# Long trip coming up...



## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

So my big move from DC to Ohio is finally here! I had everything planned out perfect but of course my husbands company had to throw a wrench in our plans. So now I'm towing a uhaul with my truck up to Ohio tomorrow night with all our house stuff...then we're coming back Monday for the week then leaving Saturday with horse to move for good! Husband will be following me in his car if any problems do arise so I wont be on the road alone.

So thanks to the company ruining our originally plans and me having to use a smaller uhaul trailer now I'm getting super concerned about fitting everything! I was originally going to give my horse my entire trailer (I have a featherlite 2h slant). Well now I've already decided I think I'm going to have to pack some of his hay and my huge tack locker in the smaller front stall and he just get the back stall. I bought my trailer without the back tack area though so the back stall is quite huge, especially for my teeny 15h TWH. Well now I'm freaking even more since I've been packing today and seeing how much stuff we need to get moved!!!!!

So my question is: Do you think a 6-6 1/2 hr trailer ride would be too long of a ride to make him ride in the smaller front stall? He honestly fits in it great, but anytime I have gone on longer rides and had a 2nd horse, I always put him in front stall since hes a munchkin...he always leans on the divider and comes out with grey marks on his hips! I know its from him leaning, what I don't know if hes leaning out of being lazy or because he feels cramped? Am I over thinking things? Obviously if I can fit everything and give him the back stall I will, but if I just had a little reassurance that if I HAD to make him ride in the smaller stall for that long ride that he would still be just fine...I'd probably stop stressing quite as much!! If I had the big back stall for "stuff" then I could put my 4wheeler INSIDE the trailer with horse then have bed of my truck open for so much stuff...


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Also, I had my trailer custom made and do have an emergency escape door out of the front stall. So I can feed/offer water to him through that and if any problem came up I can unload him from it. We've practiced exiting nicely from the slightly smaller door too and hes very confident with it. So even if he is in the front stall, if something did happen I wouldn't have to get all our crap out of the back to get him out, I can just grab him out through his escape door.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I have hauled nearly 10 hours with a 17hh TB smooshed into a straight load. I put standing wraps on his legs to help with any stocking up issues and we stopped every 3 hours or so to unload, let him stretch, clear his nostrils, drink and pee (he wouldn't pee in the trailer, weirdo).

I think a 6.5 hour haul should be fine, especially if you can find a half-way point with a truck stop or rest area big enough to unload for a 15 minute stretch.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Hmm, I've always heard not to unload unless you really have to  He has no issues peeing in the trailer though. He'll literally pee on it the second I put him on it, its like he enjoys it...I think I own the weirdo no you 

I will have to stop for gas though and thats when I will check his hay and offer water. I bought a pack of that hydration hay, was thinking of packing some of that in his hay net. Hes spoiled on trailer rides and gets the super nice standlee compressed bale alfalfa hay...he loves that stuff.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

My guy was arthritic and NEEDED to move about. And he was a super easy self loader, no worries about not getting him back in. Checking in and offering water every few hours is probably all that is needed for most horses. 

If in doubt, is there a professional horse hauler you could talk to just to pick their brain?


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## Gotta ride (Jun 12, 2013)

I think he should be fine. I hauled my two horse from Colorado to Virginia over 5 days last year. Longest day on the rode 10 hours including stops. They did fine - never let them out of trailer until we got to the horse hotel at the end of the day. However, I did stop ever 3 to 4 hours, let them stand without the road vibration and offered water - I was told by my vet and a few other people with 'long' haul experience that the important thing was for them to have a break from the road vibration. 

I know from personal experience how stressful a move can be and wish you the best of luck!


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

karliejaye said:


> My guy was arthritic and NEEDED to move about. And he was a super easy self loader, no worries about not getting him back in. Checking in and offering water every few hours is probably all that is needed for most horses.
> 
> If in doubt, is there a professional horse hauler you could talk to just to pick their brain?


Ah ok that makes sense, my TWH is only 6 and no arthritic issues yet!


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Gotta ride said:


> I think he should be fine. I hauled my two horse from Colorado to Virginia over 5 days last year. Longest day on the rode 10 hours including stops. They did fine - never let them out of trailer until we got to the horse hotel at the end of the day. However, I did stop ever 3 to 4 hours, let them stand without the road vibration and offered water - I was told by my vet and a few other people with 'long' haul experience that the important thing was for them to have a break from the road vibration.
> 
> I know from personal experience how stressful a move can be and wish you the best of luck!


