# Is this a bad idea?



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Horses like to have room, and plenty of people take out their dividers when hauling only one.

So I say go ahead and let your boy have the extra space. He'll be more comfy, and probably won't be so hard to load.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Thanks! Do I tie him or leave him loose?


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Both my mares hated the divider. I removed it. 

As for leaving loose or tied... People have different opinions, but in my experience it really depends on horse. I tie paint, leave qh loose. The reason qh just stands in about one spot (facing the rear). Plus she looked very unhappy and was kicking the wall whole time I tried to tie her once. Paint on other side if not tied spins around the trailer non-stop for the whole trip. Not fun. So I tie her.


----------



## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

I would say tie him... Because there's a possibility he could try and turn around like my neighbours race horse did on the way home from a show one day (but he broke loose then turned) it makes for a very bumpy ride :lol:

Also I would say do a trial run because some horses will lean for the corners, my horse Mitchell being one of them.
While it's not a bad thing for them to lean into the corners, some horses pre-anticipate the corners. I had a friend whos horse did this and he would unbalance the float, they ended up blocking off the front window so he couldn't see out to anticipate the corners.


----------



## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

HollyBubbles, there is no problem with a horse turning around to face backwards in the trailer. Provided once there, (s)he stays there and doesn't move around as in kitten_Val's example.

My Lisa much prefers to ride backwards. I still have to see if she will fit backwards in one stall in my new trailer. I hope so; then she can be happy facing backwards and my friend's horse can come with us in the other side. When left to her own devices, Lisa will face the back every time.

In answer to the OP, I much prefer to leave my horse untied. If your horse is quiet it is safer for the horse. They can find their own balance that way and if, heaven forbid, there is a slip and fall, or an accident, there is less risk of injury to the neck.

Here's a question -- what about two horses, untied, without a divider in a two horse straight load goose neck? Assuming the two horses get along, of course. Anyone ever done that?


----------



## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Another possibility is to keep the divider in, but just swing and pin it to the side (if you are able). That way it still gives him room to stand more comfortably, but doesn't free up the whole trailer for him to call home._


----------



## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

NorthernMama said:


> HollyBubbles, there is no problem with a horse turning around to face backwards in the trailer. Provided once there, (s)he stays there and doesn't move around as in kitten_Val's example.
> 
> My Lisa much prefers to ride backwards. I still have to see if she will fit backwards in one stall in my new trailer. I hope so; then she can be happy facing backwards and my friend's horse can come with us in the other side. When left to her own devices, Lisa will face the back every time.
> 
> ...


I know there is no problem with them turning backwards, I have also been told a lot of horses in the olden days that got travelled on train carraiges would be found facing backwards at the final destination? It's just the horse trying to turn around while in the float could get messy, We had to turn mitch around to get him out and he nearly got himself stuck, which is the part that would scare me, and probably him too. And the neighbours horse was unbalancing the float in his struggle to turn, that was all.

Your second paragraph makes a good point, I never even thought about that.

And the bold... I've done that before :lol: one race horse and one ex-racer that hadn't met until we introduced them outside the trailer beforehand, mind you if they didn't seem right together we wouldn't have traveled them like that at the time. Then on the way home with my 15.2hh tb and 38" mini, they get along though, and I think gemma stood most of her time infront of the chest bar anyway.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

NorthernMama said:


> Here's a question -- what about two horses, untied, without a divider in a two horse straight load goose neck? Assuming the two horses get along, of course. Anyone ever done that?


I'd be very scared to do that frankly. If 2 horses decide to move there (say, one or both are beat by bee or decide to change the position for whatever reason) it'll be pretty bad balance-wise.


----------



## jyuukai (Apr 19, 2011)

I'd take it out if I could. My arab got caught on the divider once on the way home o.o it ripped his leg open and he never again loaded in a trailer without a fight lol. Poor thing. He panicked at being tied so tight and broke the line, reared, and got stuck ontop of the divider. Ugh.


