80's and 90's she didn't drink the first day at all. We stopped religiously every 2 hrs. Only after I coaxed her into eating 3 packages of Burger King table salt on the second day did she drink well about mid day. Thereafter, she drank small amounts a couple times morning and afternoon. Seller advised us that she wasn't a big drinker anyway. Same cannot be said for her appetite...she ate ravenously from the moment we took off till we finished.
Found pretty good accomodations along the way - Because we got out of sync the very first day, most of my planned layovers had to be scrapped. Fortunately, a last minute fill-in became the creme-de-la-creme: Wildhorse Stables, run by Rich and Brenda Rybak in Marion, IL is a beautiful layout prized by the pro polo teams. The Rybak's let us sleep in their "barn suite" right across the aisle from our horse. Immaculate - our room and the stalls. Juice, coffee, soda, breakfast and snacks with which to enjoy their excellent collection of horse training videos. The price for everything was a real bargain. Hosts were extremely courteous and really went out of their way to make us feel at home. They're in U.S. Stabling Guide.com. We have no affiliation. Favorable road and weather conditions, save a blowing rain and hail storm in WY, blessed us with no break-downs and a safe trip.
Hope anyone, who decides on such an extended haul, plans carefully and executes with confidence that it ain't rocket science. BTW small confession...Never drove a trailer before buying the horse. Stole away in the wee hours on several weekends to the local high school parking lot with a neighbor's 2-horse trailer to practice. That saved my bacon more than once on the trip. Safe travels to you all and thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Posted 2005-10-25 9:03 PM (#32317 - in reply to #32314) Subject: RE: 2,600 Mile Haul
Expert
Posts: 2689
Hi and Welcome to the forum.
{even if you HAVE been here a while as a lurker (-: }
Nothing like opening with a BANG !
Congrats on the trip, sounds like you did at least enough of the right things - good for YOU !!!
Please let us know which places you stayed and which ones you had to wash out of your plan. On the Wyoming trip I was lucky enough to be able to check them on the way out while I had an empty trailer, so as long as I could find a motel with a big enough parking lot I was OK.
If I do that one again it will be 5 days with horses, 4 worked OK but I would have liked a bit more time to breathe and choose better stops vs regular intervals.
Not asking for defammation, just a list of where you found "unsuitable", for whatever reason. I'm trying to keep an electronic map with virtual pins stuck in it; red, yellow and green (-:
A bucket that they're used to seems to help, plus floating a bit of grain or apple on the top. I also think that once they figure the water isn't going to get offered again for 3 more hours - they decide they'd better take some (-:
Posted 2005-10-26 12:17 AM (#32327 - in reply to #32317) Subject: 2,600 Mile Haul
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Gardnerville, NV 89460
Hi Reg:
Re: Layovers - We had heard from a horse broker that Cabela's had good facilities. Though their main switch board thought the new store in Lehi, UT was ready, the corrals weren't yet constructed; in Sydney, NB they're available. However, unless you park an RV right on the site, security is not acceptable in MHO.
We boarded our horse at the Diamond B in York, NB. It's a working cattle ranch, Busses seem like nice folks and the stalls were clean @ reasonable cost.
We had planned but missed boarding at the Wind Ranch in Minden, NB due to scheduling problem on our part. Well kept small ranch by the Bensons is a ways off the I-80 freeway would probably have worked ok.
One place we missed (again our schedule) and kind of wished we could have made was the Gateway Stables of Pontoon Beach near St. Louis. They sounded very hospitable and probably a good set up: 25 stalls, turn-outs, pastures, indoor /outsoor arenas, etc.
Two places we missed in Kansas City: 1) Thunder Ridge Farm - 15 indoor 12' X 12' stalls, round pen, arena 2) Benjamin's Ranch - 27 indoor 12' X 12' stalls turnouts and arena
We also missed a B&B at Little Four Oaks Farm in Boonville - 10 indoor stalls. 10 acres of pasture and 25 acres riding pasture.
Two others we missed were the Prarie Gem Stables of Omaha and TS Arabians of Gretna, NB. Both sound like they could be pretty nice setups.
We stayed at the Western Inn Motel with Stables in Ogden, UT where our mare boarded in an outdoor paddock 50 yards within view of our room. Though things remained quiet, I was a little nervous about just a padlock securing our horse for the night. Like a nervous rookie, new horse owner had to make a couple of mid-night ventures out to be sure all four hooves were still pointed down. But the motel was fine and the corral though a little muddy (it had rained) was adequate for a single, last night on the road.
I had bought the mare's original water bucket and actually had 10 #'s of her grain. I had requested the seller to wean her off the grain and totally on to hay about a week before we picked her up. Sure wish I'd been thinking about simply combining a little of that grain or apple w/ the water as you suggested. She loves the grain and it probably would have worked just fine. Always something new one can learn...
The good news is we don't think she lost a pound during the whole trip. Fortunately, though she'd never hauled that far, she loaded and unloaded beautifully w/o a single hesitation throughout and remains a really gentle, smart horse ...in spite of us!
2,600 Mile Haul