Thank you!! Ok this makes me feel better then, because if we can't fit everything in the uhaul this trip I'm freaking that we wont be able to fit it on the final trip! But if I can use more of my horse trailer we shouldn't have any issues at all.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I just hauled a mare 7 and 1/2 hours alone in a trailer. She did fine.

One of my daughters hauls any where from 1 to 10 at a time and the days are from 7 to 10 hours. She's done this for three years and not had a horse have a problem.

Best wishes on your new home and life in Ohio.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

You speak of loading the U-Haul trailer....
You haven't mentioned using the truck bed for anything...
Buy a good heavy duty tarp, place things in it if someone where to look they would not take and utilize that added space.

Offer hay & water at rest stops when you fuel and go for bathroom breaks...
DO NOT unload that horse in any rest area or roadside unless dire emergent needs arise._{unfamiliar smells, sounds and the upheaval of travel may make for a unpleasant time reloading}_
A stop from the road vibrations is great for the legs... 

Bring some water from home for the trip or get the horse accustomed to drinking flavored water {good idea} as you will not have "home" water at your new barn.
Those hydration bars of hay to my knowledge are dry...think giant cubed hay.
Anytime I've used them we soaked it before feeding to get the horse to have some extra needed water....never fed them dry, ever.
I would rather keep them to feed after soaking if you have a issue and feed hay, grass hay during the road trip....a face full of it for your horse to pick at when they want.

Good luck with the move....may it be a uneventful experience.
:runninghorse2:...


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Oh yeah my truck bed is going to be packed full  sadly the biggest uhaul trailer I could rent was 6x12, so I'm going to be putting a lot on my truck bed, luckily I always keep a tarp in my truck too so I've already got that. Originally I was going to have my 4wheeler on my truck bed for the trip I'm towing horse but now I'm thinking of putting it in the trailer with him then I can put more stuff on bed lol!

I'm also downsizing my house stuff quite a by too so I can fit everything  only taking 1 bed and 2 love seat couches...then rest is dressers and night stands...my tables I have I was able to take the legs off of so they'll fit easier  then I have basically an entire dog grooming shop in the back seat of my truck right now lol!! I've always owner my own table and rquipment so got that all packed up into my truck on my last day of work!

The hydration hay, yes it's giant dry bricks, I was going to fill a bucket and let it soak for the first part of trip, then put t in his hay bag when we stop for gas and offer him water. I keep a water tank in my trailer so I'll have it filled with barn water before we start the trip  he's never been a great drinker though at the trailer so that's why I'm thinking of using some of the hydration hay.

So hopefully, with the reassurance from everyone that he'll be perfectly fine in the smaller stall for the long haul I should have no problem fitting everything I think now  4 wheeler in trailer, then hay I'm taking with me and my giant tack locker on bed of truck with other things! Should be perfecto!


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I hauled three of my horses cross-country twice. They could be in the trailer anywhere from 8 to 10 hours, five days and four nights, and were fine.

Do NOT let your horse out of the trailer for a rest, that is an accident waiting to happen. Do offer him water whenever you stop but not from a gas station water hose. I kept gallon jugs of water in the trailer.

Did you get your Coggins and health certs for crossing state lines? Any state, county, or township police officer has the right to pull you over and ask for those papers. If you don't have the papers, they can delay your travel and/or quarantine your horses, if they want to be snotty.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Yup! Got my coggins updated and health certificate the other day when vet was out to do his teeth!


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Why can't you get a bigger U-haul for the non horse trip? They rent some big trucks.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Two points:

I would agree with others, for what looks like a 7-8 hour haul I would NOT unload unless you have no other option for some reason, or you are located somewhere contained. Unloading somewhere unfamiliar may result in all sorts of situations, a bolting horse being the worst possible scenario, difficulty reloading being the best. That's not a huge long haul so expedite as best as you can with breaks every 2-4 hours (as others have mentioned) for watering, and go go go. Take note of the outside temperature when you do stop, if the weather is hot (as it is in much of the N/E right now) you need to limit your stopped times as your horse will quickly overheat unless you have fans in the trailer, and even then it'll get hot in there fast.

Secondly, load the extra belongings with a cautious eye to weight - you mention a 4 wheeler in the trailer, that will consume a lot of your "available" GVWR on the trailer, and everything you put in there in addition will continue to consume it..and you also need to make sure the load is balanced, not tail heavy (assuming it's a tag trailer, not a gooseneck?). A tail heavy trailer is a very bad thing and will make it unstable.

