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RE: [RC] Horse Trailing and ability to lower head - heidi
In my experience, horses that are otherwise comfortable don't tend to
lower their heads much anyway. So IMO the length of trip is not the issue. The primary issue with a manger (and the need to lower the head) is in the event that a horse chokes. A choking horse can and will aspirate if it can't get its head down--as I learned very painfully with a lovely young broodmare during my college years when she died of aspiration pneumonia after a choke episode in a traditional 2-horse with a manger.
There are ways to minimize the risk of choke--feed only long-stemmed
feeds, no grains or pellets, don't allow "fines" to accumulate (it was alfalfa fines that killed my mare), etc. And don't feed horses in such a manger if they are compromised in any manner that would increase their risk of choke--ie dehydrated, sedated, have poor dentition, etc.
That said, horses have logged many, many miles in traditional 2-horse
set-ups over the years, and with some attention to detail, the risk is pretty minimal.
Heidi
My sister is looking at a 2 horse straight load goosneck featherlight (model
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