cowwrangler
Well-known member
Mares and colts
- Thread starter cowwrangler
- Start date
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
If they weren't running loose with halters on it would be an excellent picture.
the_jersey_lilly_2000
Well-known member
I agree....that's a pet peave of mine...leavin a halter on a horse when they are out in the pasture.
Don't get me wrong....it's a nice picture....just not the halters.
Reminds me, this weekend we seen a horse at a trailer that had it's own little portable panels that hook to the trailer. Well.....all good and fine, but there were hooks on the side of the trailer along the runnin boards that held the panels while travelin down the road....there stood their horse.....with a halter on eatin grass.....I thought.....yeap...get that halter hooked on one of those, and he's gonna tear up alot of stuff....maybe even himself in the process.
Don't get me wrong....it's a nice picture....just not the halters.
Reminds me, this weekend we seen a horse at a trailer that had it's own little portable panels that hook to the trailer. Well.....all good and fine, but there were hooks on the side of the trailer along the runnin boards that held the panels while travelin down the road....there stood their horse.....with a halter on eatin grass.....I thought.....yeap...get that halter hooked on one of those, and he's gonna tear up alot of stuff....maybe even himself in the process.
cowwrangler
Well-known member
yep i agree,they dont run loose with the halters,i had just moved them to this pasture and took them off after they all settled down
Soapweed
Well-known member
cowwrangler said:
Nice looking horses. Glad you took the halters off. That colt in the front looks like a dandy.
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
Good man.
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
Good man!!!!
Soapweed
Well-known member
Mrs.Greg said:
Now I feel bad, because we do it that way all the time.
I figure it doesn't hurt a horse to wear a saddle for half a day at a time. Usually if we ride again after dinner, we switch horses. If we do ride the same horses in the afternoon, we always unsaddle at noon to give their backs a breather.Lol,I knew I'd get someoneSoapweed said:Mrs.Greg said:
Now I feel bad, because we do it that way all the time.
Really I don't like seeing a horse being hauled down the HWY,back of trailer with saddle and head gear on,just something we've never done,different strokes I guess.Sorry DJL
Well-known member
Ditto Soapweed.
the_jersey_lilly_2000
Well-known member
We will haul with em saddled if it's not a very far haul. We don't however haul with the headgear on.
Faster horses
Well-known member
We haul them saddled too. Might unsaddle them to haul them home,
depending on how tough of a ride it has been.
Soapweed sure does it right, switching horses at noon.
Along with that, makes me think of keeping horses fresh.
Our little friend, Tom Wagoner, who has ridden many miles in
his life, talked with us several times about keeping horses fresh.
Riding a horse with as loose a cinch as possible is a good thing
to help keep a horse fresh.
And he always talked about riding both sides of your horse.
Hardly no one does, unless they are aware of it. Just look at
your stirrups. You can see by how they are worn, which side
of your horse you ride.
Learning to ride both sides evenly really helps a horse on a long
ride. And it is kind of an acquired art.
www.stopwatchhorses.com is Tom's website if anyone cares
to take a look.
We are really proud of his accomplishments. He's one of our adopted kids. He lived with us when he was 7 and 8th grader, and he taught us so much about horses even then. He truly has a gift, and he has to use the
horses he puts out. He is soooo good with them, understands what
makes them tick. He can sure figure out the problems a horse has
and then make them happier. I just can't say enough good things
about Tom. I'm just happy our paths crossed many years ago.
Not that it matters, but he was PRCA Saddle Bronc Rookie of the
Year in 1987. We have a photo on the wall of him winning Reno.
He can ride the hair off one,
but his deal is not to have horses buck in the first place.
FWIW
depending on how tough of a ride it has been.
Soapweed sure does it right, switching horses at noon.
Along with that, makes me think of keeping horses fresh.
Our little friend, Tom Wagoner, who has ridden many miles in
his life, talked with us several times about keeping horses fresh.
Riding a horse with as loose a cinch as possible is a good thing
to help keep a horse fresh.
And he always talked about riding both sides of your horse.
Hardly no one does, unless they are aware of it. Just look at
your stirrups. You can see by how they are worn, which side
of your horse you ride.