And unless you have at least a 3/4 ton or 1-ton truck you need to be EXTREMELY careful what you load in the bed of the truck - it's very easy to overload the rear axle after accounting for the tongue weight of the trailer, and again, this will make your combination "squirrely" at best, or unstable at worst.

Basically, load the heavy stuff in the U-haul, and try to focus on the lighter stuff for the truck and trailer as much as possible.

Lastly, make sure everything loaded in the trailer with your horse is 10000% secure - the last thing you want is stuff falling and bouncing around his feet - it's not only dangerous if stuff gets under his feet and effects his footing, but stuff falling and banging around in there can spook him, particularly in a slant style trailer where they usually can't see the rest of the trailer, but they sure can hear things of feel them bumping up against their legs.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I was under the impression that keeping a single horse closest to the front was preferable to balance it out anyway?

I'm in total agreement with the other posters--I'm sure he'll be fine <3


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

natisha said:


> Why can't you get a bigger U-haul for the non horse trip? They rent some big trucks.


And just pay the difference if necessary.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Unloading en route vs. leaving the horse in the trailer door to door -- I understand the argument that taking a horse out of a trailer is a risk, but on my cross country trip I unloaded my big guy every 4-6 hours.

Part of the reason I did that is because he won't pee in the trailer, and part of the reason is I was using a rented trailer with built in mangers, so he couldn't lower his head all the way while traveling.

I unloaded at rest areas, deserted industrial parking lots, open fields, and in one case an empty lot next to a busy Applebee's restaurant. He was fine in every case and always walked back in without a fuss. I guess you need to know your horse. I'd do the same thing again if I was hauling 1200 miles.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

churumbeque said:


> natisha said:
> 
> 
> > Why can't you get a bigger U-haul for the non horse trip? They rent some big trucks.
> ...


Originally we were going to get a bigger uhaul and tow husbands car behind it and I tow horse. Thanks to his company we're now making it in two trips and we need my truck there for other things this weekend too 

My 4 wheeler isn't too big so 4wheeler + horse (who is also a munchkin) + smaller things I'll still be under the weight limit 

We're packing uhaul now and we are being expert Tetris players!!! I think everything's going to fit without over loading  I'm just trying to put smaller lighter things in bed of truck.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

evilamc said:


> We're packing uhaul now and we are being expert Tetris players!!! I think everything's going to fit without over loading  I'm just trying to put smaller lighter things in bed of truck.


Ah, the art of tetris packing! I once moved a 2 bedroom apartment in my Camry! :eek_color:

Safe travels!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If the front stall will allow the horse to turn around so much the better. I don't tie a horse. Horses prefer to travel backwards or mostly backwards. Make sure the load in the truck and the load in the trailer don't exceed legal limits. You do want that your truck can stop all this weight. Make sure all your levels are topped up. Keep an eye on the gas needle as you may use much more than anticipated.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Saddlebag said:


> If the front stall will allow the horse to turn around so much the better. I don't tie a horse. Horses prefer to travel backwards or mostly backwards. Make sure the load in the truck and the load in the trailer don't exceed legal limits. You do want that your truck can stop all this weight. Make sure all your levels are topped up. Keep an eye on the gas needle as you may use much more than anticipated.


Yeah I get about 9mpg towing from DC to Ohio. I've towed a big load in my horse trailer a few months ago so that gave me a good indication of what to expect. Getting that mpg though I can still very comfortably make it with just one gas stop  it's about 360 miles, all highway.

Sadly in the front stall he does not have room to turn around  now I could load him in and turn him though but I'd have to hang his hay net from window? Prob not ideal. In the back stall I prob could let hm be loose and he could turn around, my back stall is ginormous because I got my trailer made without the rear tack area.

I'll post a pic tomorrow but we made it tonight at midnight with truck and uhaul  we actually got almost everything here this trip! Next trip only big things to pack are chest freezer, my big tack locker, 4wheeler and horse  we have a bunch of little things and a few tvs left too but we should be able to get most of that in his car/back seat if my truck  so happy we mastered Tetris with the uhaul!! I will say that the little uhaul trailer is so weird to tow compared to my featherlite. It has hydrolic breaks like on the hitch? It was awkward. Also if I we t at all over 60 it would get a little squirrly! My horse trailer I've always been able to go about 65 very comfortably on highway. But good experience for me towing something different.


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

Have a safe trip.:cowboy: Once your out of the DC area it will be.:wink: I hauled one from Southern MD to Columbus OH. Drove straight through and took gas and food breaks but horse stayed on and we offered water and he had hay. Then brought one back the same way. No issues!. I had a 2 horse straight load and just opened the partition so horse had full trailer but was tied.


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