# Trailering a wild filly.



## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

I don't have personal experience trailering unhandled horses, but... remove the slant. Do not tie the filly to anything. Both can make an unhandled horse panic. If she fights the slant, she could find herself stuck and/or injured, especially since she is small and she might try to duck under or jump over it. If she fights the tie, she could break her line at best or damage her head or neck at worst. Both create very negative first trailer experiences.

Twenty five minutes isn't too bad at all. Set up the trailer as close as possible to a bare stock trailer. Load her in nothing but a halter. You'll probably want to make a chute out of round pen panels to get her on quickly and directly. You'll want a prepared place at the drop-off location where you can just back the trailer in, open the door, and let her out directly without having to handle her. 

Don't fret too much, this isn't an impossible task! Just remember that she is unhandled and that day will not be the day to try to introduce handling, haltering, and leading to her. Trying to lead and load her in an open place with a lead rope is not a good idea.


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## tayj (Jun 15, 2020)

Aprilswissmiss said:


> Do not tie the filly to anything.
> 
> Twenty five minutes isn't too bad at all. Set up the trailer as close as possible to a bare stock trailer. Load her in nothing but a halter. You'll probably want to make a chute out of round pen panels to get her on quickly and directly. You'll want a prepared place at the drop-off location where you can just back the trailer in, open the door, and let her out directly without having to handle her.


Thanks so much for the quick reply, it made me feel better about the situation! I meant tying the divider, not the filly. I'm guessing the safest option is completely removing it, though.


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## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

tayj said:


> Thanks so much for the quick reply, it made me feel better about the situation! I meant tying the divider, not the filly. I'm guessing the safest option is completely removing it, though.


My bad, I misunderstood! If it's possible and reasonable, you should remove it. It might rattle and spook her more than she probably will already be.

There are plenty of YouTube videos of people trailering their new wild mustangs if you want to get a good handle of what the setup should look like.


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## Kaifyre (Jun 16, 2016)

I used to borrow a friend's 3 horse slant when shipping ferals. I never removed the dividers, on his trailer it was a gigantic PITA that required several people, special tools and a lot of time. I always clipped a lead rope onto the divider at the front of the trailer, then when the dividers were folded back that divider would hold the other one. I ran the lead rope through a tie ring and tied it tight. When you're moving, that horse is going to be more concerned with standing upright in this moving box than getting itself caught on anything. We shipped for 3 hours from the pickup location to our place, and never once had an issue. You tie that divider sloppy, you might get into trouble, but if it's tied up tight it's not going anywhere. As far as trailer rattle, the trailer is going to rattle no matter what you do. Nothing you do for this horse is going to make his first trailer ride anything less than terrifying, unless you halter break him first. You're going to be chasing a horse that's never been touched into a dark cave, locking it inside and hauling it some place its never been in a moving box. Trust me, the horse will overlook rattling dividers in the sea of "OHMYGODWHATISGOINGON" that he's going to be experiencing - and even that trailer ride will be lost in the next few weeks as he learns all the stuff you're going to be teaching him, first and foremost among those being that humans are generally good to be around. He'll be fine.

-- Kai


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

If the filly is wild, has not been trained well to tie, then don't think about tying it in a trailer. I actually would not transport it in a regular trailer. If you can remove the separators in your trailer, if it is fully enclosed with bars or such across the windows, so she wouldn't try to jump out, if the back doors are full height, not just a high tailgate that she could try to jump over, and if you can safely load/unload her, open & shut the doors safely, when she might be ready & willing to burst out, then your trailer is probably fine. Otherwise I'd hire a stock transporter. I hired a cattle transporter to bring some wild horses home for me. Meanwhile, as we waited for the truck to arrive at the property, a guy was in a pickle after coming to pick up a wild 2yo colt in a regular trailer... hadn't made it out the drive before the colt jumped - & got stuck on - the tailgate.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Wild horses, those from the BLM use to insist on a fully enclosed trailer.
Sides to the roof where no escape could occur or hoof hangup either.
Rear doors fully floor to ceiling, again no way for escape or hoof hangup.
You did not say BLM, but that group is pretty much got the safe transfer of wild down pat with what works and what doesn't in moving these animals.


When you get to your destination there better be a way to open that trailer door and the animal goes directly into a very, very high-sided enclosure cause no-way, no-how are you calmly walking this wild baby off that trailer.
That baby will come off in its own time, under its own power in what could be a instant or hours later or not at all for several days...
Bring a chair and time to wait it out...
Safe travels.
:runninghorse2:...


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Remove the divider, if it has a halter on, make sure it is on snug and nothing in the trailer could snag it. Toss in some loose hay, shoo in horse, drive calmly & unload within a fenced area when you get there.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

Not removing the divider can cause injury to the filly. The dividers lay mostly flat against the wall but the pins stick out on the ends and the corners are there,


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I once bought an untrained yearling filly, The first time she had a halter on was the day I bought her and the first time separated from her Mom. I removed everything in the trailer and we backed the trailer right to the barn door, the seller had a couple of men there to help and they just eased her up the ramp into the trailer. It was a 2hr drive home and she trailered well, loose in there, not tied. 
One thing I did was drive right into the pasture at home, all the other horses were in the barn and I brought out a sweet little yearling gelding so she would have some company but not any big horses that might chase her.
I thought it was important to be able to unload in a pasture (or contained corral or paddock) in case she got away from me when unloading and some company that was non threatening to her.

When I climbed in the escape door the gelding was there and interested in who was in the trailer, Dad opened the back and I brought her out and the gelding climbed in the escape door and walked down the ramp behind us. I wasn't expecting that but it worked out ok.

Another thing if you are taking her out of the trailer, what I did with the lead rope was just loop it through the halter so if she reacted and got away from me, the lead was not fastened and would come loose so she wouldn't get tangled in it. But this was in a fenced area.

Check where you will be loading and unloading, will there be help loading and a safe enclosed place to unload before you agree to do this.


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## tayj (Jun 15, 2020)

It went perfectly fine. I was worried for nothing!


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