# trailering without dividers?



## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

We have almost always hauled our horses in stock trailers either loose or tied and no dividers. A few years back we did buy a 3 horse slant, after using it a couple of times I took the dividers out of it and used it like a stock trailer. Finally we just sold it. I think it is just personal preference.
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## xlionesss (Jan 30, 2012)

From what I've read it is perfectly fine. Never experienced the difference though, sorry!


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## CPReiners (Jan 16, 2013)

I just bought a yearling who hasn't been halter broke yet, so I wonder if putting them in a stock trailer loose would be the best and safer way to go but not having experience in that I'm a little nervous to try it with a youngster :?


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

I think the youngster would be fine in a stock trailer. Especially a smaller one or one that has compartments you can shut. 

We have a stock trailer that has three compartments and we can haul 6(two in each compartment) or 8-10 if we stick them in there without the compartments. 

I've never experienced any problems with our yearlings in it, but they were halter broken.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I've been hauling in a stock for a while, and usually don't tie.I find when left to themselves they will turn around and travel backwards, the find braking forces easier to deal with. Mind you hauling up here in the land of straight roads they don't have many bends to deal with.

I think that it is more important the quality of ride the driver gives them than the trailer set up to be honest.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

A yearling will be fine untied w/o dividers and that's the way I would do it.
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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

Last summer I hauled a yearling from eastern ks to colorado without the dividers the whole way. She did fine only kicked once at the beginning, we even had the quarter windows off and she stuck her head out of the back for a little bit before settling into a place near the wind.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't know, the way I see it, I would prefer the horse learn to trailer without leaning or bracing on anything. If they learn to balance on their own, then, if you ever get stuck hauling them without dividers, you won't have a problem. However, I've seen quite a few horses that would fall down in trailers without dividers because they didn't have anything to brace against.

For what it's worth, if I'm just hauling my family horses (generally 3 at a time), I'll usually haul them loose.

However, if there is 4 or more or if there is a strange horse I'm hauling, then they get hauled like this....


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Lonestar22 said:


> I think the youngster would be fine in a stock trailer. Especially a smaller one or one that has compartments you can shut.
> 
> We have a stock trailer that has three compartments and we can haul 6(two in each compartment) or 8-10 if we stick them in there without the compartments.
> 
> I've never experienced any problems with our yearlings in it, but they were halter broken.


I agree, when I was hauling broodmares back and forth to the vet for AI and vet checks with babies on them I preferred using a stock trailer with cut gates. You can give the mare and foal a "box stall". It worked very well. Like smrobs said, they learn to balance themselves.


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

I think hauling with the dividers allows a horse to relax a little more than an open trailer for long hauls. The horses can lean against the dividers and don't have to worry about bracing against momentum. For a long haul, I feel like the horses come out less tired than with an open trailer, but personally I like open trailers. I often saddle a horse at home and haul to the trailhead with a loose cinch. Then it's just cinch-up and go. Can't do that with dividers. Too much chance of getting the saddle beat up or snagged on something.


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## Runninghot88 (May 26, 2012)

All depends on the horse  I have a 2 horse straight load that I converted to a one horse slant to give him more room and to balance better. However, the trailer can go back to a 2-horse straight. I don't tie when he is in the slant
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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

Golden Horse said:


> I've been hauling in a stock for a while, and usually don't tie.I find when left to themselves they will turn around and travel backwards, the find braking forces easier to deal with. Mind you hauling up here in the land of straight roads they don't have many bends to deal with.
> 
> I think that it is more important the quality of ride the driver gives them than the trailer set up to be honest.


Do you think it's possible they turn backwards because of wind, or is your trailer enclosed? I would think dealing with brake forces would be easier for them facing forward. Interesting.

Some people believe horses haul more comfortably in slant-loads, but I don't know of any real research on it. I think it's mostly a matter of style and design. With the widths of most trailers, I think slant loading wastes less space and gives you tack compartment in the back and a changing room or tack in front as well. Most straight loaders have stalls that are quite a bit wider than necessary, which is the wasted space I'm talking about. Slant load works best for a living quarters trailer, in my opinion, using that bit of extra space with the long wall.

My dad used to have a 6-horse straight load tongue-pull that was the length of a normal 4-horse. It held 3 horses abreast, two deep. The stalls were snug for your average Quarter Horse, but once in, they hauled well. It was just under the legal width for a trailer.

Most people I talk to say they can remove the dividers and fit an extra horse in, when necessary, without problem.


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