# Can I leave my horse loose in the trailer?



## Thoroughbredlover33 (Mar 19, 2014)

Okay... So my horse despises being tied and tying him ends in disaster (broken halters, cuts on his face, and pulled muscles. He sits back on his butt and lunges forward at whatever he's tied to, so tying is just a big no-no.) My trainer has an Eclipse 2 horse slant load with a dressing room. I was wondering if it would be okay to leave him untied in it. He would be traveling alone and the divider would not be up. He stays relatively still in the trailer as long as he's loose, so he wouldn't be pacing back and forth and shifting the load a ton.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

That should be fine. I rarely tie my horse in the trailer and often tie the divider open as well (about half the time, depending on how I'm feeling that day)


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## Thoroughbredlover33 (Mar 19, 2014)

Okay. I was super worried about that. I really want to take him to state parks and take him camping with me, but I don't exactly have the money to buy myself a trailer just for him. Thanks!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Agreed. He'll be fine. I actually never tie my horses in a trailer. It scares me. 

However, you really should fix this issue. Its a very large training hole.


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

If he doesn't tie, what will you do with him in camp?


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## Thoroughbredlover33 (Mar 19, 2014)

Yeah, the whole tying thing hasn't gone away and I'm pretty sure it never will. I can tie him, but it is not the best decision. He panics because he can't move his head anywhere he wants. He's fine until he goes to turn his head and look at something and he feels the tension in the lead rope. As soon as he realizes his head is restrained in any way, he panics. I have had three different trainers try to fix the whole tying problem and all said it would be best if I didn't tie him because he panics without any warning. He's perfectly fine if I just simply loop the lead rope through the tie ring, though. We have a portable corral that's 12 x 12 for when we have to go somewhere and I can't be right there with him all the time. I find setting up a corral in a few minutes much easier than tying him and worrying about him hurting himself and snapping his halter, then running off.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

O my, I wonder if this is a horse I used to have! LOL. I had one that wouldn't tie. Awesome horse, just wouldn't tie. I sold him, being completely honest. The buyers, years later, still have him. He works a ranch, ridden almost everyday, wins jackpot ropings, teaching kids to ride. Still can't tie him up. He would lean back and get to the end of the rope. Wouldn't run off, just break the rope and stand there. 

Like you, 3 trainers, several halters, many methods, miles of rope. To no avail. He ground tied wonderfully though. Some people never get over fear of flying either. They just learn to travel by other means.

Maybe relax about it and he won't see it as such an issue?


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

he should be fine. i had one horse that would untie himself, and the other horses in the trailer.
and then move the horses so he could find a spot he liked.it is a stock trailer. and he usually like in the middle facing backwards.
I loved that horse. He had a very different personality.


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## Thoroughbredlover33 (Mar 19, 2014)

Blue, sounds like a western version of my stallion. He's so wonderful and calm at shows, I've taken him trick or treating three times, and I can ride him just about anywhere. Ground ties great. I've given up on tying him! Lol.


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## WildAtHeart (Jul 17, 2013)

My horse trailers best not tied. She is balanced and happier that way =)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I used to do it all the time. My horse chose to turn around and ride standing backwards.


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## Thoroughbredlover33 (Mar 19, 2014)

Oh my, I found that very weird at first that your horse rides backwards... Until I discovered that mine does too.


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

I think it depends on the horse. If they are nervous about trailering, I'm not sure I would leave them untied - but that's just me. I fear they would move around to much and do MORE damage than good.

I absolutely HAVE to tie my mare in mine as I have an older (1974) two horse straight load that doesn't have a divider. It's incredibly small, most horses are claustrophobic in it. A horse can EASILY get stuck trying to turn around in this thing, very very dangerous imo.

I think your trailer is big enough that you will be okay, assuming your horse is okay with it too.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

If a horse panics and throws itself around in a trailer for whatever reason, then its large weight can seriously affect the handling of your car and trailer, potentially causing an accident. Also, the trailer is more likely to be damaged in a panic if the horse is loose.

We've heard of cases where horses' legs went through rotten floorboards - lack of inspection, panic, fatal consequences. Also we had a horse 30 years ago that got loose in a trailer and we unknowingly ended up going down the freeway with its head and neck out the (open-float) back, gazing at the traffic with interest. That made us very uneasy...as horses sometimes try to jump out of stalls etc, and the consequences there would be disastrous for the horse and other road users... So personally, for a lot of reasons, in a standard double horse float I would tie.


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