----------



## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Kitten Val, that's a very good point. So what do people do in stock trailers? I've never seen one inside (I will have to look next time I'm out and about); are there dividers in there to keep all the animals separate?


----------



## mistyorbit (Apr 23, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> I'd be very scared to do that frankly. If 2 horses decide to move there (say, one or both are beat by bee or decide to change the position for whatever reason) it'll be pretty bad balance-wise.


I don't like that idea either. 

As for the OP - what's wrong with having someone close up the door behind as she did at the show? A lot of horses don't stay put once loaded and having the bar put up right away is just smart. 

I think horses do like the freedom of a stock trailer open box to some extent but I think about myself in that environment. I'd like to have walls to lean into instead of bracing agains the turns. That would be more relaxing on a long haul. But loading into that space is scary for them if they don't travel a lot.


----------



## mistyorbit (Apr 23, 2011)

Shipping the racehorses in vans we always wanted the better horses to be loaded so they rode backwards. There is a lot more strain from braking than from accelerating.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

mistyorbit said:


> I don't like that idea either.
> 
> As for the OP - what's wrong with having someone close up the door behind as she did at the show? A lot of horses don't stay put once loaded and having the bar put up right away is just smart.
> 
> I think horses do like the freedom of a stock trailer open box to some extent but I think about myself in that environment. I'd like to have walls to lean into instead of bracing agains the turns. That would be more relaxing on a long haul. But loading into that space is scary for them if they don't travel a lot.


What's wrong with it is, 1. I travel alone a lot, so I can only be in one place at one time. 2. The point of my post is to find the most comfortable way for my horse to travel. I'm not going to ask him to suck it up standing in a confined straight stall when he can have the whole thing to himself providing it's safe to do so. His comfort is my biggest concern after his safety. Until now he's never had any issues in the other 4 trailers he's been in which makes me think there's something about this one he does not like.


----------



## mistyorbit (Apr 23, 2011)

MyBoyPuck said:


> What's wrong with it is, 1. I travel alone a lot, so I can only be in one place at one time. 2. The point of my post is to find the most comfortable way for my horse to travel. I'm not going to ask him to suck it up standing in a confined straight stall when he can have the whole thing to himself providing it's safe to do so. His comfort is my biggest concern after his safety. Until now he's never had any issues in the other 4 trailers he's been in which makes me think there's something about this one he does not like.


 
I've used a longe line loading a horse alone so that I could put the bar up behind him. Loop it up over the chest bar and out the side door. Then you are beside your horse as you guide him in and lock up.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I believe you're missing the point of my post. He has always walked calmly into every trailer I have loaded him into. Something about this one makes him nervous. I do not want to ruin a very good horse where trailering is concerned. I am trying to find a way to make this trailer less frightening to him. Slamming the door behind a panicked horse is not the way to go with this guy unless I want him to never get into a trailer again.


----------



## mistyorbit (Apr 23, 2011)

Sorry, this part confused me to think that.

"Once he was in, he was quiet and remained quiet all the way home."

I'm sure you will do whatever is best for your horse.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Sorry, guess that is confusing. I'm near the end of a 16 hour shift. Me brain starting to work not good. I'm an overthinker and this was only my 2nd time trailering him. The fact that he didn't want to stay in really messed with my head. I need to feel like he's okay back there. Thanks for your advice. I will throw a long line in my trailer box in case I ever need that one.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My gelding was hauled loose in a stock trailer for 500 mi. arriving in good shape. He'd turn around when stopped but resume his rearward position as soon as the trailer was moving. Some have another gate not quite in the middle to make two small box stalls. Your horse may have had a small attack of claustrophobia. To him it's a trap where there's no escape. I'd just start asking him to load and unload, no matter how you configure the trailer. Nothing worse than to unload somewhere and all hell breaks lose when you want to come home and horse won't load.


----------



## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

MyBoyPuck -- look carefully at the interior of this trailer. What colour is it? How many doors can you open during loading? What is on the floor? 

If it is only this trailer, then there is either something different about it, or something happened the time before that has made him nervous. Could be that it makes a different noise when he loads? Something jingling that's new?

