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Mares and colts

I'm with you on checking floorboards. I've never had one give out, but there have been times, when watching people load their horses, when I have wondered if they will make it home in one piece. If I doubt the integrity of the floor in a trailer that has come to pick us up, I generally decline the offer of a ride. It doesn't seem to bother the others though, as they load and go. I'd rather ride down to our own trailer than risk a wreck. Not too many trailers like that around here anymore, thank goodness.
 
If its a stock trailer and we are only going 30 miles I will saddle first and tie<halters> the horses. If you left them untied they might chew the saddles up. If they wernt saddled then everything is going to get dusty,dirty or wet before you get to where your going. Atleast if they are saddled the dirt or wet isnt between the horse and saddle blanket. Plus you dont forget anything.
If its just a few horses in a stock trailer or if I have room in the truck for riggen I would just leave the horses loose in the trailer.
If I was trying to get a bunch of horses in a stock trailer I would tie just because its easier to position them so you can get more in. Haha Although this spring we managed to get three horses in a friends small two horse trailer with the divider removed. No need to tie because they had no room to go anywhere.It was a short haul.
 
Faster horses said:
In this state when they were taxing the new trailers so hard (it is a better system now) I always thought they should tax the OLD trailers more, so
people would buy a newer one and not take chances with old trailers
and old floorboards.
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The worst guys are the ones who mainly haul cows and never clean there trailers out. They dont think of floorboards until something goes through.
The gravel roads are terrible on floors to because of the rocks flying up wear the boards thin from underneath the trailer. The floor can look good from inside but be really thin. Its the back end of the trailer floors that wear out first.
Its funny that you guys brought this up. When I was riding today I noticed two u-bolts and the top piece that holds them on top of your springs laying on the road. Haha I know whos trailer they came out of to. He had 24 calves in that trailer and 40 miles to go. I should call him tonight and find out how he made out getting home :lol:
 
After hearing terrible stories of bad trailer floors, I've been scared to death of it happening to me. I replaced the floor in our old "pasture" bumper hitch trailer with tongue & groove treated southern yellow pine quite a few years ago. Extra stringers were welded in at that time. It was long enough ago that lately, I've been a little uncomfortable about it's present age. I check it periodically and it still seems be be solid, but I think getting a new trailer before it gets bad again will be my next solution. I can't think of anything more awful than to have animals in our care falling through a bad floor due to our negligence.

As far as how I trailer my horses, I prefer them saddled for all the same reasons as Soapweed. I seldom trailer them more than a ten or fifteen miles, much of which is off road and I don't have the time to saddle once we get to our destination. I part company with him however in how they ride. I want them facing forward and tied up, with bridles on (because I don't want to mess with a halter and bridling them either). I expect them to back out unless I'm using our long 24' trailer. I am very careful however about the footing in the trailer. If the wooden floor is wet, I always shovel in some sand so they don't slip. A harrowing ride will make a horse unhappy to load the next time. I am also very careful about how I take corners and stops to avoid jostling them too much, for the same reasons.
 
Quite a few years ago, a fellow was riding a young horse for me. He took it to a salebarn to use one day, and was coming home fairly late that night. He was using a 14' trailer that was 5' wide. The center gate didn't work, but the horse was haltered and tied to the front of the trailer with not a real good lead rope. A truck went by going the other way and the horse spooked and pulled back. The halter rope broke and the horse had enough momentum that as he flung backwards, he broke out the back endgate and hit the highway. The horse was hurt bad enough that he had to be put down. Had the horse been in the trailer without being tied up, he wouldn't have ended up falling out of the trailer.
 
I've ridden in the back of a trailer. I don't know how some of these folks ever get a horse to load a second time!

I like mine loose. They can ride forward, backwards or how ever they want.

I believe in freedom. :wink:

I saddle them up. My saddles don't hurt my horses backs. After a long day, I'll unsaddle if I have a good place to carry my saddle and blanket.

On a long trip, I won't saddle them, untill I get there, but I'll want a brush to brush the dust and dirt off.

On a hot day, I have usually unsaddled at noon, but was told that it is harder on the horse to leave a hot, wet back, out in the sun, than to leave their backs covered. Kind of like taking your shirt off I guess. I keep mine on. I also keep my saddle on to protect my horses back when it's cold.

JF, I've got to pick on you a little. If you have time to saddle them before you leave, why wouldn't you have time to saddle them after you get there? :???: Doesn't it take the same amount of tiem, in both places. :???:

:wink:
 
Jinglebob said:
I've ridden in the back of a trailer. I don't know how some of these folks ever get a horse to load a second time!

