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> But, if I was hauling a horse as a one-time thing that I didn't know or
> knew would be a pain, I probably wouldn't unload that horse. If I was
> going to haul it repeatedly, I'd invest the 2-6 hours (or however long)
> it takes to teach a horse to load.
Horses such as yours who have had bad experiences are another matter
entirely, but in my experience, "teaching" a horse to load takes about 5
minutes, with a green one that is reasonably well broke to lead.  Often it
takes less.  Mostly it takes an ability to "read" the horse, and to know
when to ask, when to wait, and when to praise.

To clarify a bit, with green ones hauling, much of my concern about
unloading is not so much the loading and unloading, but instead is what
can happen to an inexperienced horse in an uncontrolled strange
environment.  I'm far more concerned about what could happen to a green
horse that might spook at an unexpected thing at a truck stop next to the
freeway and get away from me than I am about whether or not I can get him
back in the trailer, most times.  Additionally, since I almost always haul
in an "open format" with no dividers, simply STOPPING for an hour and
topping up the hay nets and water buckets is often just as restful to them
as getting them out, in my experience.

When we used to haul from central Oregon to Texas on a regular basis (2000
miles each way) we WOULD occasionally stop at the fairgrounds at Rock
Springs, WY and unload--but it is well off the highway, there is a big
area "out back" with paddocks, and one can turn the horses out in the
small paddocks if desired.  Even so, I think they rested just as well if
we just stopped and snoozed for a bit.

With our "road gang" I will offload at their regular "dinner time" if I'm
hauling straight through to somewhere and tie them to the trailer to eat
their soaked beet pulp, etc. (I don't put it in the trailer for them--I
don't want them to think they can dawdle over it, but rather it is
something that their noses go into and don't come out until it is gone,
since that's how I want them to eat it at rides) but then they DO have
life experience, so they don't care if there are semis going by, or
whatever.

I do agree with Karen that it is less stressful to take an extra day and
haul straight through on a long haul to a ride instead of stopping
overnight, and then give them a day of rest once you get there.

Heidi



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