We are going to pick up my daughters colt. She has never been hauled before. She will load but tries to get out after a few minutes. We are totally closing the back of our horse trailer in. So there is no escape. It is a two horse. We took the divider out. But should we tie her in? The trip is almost 4 hours.
Should I tie a colt in the trailer?
- Thread starter Elda
- Start date
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I know horse haul better untied in the trailer, but why did you take the divider out? If she doesn't tie well I would tie her up front and close the divider, give her a 4 hour, easy lesson on tying and hauling. If you don't know this filly very well you may want to keep her up front with the divider closed also A trailer gets real small with a uncontroled scared horse and you. You can handle ropes safely from out side the trailer. 4 hours is not that long, just take it slow and easy around corners and stopping. If she is in a trailer for one of the first times there is less chance of her getting hurt tied, in the front stall with the divider closed. I'm assuming you have a 2 horse slant trailer.
Alan
Alan
I was thinking she had a side by side and she took the divider out in response to all the other post on horses needing room. Im not sure what was meant by "totally closing the back"
I personally dont see a problem with tying her as long as you ensure she cant get hung up and hang herslef.
Personally though. I woudl put her in the trailer and watch her for several hours before I started out, maybe even take a couple trips up and down the drive, if I was worried about how she might act. Id want to know first.
I personally dont see a problem with tying her as long as you ensure she cant get hung up and hang herslef.
Personally though. I woudl put her in the trailer and watch her for several hours before I started out, maybe even take a couple trips up and down the drive, if I was worried about how she might act. Id want to know first.
redneckcowgirlmn
Well-known member
I've got a 2-horse side by side, took the divider out, and not only is it more comfortable for horses, as they aren't so confined, and they can ride at a 45degree angle like a slant if they choose. I've hauled a total of 36 different horses and ponies in it, for myself and a rescue I work with, and never had a problem. 31 of these horses had never been loaded or hauled before(under a year of age). 2 tried to jump up in the feed bunk, and soon realized that wasn't a good place to ride.(They were down out of it by the time I was stopped.) I think what the OP was referring to, as far as closing up the back end, is maybe the trailer doesn't have full height doors, as mine, only 1/2 doors, leaving a big hole for a potential escape. (Got 2 panels from Petco, they're wire dog crate divider panels, 36"x36", had a friend weld up a frame for them, and add hinges, and voila, top and bottom doors!) Baling wire would work in a pinch... and a couple of wood pallets. Redneck, yes, but functional!
Tying this colt is your choice... I tied all I hauled except for the 2-2month old babies I rescued back in October. They were definitely more broke for tying by the time we got wherever we're going!
Have fun!
Tying this colt is your choice... I tied all I hauled except for the 2-2month old babies I rescued back in October. They were definitely more broke for tying by the time we got wherever we're going!
Have fun!
Bez>
Well-known member
I am just an old cowboy, so what I say will probably not matter much - but:
First - you state it is your daughters colt and then you say she has never been hauled before. For the exercise, gender is not important - but colt = he.
If you have a side by side - put the divider back in - put that little mobile glue bottle in one side or the other - tie as you like - or do not tie - personally I never tie. Six of one / half dozen of the other.
If you chose to not put the divider back in - and you have a large open area - then do not tie for sure. Too much room and too much chance to tumble if there is a hard turn or a hard stop.
I haul horses loose all the time in our stock trailer.
As long as this animal has water and feed you can haul it all day long. Stop every now and then to let it get settled and then move on out again in about 15 - 30 minutes.
Keep all the vents open if it is hot. Or haul non-stop through the night if you are worried.
No matter what you do you will get home and the animal will arrive with you.
Regards,
Bez>
First - you state it is your daughters colt and then you say she has never been hauled before. For the exercise, gender is not important - but colt = he.
If you have a side by side - put the divider back in - put that little mobile glue bottle in one side or the other - tie as you like - or do not tie - personally I never tie. Six of one / half dozen of the other.
If you chose to not put the divider back in - and you have a large open area - then do not tie for sure. Too much room and too much chance to tumble if there is a hard turn or a hard stop.
