crazy trailer incident--advice PLEASE!

[Hillary_Indiana]

I went down and picked up a TW gelding the other day, he loaded up in the (2 horse) trailer fine...we got to the end of the road and heard a bunch of commotion...he had jumped into the manger(broken through with his legs)and was busting out the window with his head. This was very unexpceted. Luckily, he got himself out of the manger (heaven only knows how we would've got him out). He has a bad gash on his leg...(vets taking care of that). The vet said he thinks this horse is "buddy soured"...the owner said he thought the horse freaked out and got claustrophobic.

Now, I am asking for advice. The vet says he should be ok in the 2 horse (with some alterations on the manger)....AS LONG AS we NEVER haul him alone...always with a "Buddy". I am still really worried though. Although none of our other horses act thsi way in the trailer...I would hate to be going down the interestate and have this horse start thrashing around and cause a wreck. Also if he put enough fight up I'm afraid he'd break out the floor or the back door. It could've been a freak accident, as he is VERY tame and has been unbelievable cooperative in letting us care for his wound. He loves to be pet and talked to....and he was a joy to ride before we picked him up. Anyway, what do you people think the odds are of him throwing a fit like that going on interstate...we will never haul him alone as we have no reason to. We always take two horses trailriding. That is why we bought him.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I would let him eat at the opening let him get use to the to the closed in feeling and load him a let him set awhile maybe take him on short trips down the road that buddie idea aint practical . gonna have to take it slow after him getting hurt now. what kind of trailer had he been use too that make alot of difference

 

[gabz]

I haven't been on this board to know a great deal about your background, but was the trailer large enough for the horse? Height and length?
Was it dark colored inside (like a cave)? Did you check the trailer for bee / wasp nests before loading him?
DId the prior owner haul him in a trailer like your's?
If he broke through the manger, was it rusted out? wood?

I would suggest some more ground training, and working with the horse going on and off the trailer while it's parked and hitched securely. Load him up, leave him a minute, then back him off and let him eat some grass. Load him up again, leave him a couple of minutes longer, back him off, eat some grass. Do this for a couple of weeks for short sessions but increase the time he's on the trailer.

If he doesn't want to stand quiet on the trailer - then make him work - lunge line, back up over poles on the ground, etc. Make him want to be on the trailer because that's where he can rest and relax. You can even put some hay in there so that being on the trailer is his safe place.

Once he's doing that part good, then load him up, take him for a 5 minute drive and bring him home. Once you unload him, let him eat some grass, then load him back up. Take another short drive, etc. It's like leaving kids with a sitter. Once they know you are coming back to get them, they don't mind being left there.

I had a horse jump into the manger - it had a lip on it so he wasn't able to pull his legs out. Thank goodness I put a head bumper on him, shipping boots, and bell boots... he needed them that day.

It was a large enough trailer for him and he had hauled in it MANY times alone (as much as 4 or 5 hours). About 1 month after this happened, I discovered a wasp's nest behind the handle of the emergency door that I had slammed closed just before pulling out of the trail head. We figure I stirred up the wasps and they flew in and stung him which made him leap up and forward.

Anyway... right after I slammed the E-door closed and got into the truck and started it, I felt him lurch into the manger, but only thought he was jerking around (was hot that day and I'm sure he wanted a breeze)- I never thought he would go into the manger so I traveled about 1 mile before I pulled over to check. He was in quite a pickle and I was pretty scared. Called some friends to come help me; another fellow there where I stopped talked easy to my horse while I opened as many windows and doors as I could (not the rear door immediately behind him though), I swung the divider away from my horse and tied it there, and I got some short pieces of 2 x 8 and 2 x 6, I kept in the dressing room for leveling the trailer when I camped.

I talked easy to my horse. He would try to get himself out.. but he finally laid his head down on his leg in the manger, while the other front leg dangled - not quite reaching the floor.

When my friends arrived, one of them got into the manger (this was a 7'4" tall Circle J with a nearly 3' deep manger) and as he lifted the stuck leg, I shoved blocks of wood under it and then let the horse rest. Didn't think to put some under his other front leg, dangling above the floor... Once we got that leg up just to the edge of the lip, the other two guys encouraged my horse to lift himself up enough to get free. (THANK Goodness I LOVE fiberglass roofs... it flexed where my horse pushed against it!!)

Got him down and he just stood with his head hanging down - still completely on the trailer. off-loaded him and someone took the jugs of water that I had in the dressing room and we cooled him off, the neighbor lady let him eat some of her lawn grass, we gave him a dose of banamine paste (I carry it in my trail bags) checked him for injury (a small scrape above the shipping boot on one leg) and loaded him back up. In he went like nothing happened.

He beat up the metal of that manger quite a bit. The trailer was a 1988 and this happened in 2004 ... so that trailer had some miles and rust on it - thank goodness the metal held. (galvanized steel)

 

[msscamp]

Some horses just don't do small, closed in trailers. We've got a horse that does fine in the Titan (well lit, and airy), but put her in the smaller, closed in trailer and she freaks out every time. Just my thoughts.

 

[cypressfarms]

Some horses just don't do small, closed in trailers. We've got a horse that does fine in the Titan (well lit, and airy), but put her in the smaller, closed in trailer and she freaks out every time. Just my thoughts.

I'd second that. Rarely seen a horse balk walking into a open cattle trailer, but many just don't like the closed in side by side type trailers where (from their view), they have no escape route.

 

[msscamp]

Some horses just don't do small, closed in trailers. We've got a horse that does fine in the Titan (well lit, and airy), but put her in the smaller, closed in trailer and she freaks out every time. Just my thoughts.