My mare also will load fine, then back up, load again, back up... she would do it all day if I would let her. Last time, every time she backed up I worked her then loaded her again and brushed her. But, frankly I don't have the patience for this nonsense. Next time we go somewhere, I'm just going to back her into the trailer. I know that her issue is that she doesn't like her head in the confined front of the trailer.


----------



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Personally I would keep the divider in when trailering the horse. Even though it is more confined, it is easier for them to keep their balance because they can brace against it. It is also safer because the can't be thrown side to side if you have to do evasive manuvers. He probably was still worked up after the show and that caused him to load badly.

We have hauled multiple horses in a stock trailer and usually always tie them up. Exceptions would be a young horse like a yearling or a horse that hasn't been taught to tie. We have gone several hundreds of miles with them like that and didn't have any problems. 

A lot of problems that horses have when traveling are from the way we drive. People can forget they are back there and drive like they are in a car, which tosses the horses around. If you can drive like you have a cup of water on the dash and you can't spill a drop, the horses will have a good trip.


----------



## mistyorbit (Apr 23, 2011)

usandpets said:


> A lot of problems that horses have when traveling are from the way we drive. People can forget they are back there and drive like they are in a car, which tosses the horses around. If you can drive like you have a cup of water on the dash and you can't spill a drop, the horses will have a good trip.


 
That's exactly how I drive! I've gotten some ribbing about being such an old lady behind the wheel when I have a trailer but I've ridden with horses back there before. It's like a popcorn popper sometimes! 

My dad taught me to drive so defensively. He said it there is a light up ahead assume you are going to stop, that sort of thing.


----------



## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I have the exact same problem with my mare. No matter what you do, she always tries to shoot back when you go to tie her. so...

MAKE SURE HE IS CLOSED IN BEFORE TYING HIM UP! Someone was stupid enough to try to tie my mare before the gate was closed behind her (I have a ramp) and she about strangled herself even though it was a safety snap. 

I took my divider out. Still didn't help. Sounds like your boy just needs to eat all his meals on the trailer until he figures out that he doesn't need to shoot back out.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Ugh, now I'm confused again. I was all set to take the divider out and let him stand however he wanted. Now I don't know. He's regularly ridden in 4 other trailers, 2 slants and 2 straights, without a single issue. Why do horses always have to throw curveballs into everything? 

I do drive like an old lady when he's back there. It was only my second time ever driving a truck and trailer, so I'm currently doing things very cautiously. I can't do anything about rough roads, but did what I could to assure him a smooth trip. 

We're doing a XC clinic on Sunday which is about a 40 mile trip. Guess I'll find out if it was a one time thing. Maybe I should rub beet pulp all over the walls!


----------



## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

MyBoyPuck said:


> Ugh, now I'm confused again. I was all set to take the divider out and let him stand however he wanted. Now I don't know. He's regularly ridden in 4 other trailers, 2 slants and 2 straights, without a single issue. Why do horses always have to throw curveballs into everything?
> 
> I do drive like an old lady when he's back there. It was only my second time ever driving a truck and trailer, so I'm currently doing things very cautiously. I can't do anything about rough roads, but did what I could to assure him a smooth trip.
> 
> We're doing a XC clinic on Sunday which is about a 40 mile trip. Guess I'll find out if it was a one time thing. Maybe I should rub beet pulp all over the walls!


My friend has a 17hh Dutch Warmblood and a trailer that he is pretty much squashed into. When they first got him he would do the same thing your horse is doing, but you can imagine the power behind that thing when he shot out.. He really did shoot out :shock:. At first they had to have 2-3 people to get him in there, usually 2, one to lead him in there (with food) and one to close the ramp, they didn't worry about the bum chain till the ramp was up, just because he is so big in the float(trailer) and would lean right back against the chain.

What she did was exactly as described in the above paragraph ^, he has now figured out that if he stands in the float tied up with the back door closed, that he gets a treat... She now has a 17hh Dutch Warmblood that self loads into a cramped trailer with only her around.