I haul horses loose all the time in our stock trailer.
As long as this animal has water and feed you can haul it all day long. Stop every now and then to let it get settled and then move on out again in about 15 - 30 minutes.
Keep all the vents open if it is hot. Or haul non-stop through the night if you are worried.
No matter what you do you will get home and the animal will arrive with you.
Regards,
Bez>
MillIronQH
Well-known member
Is this a youngster you raised or are you just now buying it?
If you're buying it I wouldn't haul it ten feet until it was "broke to haul". That is supposed to be the sellers responsibility. You could end up with a vet bill that looks like the national war debt or having to have it put down.Z
If you're buying it I wouldn't haul it ten feet until it was "broke to haul". That is supposed to be the sellers responsibility. You could end up with a vet bill that looks like the national war debt or having to have it put down.Z
flaboy?
Well-known member
I like Bez's first comment and I fit that mold well.
I don't tie and never did. I can see msscamps point though on the multiple horses in a stock trailer. I use a stock trailer also. When I picked up Idiot for the first time he went in the front and then took a 6 hour ride home. He walks in and out it now better than I do. :shock:
I don't tie and never did. I can see msscamps point though on the multiple horses in a stock trailer. I use a stock trailer also. When I picked up Idiot for the first time he went in the front and then took a 6 hour ride home. He walks in and out it now better than I do. :shock:
Great post Bez, 
I will haul most of the time with the divider tied open and the horse loose. But then again the horse hauls fine and has hauled many times. I just don't like being in a trailer with a spooky, scared horse. If it's a horse that I don't know I tie it in with the divider closed. If it is a young horse that has trust in me I'll haul it loose with the divider tied back. But I seen a few people hurt because the felt they have a "special bond" with a horse.
Alan
I will haul most of the time with the divider tied open and the horse loose. But then again the horse hauls fine and has hauled many times. I just don't like being in a trailer with a spooky, scared horse. If it's a horse that I don't know I tie it in with the divider closed. If it is a young horse that has trust in me I'll haul it loose with the divider tied back. But I seen a few people hurt because the felt they have a "special bond" with a horse.
Alan
Bez>
Well-known member
Alan":1ke4gchx said:Great post Bez,
I will haul most of the time with the divider tied open and the horse loose. But then again the horse hauls fine and has hauled many times. I just don't like being in a trailer with a spooky, scared horse. If it's a horse that I don't know I tie it in with the divider closed. If it is a young horse that has trust in me I'll haul it loose with the divider tied back. But I seen a few people hurt because the felt they have a "special bond" with a horse.
Alan
Thanks for the kind words Alan - but for those out there who have a "special bond" - I love those folks! Remember - it is an animal and it may like you but it sure as heck will kick you, bite you or run over you in a heart beat. And it does not have to be scared or P.O.'d to do it. All it has to do is decide it wants to tell you who is boss.
In the end - as I stated - haul as you see fit. Once the animal is in the box - it will arrive at your destination with you and the trailer. No big deal.
Regards
Bez>
On my trail horses & mules i open the gate let'm in and they do the rest. But they have been hauled alot. My wife always ties her barrel horse's. She has herd storys about people forgetting to latch the trailer door or it somehow coming unlatched. But at the same time i have herd about the horse that was riding in the back of the trailer when the door came open backing out of the trailer while it was tied. Then it was drug to death.
Back along time ago when i first started hauling horses. I was moving a yearling philly in a two horse side by side. I tied the lead rope but left alot of slack in it. And i did not get a 1/8 mile down the road when i herd a loud noise. The philly had apparently rared up and flipped over backwards in the trailer. Which i would have never guessed it would have had enough room to have done that. But it did. Lucky the horse was leaned up right against the trailer door with one front leg hooked across the divder. That was the only things that had kept it from breaking its neck. It scared the devil out of me. I took my knife and cut the lead rope then lifted its front leg up and over the divider. I stood off to the side of the trailer door and popped the door latch open. And the philly rolled out on her back about half of her still in the trailer and the other half on the road. After some serious kicking and going on. She managed to get truned arround and up on her feet. Luckly she only wound up with some minor cuts and no one was hurt.
