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Re: [RC] horse transport - Mary Ann Spencer - Dyane SmithHeidi, when you say you haul in an "open format", do you mean loose and with the center divider (if you have one) tied open? I haul one horse loose, but have always been unwilling to haul more than one loose (even with two separated by the center divider - open stock trailer) because I was concerned about weight shifts that might destabilize the trailer. Could you explain more about your method? Dyane ----- Original Message ----- From: <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <jonnij@xxxxxxxx> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 6:41 AM Subject: Re: [RC] horse transport - Mary Ann Spencer Wow, 1100 miles??? And how long does that take you??? Sounds like a long time in the trailer without getting out to stretch the legs. I would guess you aren't heading to a ride, and expecting to unload and have your horse do a ride the following day........We likewise haul straight through, unless we are going to a ride, as you say. When we go that far, more often than not, we are hauling green youngsters, broodmares, etc., and sometimes ones strange to us. It simply isn't worth the risk to get them out, since they are not yet used to being handled in strange places. We used to haul frequently from central Oregon to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, which was 2000 miles. Team driving, we got it down to under 40 hours, a few times. If we had horses that would load reliably and lead safely, we would break the trip for an hour or so at the fairgrounds in Rock Springs, WY. Otherwise, not. The horses have a hay net at all times, and we add water buckets after several hours, time depending on the ambient conditions. Must say, our horses that have been hauled this way will ALL eat and drink and pee in the trailer! Even with our horses that we campaign, since they all trailer well, we don't worry about taking them out unless the trip goes more than 6-8 hours. But then they will all tie to the trailer and have "been there, done that" so that what they meet at rest stops does not fluster them. Admittedly, we haul in an open format, so they are not "stuck" in a little slot just bigger than their bodies (unless we are hauling stallions--then they get partitions)--they can shift around and get comfortable much more easily. JMO, but I think some really LONG trailer rides like this are GREAT training for future endurance horses. This is just one more aspect of training that is too often left until late, and I think that is why some haul so poorly when the time comes. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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