Learning to ride both sides evenly really helps a horse on a long
ride. And it is kind of an acquired art.
www.stopwatchhorses.com is Tom's website if anyone cares
to take a look.
We are really proud of his accomplishments. He's one of our adopted kids. He lived with us when he was 7 and 8th grader, and he taught us so much about horses even then. He truly has a gift, and he has to use the
horses he puts out. He is soooo good with them, understands what
makes them tick. He can sure figure out the problems a horse has
and then make them happier. I just can't say enough good things
about Tom. I'm just happy our paths crossed many years ago.
Not that it matters, but he was PRCA Saddle Bronc Rookie of the
Year in 1987. We have a photo on the wall of him winning Reno.
He can ride the hair off one,
but his deal is not to have horses buck in the first place.
FWIW
L.E. Stevens
Well-known member
I haul with the saddle on,but use a halter (instead of leavin bridle on)....
is that classified as a 1/2 sorry?! :roll:
Soapweed
Well-known member
L.E. Stevens said:
There are a few "reasons" we haul with the saddles on. I hope they are "justified". :wink:
1. It's easier for the horse to carry the saddle from the barn to the trailer than it is for me.
2. It's easier on the saddle to be hauled while on the horse than it is to be hauled in the back of the pickup.
3. If it is raining (I've almost forgotten those days), the saddle is protected while on the back of a horse in the trailer. It is not protected in the back of the pickup.
4. A few miles down the road, we need to be mounted and getting something done. It would be troublesome to have to saddle up at this point.
If we are hauling very far, we have halters on the horses. If it will not be long until we need the horses, they are hauled with the bridles on. I never tie a horse in the trailer. About 35 years ago, I had a horse fall halfway down while tied in a trailer, and it was quite a few miles later when the problem was discovered. That was the last horse I've ever tied up to be hauled.
Many times, there are four of us hauling our horses to work cattle. Two horses will be in the front compartment, both facing backwards. The two horses in the back compartment will be loaded so one horse is facing backwards and the last horse in faces forward. When we get to where we are going, one horse is already facing the back endgate. It is a simple matter to open the gate and let that horse out. The other horse has ample opportunity to turn around and come out. The two horses in the front are already facing backwards, so we just open the center gate and lead them out. We are ready to tighten the cinches, mount up, and go gather a pasture. An added advantage of horses riding backwards, is that if you have to stop fast, their butts hit the front of the trailer instead of their heads.
Sorry to have hijacked your thread, cowwrangler. I do really like the looks of your horses.
DJL
Well-known member
I seldom leave bridles on when hauling. The only exceptions would be the long rides moving cattle, where someone brings their trailer up to pick up riders to save the long ride back. I don't have a halter then, so they travel with a bridle.
If we put in a long day, or are stopping for a visit before heading home, the horses are watered and unsaddled so they can rest as comfortably as possible while tied to the trailer. I do love having a walk-in tack room for this reason. Like Soap, our old trailer had no tack room, so saddles had to be piled in the neck of the trailer, or in the back of the truck. Depending on what we are doing, I will pack a bale of hay so they are fed as well. On the average day, if we are trailering around home here, the horses wear the saddle back to the barn.
If we put in a long day, or are stopping for a visit before heading home, the horses are watered and unsaddled so they can rest as comfortably as possible while tied to the trailer. I do love having a walk-in tack room for this reason. Like Soap, our old trailer had no tack room, so saddles had to be piled in the neck of the trailer, or in the back of the truck. Depending on what we are doing, I will pack a bale of hay so they are fed as well. On the average day, if we are trailering around home here, the horses wear the saddle back to the barn.
Actually no...i was sorry I highjacked this thread and sorry I got Soapweed and DJL' dander up a bit but I'm not sorry about that being my pet peeve. Greg and I pasture our cattle 20 miles away on our river pasture ,our horses have to work hard when they get there,only takes a few minutes to saddle the horses and a few minutes to unsaddle them after the ride...no biggie. Theres nothing I hate worse the seeing,ropers and barrel racers unload saddled horses just because they were in a rush to get to the next rodeo.Sorry,I'm not changing my feeling on it,but also don't respectSoapweed and DJL any less because thats thier practice. They've proven themselves as respectable horse people. I also bet that Lilly doesn't drive hundreds of miles with a saddled horse trying to make the next rodeo.L.E. Stevens said:
the_jersey_lilly_2000
Well-known member
Nope we NEVER saddle up before leavin for a Rodeo. Even if it's only 30 miles away. NOPE NEVER!!!!