I wound up getting a stock trailer and tieing her up shorter this time. But finally got her moved.
Back along time ago when i first started hauling horses. I was moving a yearling philly in a two horse side by side. I tied the lead rope but left alot of slack in it. And i did not get a 1/8 mile down the road when i herd a loud noise. The philly had apparently rared up and flipped over backwards in the trailer. Which i would have never guessed it would have had enough room to have done that. But it did. Lucky the horse was leaned up right against the trailer door with one front leg hooked across the divder. That was the only things that had kept it from breaking its neck. It scared the devil out of me. I took my knife and cut the lead rope then lifted its front leg up and over the divider. I stood off to the side of the trailer door and popped the door latch open. And the philly rolled out on her back about half of her still in the trailer and the other half on the road. After some serious kicking and going on. She managed to get truned arround and up on her feet. Luckly she only wound up with some minor cuts and no one was hurt.
I wound up getting a stock trailer and tieing her up shorter this time. But finally got her moved.
flaboy?
Well-known member
Years ago we used to have a 1 ton Ford with a cattle body on the back. It was easily 3-3 1/2 feet from the ground to the bed. We would lead up to the back and say "get in" and they would jump in the truck. The first two were mares and the last to go in was a stud. He would always look inside and then make a hole for himself. They went in fully tacked. If we worked them all day we would put the back wheels in a ditch so they didn't have to jump so far.
I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do but luckily we never had an accident.
I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do but luckily we never had an accident.
spinandslide
Well-known member
Elda":1s7938vv said:
Find a stock trailer you can haul her loose in..period.
Then, when you get her home, be prepared to spend some gas using any instance to haul this horse.
About dividers
There are two types. The first type is like in stock trailers. Its a wall basically in the middle of the trailer that you can close to divide the front and back halves of the trailer. Example put the cows up front and the calves in the back.
If I had this type of trailer I would use the divider with anykind of horses I was hauling.
Now the other type of divider is generally the type that is in straight load or slant load horse trailers. These types generally dont go all the way down to the floor of the trailer.
If a horse falls or lays down in the trailer they can really thrash themselves trying to get up if they get under the divider.
With my slant load I take the divider out and let my young inexperienced horses loose. I have never had any injuries this way.
When they get more used to being trailered I tie and use the divider.
There are two types. The first type is like in stock trailers. Its a wall basically in the middle of the trailer that you can close to divide the front and back halves of the trailer. Example put the cows up front and the calves in the back.
If I had this type of trailer I would use the divider with anykind of horses I was hauling.
Now the other type of divider is generally the type that is in straight load or slant load horse trailers. These types generally dont go all the way down to the floor of the trailer.
If a horse falls or lays down in the trailer they can really thrash themselves trying to get up if they get under the divider.
With my slant load I take the divider out and let my young inexperienced horses loose. I have never had any injuries this way.
When they get more used to being trailered I tie and use the divider.
persianhorse
Member
Hi:
We never actually tie a colt
Put the divider back on .
Put some one in charge all the way inside next to the colt.
If the colt gives you problem you can tie (the rope going inside a rubber ring) but you have to close his eyes along the way but still some one inside the trailer.
When the animal is in the box they normally get calm.
If the trip is long you can give the horse a rest in the way this is important because you have to do it in a way that the young horse wont have a bad trip so he will be calm next time and will not have a bad experience from the start.
believe me the person in the trailer next to the colt is very important.
Best wishes.
We never actually tie a colt
Put the divider back on .
Put some one in charge all the way inside next to the colt.
If the colt gives you problem you can tie (the rope going inside a rubber ring) but you have to close his eyes along the way but still some one inside the trailer.
When the animal is in the box they normally get calm.
If the trip is long you can give the horse a rest in the way this is important because you have to do it in a way that the young horse wont have a bad trip so he will be calm next time and will not have a bad experience from the start.
believe me the person in the trailer next to the colt is very important.
Best wishes.