He could have been still worked up from the show and not ready to get in the trailer yet, thats possible. Some floats look smaller than they are from the shape or the colour or the layout etc, my mare who was a self loader, and I mean self load as in you couldn't clean out the float in her paddock or she would load herself up and expect to go somewhere. We hired a float one day, and the company colour was bright orange, so of course the trailer was bright orange *HeadDesk*. She was rearing up on the ramp and shooting backwards and turning around and stomping on the ramp, but once she was in she was fine. Poor girl even smacked her head on the roof during one of her ramp rears.

I would say that if you really just cannot get him in there with the partition in no matter what you try, then take it out. Use that as a last resort, my neighbour uses it for his race horses, I used it for Mitch, they were fine. But as I said in another post, some horses have been known to pre-anticipate the corners, and thats a problem in itself.


----------



## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

MyBoyPuck said:


> Ugh, now I'm confused again. I was all set to take the divider out and let him stand however he wanted. Now I don't know. He's regularly ridden in 4 other trailers, 2 slants and 2 straights, without a single issue. Why do horses always have to throw curveballs into everything?
> 
> I do drive like an old lady when he's back there. It was only my second time ever driving a truck and trailer, so I'm currently doing things very cautiously. I can't do anything about rough roads, but did what I could to assure him a smooth trip.
> 
> We're doing a XC clinic on Sunday which is about a 40 mile trip. Guess I'll find out if it was a one time thing. Maybe I should rub beet pulp all over the walls!


MyBoyPuck - there is nothing wrong with taking the divider out, seriously. 

Someone used the analagy of they needing the walls *divider* to balance on, and I think that's hogwash.

I know many people who haul their horses in Stock Trailers, that have NO dividers and guess what, they do just fine! 

I had a horse, my first official owned horse, when I was backin HighSchool I was given an APHA Colt. When it came time to teach him to trailer and load up and off, he would have panick attacks when my Dad and I would get him loaded up. 

I cannot remember at what point, where my Dad came up with the idea to take out the divider - but he did, and then Iko was ok. We took out the divider and hauled him backwards actually, and he was very happy with that. 

So I would lead him up in the 2 horse strait haul, now converted into a "stock" and I would turn him around where he was facing the loading ramp, and his butt end was facing the front, and tied him up there. He was able to see the door close, and he was able to see the door open when the haul was done.

He stood quietly, I have no idea why, but it worked. 

I haul Nelson in a stock trailer that I borrow from a friend of mine. He hauls just fine in there without the divider. So I don't get how they need that to "support" themselves. As far as I am aware, the divider was put in, to seperate the 2 horses.


----------



## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

MyBoyPuck said:


> What's wrong with it is, 1. I travel alone a lot, so I can only be in one place at one time. 2. The point of my post is to find the most comfortable way for my horse to travel. I'm not going to ask him to suck it up standing in a confined straight stall when he can have the whole thing to himself providing it's safe to do so. His comfort is my biggest concern after his safety. Until now he's never had any issues in the other 4 trailers he's been in which makes me think there's something about this one he does not like.


_Just want to mention that there is a lady at my hunt who has taught her horse to load with the lead line tossed over his neck so she can close up the trailer. Would there be a chance that he would be able to do this, or learn how to do this?_


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

VelvetsAB said:


> _Just want to mention that there is a lady at my hunt who has taught her horse to load with the lead line tossed over his neck so she can close up the trailer. Would there be a chance that he would be able to do this, or learn how to do this?_


Yeah, I can just send him in. This trailer has one of those human only escape doors up front, so I was taking advantage of it by leading him in. Technically I was doing it backwards. I know you're supposed to put the butt bar up before tying. Maybe my smarty pants horse was trying to tell me I was doing with wrong. 

As for leaning, when he's standing straight, he puts his entire weight against the back door. In a slant, I don't see any evidence that he uses anything other than his body for leverage. Gonna flip a coin Saturday and go from there. 

Thanks for all the input. This is one of those things that is very good to bounce off as many horse people as possible.


----------