I like mine loose. They can ride forward, backwards or how ever they want.

I believe in freedom. :wink:

I saddle them up. My saddles don't hurt my horses backs. After a long day, I'll unsaddle if I have a good place to carry my saddle and blanket.

On a long trip, I won't saddle them, untill I get there, but I'll want a brush to brush the dust and dirt off.

On a hot day, I have usually unsaddled at noon, but was told that it is harder on the horse to leave a hot, wet back, out in the sun, than to leave their backs covered. Kind of like taking your shirt off I guess. I keep mine on. I also keep my saddle on to protect my horses back when it's cold.

JF, I've got to pick on you a little. If you have time to saddle them before you leave, why wouldn't you have time to saddle them after you get there? :???: Doesn't it take the same amount of tiem, in both places. :???:
:wink:
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My thought is that you can have the horse saddled in the barn by the time you manhandle and haul the saddle out to the pickup. Besides, with a heavy saddle, bridle, and a couple saddle blankets, it usually ends up being two pedestrian trips from the barn to the pickup. The horse "gets paid" so to speak, for doing this type of work. Therefore, the horse just as well be the one to pack out the saddle, blankets and accessories.

We feed our horses well, and don't work them real hard for long extended periods of time. On the days we really need them, they just as well suffer a little bit of inconvenience so as to earn their keep. Most of the time, they sure enough get the next day off to rest and recuperate, anyway.

I guess I'd argue with you, Jinglebob, about taking off the saddle at noon. It just seems to be a kind gesture to do this for the horse. We usually also hobble them out in front of the house on meadow grass, so they can get rested, refreshed and something to eat while we do the same. It just seems like they are fresher for the afternoon if they have had this opportunity.

As far as hauling a horse saddled, that is a good chance to get a horse's back warmed up for the upcoming ride. A half-hour trailer ride for a saddled horse, is about as good as a half hour running around in a round corral as far as "buck preventative" medicine when you do mount up. :wink:
 
I usually haul under fifty miles to my pastures or to help a neighbor. I don't have a trailer with a tack room only stock trailers. I almost always saddle up ahead of time. On those cold dark mornin's a little haul helps warm up the blankets and take out the hump before I have to pull tight :cboy: If you have to be some where on time it gives you more time if murphy's law comes up on the road.

I feel when I tell my help when to show up to ride they should be ready to go. I don't want to wait for somebody to play horse show. If they come plenty early fine.

I always tie up if I'm hauling more than one horse especially in a big trailer. I don't want them running around in there. I tie up with a halter and hang my headstall on the saddle horn that way if we jump in another rig my gear is together.

After the works done it depends on the weather and how soon I want to load. If its hot I usually unsaddle and put my saddle in the nose of the trailer or back seat of the pickup. If I don't unsaddle I loosen cinches then halter. Horses always like to rub and itch their heads after working and that can scratch up a high dollar saddle for no good reason. Same goes for a fancy bit on a trailer wall. I don't want my horse chewing up my buddy's stuff either.

My horses are all bar broke saddled or unsaddled :wink:

I should've took typing class more serius in high school I can't keep up I started this a couple post ago :oops:
 
Soapweed said:
Jinglebob said:
JF, I've got to pick on you a little. If you have time to saddle them before you leave, why wouldn't you have time to saddle them after you get there? :???: Doesn't it take the same amount of tiem, in both places. :???:
:wink:
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My thought is that you can have the horse saddled in the barn by the time you manhandle and haul the saddle out to the pickup. Besides, with a heavy saddle, bridle, and a couple saddle blankets, it usually ends up being two pedestrian trips from the barn to the pickup. The horse "gets paid" so to speak, for doing this type of work. Therefore, the horse just as well be the one to pack out the saddle, blankets and accessories.

We feed our horses well, and don't work them real hard for long extended periods of time. On the days we really need them, they just as well suffer a little bit of inconvenience so as to earn their keep. Most of the time, they sure enough get the next day off to rest and recuperate, anyway.

I guess I'd argue with you, Jinglebob, about taking off the saddle at noon. It just seems to be a kind gesture to do this for the horse. We usually also hobble them out in front of the house on meadow grass, so they can get rested, refreshed and something to eat while we do the same. It just seems like they are fresher for the afternoon if they have had this opportunity.