I'd second that. Rarely seen a horse balk walking into a open cattle trailer, but many just don't like the closed in side by side type trailers where (from their view), they have no escape route.

Bingo! Horses are prey animals, it's an instinct that is very, very hard to overcome in a lot of cases.

 

[Hillary_Indiana]

I haven't been on this board to know a great deal about your background, but was the trailer large enough for the horse? Height and length?
Was it dark colored inside (like a cave)? Did you check the trailer for bee / wasp nests before loading him?
DId the prior owner haul him in a trailer like your's?
If he broke through the manger, was it rusted out? wood?

1. I think the trailer was just big enough for the horse. He was snug, I will admit...but really no more snug than our other TW.
2. It is dark blue inside...would you recommend I paint it white? It's an old trailer probably 1988 model.
3. There were no nests inside.
4. Prior owner said he hauled in a stock trailer, but that the "prior-prior" owner brought him in in a 2 horse.
5. The manger he broke through was rusted out. We are replacing it (per vet's advice) with wood.

I am just mortified at the idea that we could be going 70 mph down the interstate and he might throw a fit like this.

*another question: Tranquilizers and hauling?
When he did this, the man who owned him (an experienced horseman and farrier) gave him a tranquilizer and said this will make him calm down the rest of the way home. He said it would last 45 min. I was kind of nervous because I think I've heard bad things about tranquilizers/hauling. I was afraid he might lose his balance and fall over and suddenly shift the weight of the trailer/vehicle...didn't want my boyfriend to lose control of his truck or anything. What do you guys think?
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[gabz]

1. I think the trailer was just big enough for the horse. He was snug, I will admit...but really no more snug than our other TW. Shouldn't be snug. The horse should be able to shift a little bit in order to keep their balance when you accelerate, slow down, stop, turn corners, etc.

2. It is dark blue inside...would you recommend I paint it white? YES. It's an old trailer probably 1988 model.
How tall is the INSIDE? How tall is your horse? The trailer INSIDE should be at least 7' tall for any horse that is 15 hands or taller. Many stock trailers are only 6' or 6'6" (meant for stock, not horses) and are okay for short horses.

3. There were no nests inside. That's good. The horse was most likely claustrophobic.

4. Prior owner said he hauled in a stock trailer, but that the "prior-prior" owner brought him in in a 2 horse. I know you don't know the answer but maybe THAT 2H was a taller model - and/ or maybe the prior-prior owner removed the center divider or had it swung to the side, thereby giving the horse more room.

5. The manger he broke through was rusted out. We are replacing it (per vet's advice) with wood.
You should therefore check all the rest of the trailer - the support beams beneath the floor, the flooring itself, etc. There are terrible stories of horses falling through the floor while the driver continues to drive 70 mph down the road - tearing the legs off the horse. Or hinges that fail and the doors fall off and the horse falls out. (know someone that THAT happened to)

I am just mortified at the idea that we could be going 70 mph down the interstate and he might throw a fit like this.

:o :shock: I am mortified that you would travel 70 mph down any road with a rusty trailer with a horse inside and what sounds like too small a truck!!! I'm not trying to be mean... I'm just somewhat shocked that you care so little for the horse.

I was afraid he might lose his balance and fall over and suddenly shift the weight of the trailer/vehicle...didn't want my boyfriend to lose control of his truck or anything.

You should not be driving at 70 mph with a rusty old trailer with a horse that you care about in it. Secondly, if the movement of the horse affects the tow vehicle - then you need a bigger tow vehicle and have NO business driving 70 mph. There are other people on the road and even if you don't care about your own life, please be considerate of others on the road.

Hauling horses is NOT the same as a load of hay, a boat, snowmobile, 4-wheeler etc. Horses are TOP HEAVY - the worst load you can imagine. They move around. Extra caution needs to be used when stopping (slowly stopping - so that the horse doesn't lose it's balance); slow accelaration (so the horse doens't fall down), extra slow when turning corners (the horse has NO idea you are going to turn right or left and has to have a little warning in order to shift their weight and stay balanced). Do not accelerate until AFTER the trailer has straightened out behind the tow vehicle.

The best way to practice driving for hauling horses is to put your dog in the front seat, standing up. If that dog loses it's balance - you're darn sure your horse(s) is too. Or... put a cup of grape kool-aid on the floor of the passenger side of the tow vehicle. Make sure it's nearly full. If you spill that kool-aid (uh oh... getting grape kool aid out of any fabric is very hard to do :help: ) you just knocked your horse on its butt.

When a horse falls down, they start flailing around with their legs. I personally know of a wonderul QH mare who suffered horrible injury to her leg when she was 8 years old from someone's bad driving. This mare had been shown all over and had gone to QH Congress, yada yada... She was on the small side - 950 pounds. This was a NEW Sundowner, slant load, rear tack, gooseneck trailer. Had rubber lining the walls, aluminum interior and exterior walls, and styrofoam insulation. (This accident is why I'll never have an alum interior walled-trailer) The child's father was driving like a maniac and knocked that horse down. The mare put one of her hind legs completely through the wall trying to get back up. ... did some serious damage to her leg. And.. in case anyone is wondering, no she was not wearing shoes on her hind feet.

This was a horrible thing for that child and that horse.

So... I'm sorry this is so long and somewhat mean. You told us what happened and asked for advice. I know that money doesn't grow on trees. I started with a little "lunchbox" 1977 Merhow BP trailer - but I made sure I had enough truck to handle it. Within 2 years, I had upgraded to the 1988 Circle J BP; and 2 years after that I was able to buy a 3H slant Titan GN - bare bones. no carpeting in dressing room, no padding on the dividers, no rear tack.
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