Re: [RC] Trailering loose? Standing wraps? - Elizabeth Walker
Sure ... always glad to put out an opinion. :)
#1: Leaving them loose: No opinion, but my guess for the reason is so that they can get their heads down. It helps the airway function, and allows them to cough out dust, etc. If you tied them long enough to do that, you would run a risk of the horse getting the rope over their neck, or otherwise caught up in it. I think in your case, you would need to balance that against the possibility of kicking or fighting, and how much they might move around.
#2: Standing wraps sounds like a good idea to me. Shipping boots protect the legs, but don't provide any support.
3: Yes -- if you wrap, do all 4 legs.
4: I would not recommend Polo wraps or Pro Choice boots for a long trip. Standing bandages are intended to be applied and left on a relatively immobile horse for 24 hours at a time. The others are intended for use during activity. Consequently - I don't think they would work well, as I think they would be too restrictive to blood flow in the leg. I do use polo wraps myself, but the longest I've trailered with them was a 6 hour trip. If I was planning an all-day multi-day trip, I would probably use standing wraps and bell boots.
For standing wraps, I personally like the "no bow" wraps as opposed to pillow wraps. I tried using pillow wraps - just once. Good thing it was someone else's wraps (and horse). A total pain. No-Bows are much easier to handle.
I know many of you have opinions on this so let's have them all please.
Next week I will be trailering across country, 4 days 12 hours per day from 12 midnight to 12 noon, stopping every 2 hours for 10 to 20 minutes and "overnight" where they can get out.
My 3 horse gooseneck with the dividers removed will easily accommodate my small arabs. The vet just drew blood for the coggins and is writing up my Health Certs. When he left he said to leave the horses untied and use standing wraps.
With them all loose I worry about them knocking the wraps off. They typically all trailer very well.
So the questions for you are:
1. Is leaving them loose a good idea, as it is now open, like a stock trailer?
2. Should I use standing wraps on them?
3. Do I wrap all four legs?
4. Are Polo wraps, Professional Choice boots or quilted pillow wraps with non stretch warps ok to use? Is one better?
Mark
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