As far as hauling a horse saddled, that is a good chance to get a horse's back warmed up for the upcoming ride. A half-hour trailer ride for a saddled horse, is about as good as a half hour running around in a round corral as far as "buck preventative" medicine when you do mount up. :wink:
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'Nuff said!
 
Soapweed said:
The halter rope broke and the horse had enough momentum that as he flung backwards, he broke out the back endgate and hit the highway.

I took a cull bull in for tomorrows sale and the yardman told me earlier in the day he had a trailer full of cows come in with no endgate. :shock: Seems the fellow had lost it a couple miles out of town and the cows rode though town and waited till he was backed up to the alley. I've heard lots of tragic storys, been fortunate not to have any accidents myself.

Another thing besides trailer floors is rear pickup bumpers. When I worked at the sale barn we would be amazed at the condition of some of the bumper pullers comming in.
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I agree with you Soap. I juat wanted to hassle JF a little. :wink:

I have to tell one on myself.

When I got to a branding about 50 miles away last year, (my horse was saddled also!) I parked the pickup and trailer and walked back to open the rear door. The sliding door on the back trailer door was open. My horse was looking out the back! Someone, ( I don't possibly know who) forgot to latch the sliding part.

Yup, God looks after fools and drunks and little kids.

I think I fit in at least one of them catagory's!

:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I usually haul them saddled and loose-at noon we just loosen off their cinches but leave the saddle on. Same with draft horses-I'm considered a heretic because I unharness and turn out. I usually give them a little feed then go back out in an hour and unharness. Common wisdom was they had to stay i the barn-I think they're better off outside where they can move around then standing in a cold barn.
 
Jinglebob said:
I agree with you Soap. I juat wanted to hassle JF a little. :wink:

I have to tell one on myself.

When I got to a branding about 50 miles away last year, (my horse was saddled also!) I parked the pickup and trailer and walked back to open the rear door. The sliding door on the back trailer door was open. My horse was looking out the back! Someone, ( I don't possibly know who) forgot to latch the sliding part.

Yup, God looks after fools and drunks and little kids.

I think I fit in at least one of them catagory's!
I always keep a short piece of chain with bullsnap that goes around the slider gate and the swinging gate on my trailers, just dont trust the pins and latches on stock trailers. piece of mind i guess.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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TWOROPES said:
I always keep a short piece of chain with bullsnap that goes around the slider gate and the swinging gate on my trailers, just dont trust the pins and latches on stock trailers. piece of mind i guess.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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[/quote]

You know, I've been real careful and have even tied the latch shut with twine or string, ever since. :shock:

But I think I better get me a chain with some snaps. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I saddle my horse at the barn, and rather than load him up I ride out from there. :wink:
When noon comes around his saddle doesn't come off, cuz chances are I'm still in it. And he wont get switched out cuz I refuse to lead a spare horse all day! :lol: :lol:
 
Silver said:
I saddle my horse at the barn, and rather than load him up I ride out from there. :wink:
When noon comes around his saddle doesn't come off, cuz chances are I'm still in it. And he wont get switched out cuz I refuse to lead a spare horse all day! :lol: :lol:
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Silver, That was a great come back. You just made all the rest of us look like hobby horsemen!
 
The fellows I mentioned don't lead a spare horse all day either.
They tie the colt up where they are going to be sorting.
They sort on the colt and do the rest of the work on a mature
horse. It's 54 miles from the headquarters to the back of their
place and home again. (84 by vehicle). Much too far to ride a young horse with
no way of trading off, unless they have one along. Depending
on where they are going, they don't haul
in trailers much, the country is too rough, and they have to cross
the river. Hard to do that in a pickup and trailer.

They know they need to save their horses. And they ride
really good ones.
 
JF Ranch said:
Silver said:
I saddle my horse at the barn, and rather than load him up I ride out from there. :wink:
When noon comes around his saddle doesn't come off, cuz chances are I'm still in it. And he wont get switched out cuz I refuse to lead a spare horse all day! :lol: :lol:
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Silver, That was a great come back. You just made all the rest of us look like hobby horsemen!
Click to expand...

Shoot, I certainly wasn't trying to make anyone look like hobby horsemen. There's lots of folks on here more 'horseman' than me. I'm just fortunate to be on a place that's all one chunk, you can't pull a trailer to the far end of it, and I got no reason to do a bunch of sorting at the far end of the range. If I did I suppose I'd camp at the far end and use the same horse the next morning. But I find that in these parts a horse thats used much can be rode and worked over a stretch of 25 - 30 miles in a day without much trouble. If you're gonna do that around here that means no real breaks or you miss supper.
 

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