Now when we are goin out to work cows...and it's only a 12 or so mile drive. that's different. we will saddle up sometimes before leavin the house. not always just depends on what trailer we are taking. Nine times out of ten we are taking the cattle trailer w/tarp on it. Like Soapweed said it's much easier to saddle the horse than load it in the back of the truck exposed to the weather. I've seen alot of the day workers leave home with their horse saddled, but on their way back home they have their saddles hanging in the front compartment of the cattle trailer with the horses in the back compartments.
We always back our horses out of the trailer. I say always, we do have one that flat refuses to back out and we turn him around and walk him out.
Sometimes horses are tied, sometimes not. It's not such a big deal to not tie one in a slant load trailer that has the dividers in it. They perdy much stay where their put. In the cattle trailer, they are usually two in one compartment facing the front tied, but not tied too short, but not long enuff that they can get the lead rope under their feet. I don't want them movin around in there turnin this way n that. I like em to stay facin the front. Why??? I don't know...maybe it's just one of those pet peaves LOL
Long as you are doin your best to keep your horse safe, payin attention to what's goin on in the back. I think most times no matter how you haul em they'll be fine.
MY Biggest pet peave of all time....is folks that don't check the condition of the floor in their trailers on a regular basis, and do repairs when needed. Never fails we hear of someone that's had a horse fall thru the floor while goin down the highway, and you know the result of that!!!!
Now when we are goin out to work cows...and it's only a 12 or so mile drive. that's different. we will saddle up sometimes before leavin the house. not always just depends on what trailer we are taking. Nine times out of ten we are taking the cattle trailer w/tarp on it. Like Soapweed said it's much easier to saddle the horse than load it in the back of the truck exposed to the weather. I've seen alot of the day workers leave home with their horse saddled, but on their way back home they have their saddles hanging in the front compartment of the cattle trailer with the horses in the back compartments.
We always back our horses out of the trailer. I say always, we do have one that flat refuses to back out and we turn him around and walk him out.
Sometimes horses are tied, sometimes not. It's not such a big deal to not tie one in a slant load trailer that has the dividers in it. They perdy much stay where their put. In the cattle trailer, they are usually two in one compartment facing the front tied, but not tied too short, but not long enuff that they can get the lead rope under their feet. I don't want them movin around in there turnin this way n that. I like em to stay facin the front. Why??? I don't know...maybe it's just one of those pet peaves LOL
Long as you are doin your best to keep your horse safe, payin attention to what's goin on in the back. I think most times no matter how you haul em they'll be fine.
MY Biggest pet peave of all time....is folks that don't check the condition of the floor in their trailers on a regular basis, and do repairs when needed. Never fails we hear of someone that's had a horse fall thru the floor while goin down the highway, and you know the result of that!!!!
Faster horses
Well-known member
Oh, Lily I'm with you on checking the floorboards.
Few years ago a young man was hauling a horse through
town, when the horse went through the floor of the trailer.
The young man wasn't aware of it and he drug that horse a
long ways. Blood all over main street.
It was terrible. Though the horse survived, I'm not
sure I would have put him through what it took to keep him
alive. He was pretty young and was just being started at
the time. They wound up doing skin grafts on his hips and
now the hair looks funny; grows in different directions.
But he is rideable, I guess...
As for hauling horses facing backward, your reasoning is
excellent Soapweed. Rock Creek Cattle Co. in W. Montana
used to haul their horses loose in the trailer and it was
a free-for-all when they unloaded. The way you do it would
have been much more orderly and safer.
If you notice, when you put horses in a stock trailer loose,
they prefer to face the back of the trailer on their own. In fact, I
think trailer manufacturers are now making some trailers so horses can haul like this.
Few years ago a young man was hauling a horse through
town, when the horse went through the floor of the trailer.
The young man wasn't aware of it and he drug that horse a
long ways. Blood all over main street.
It was terrible. Though the horse survived, I'm not
sure I would have put him through what it took to keep him
alive. He was pretty young and was just being started at
the time. They wound up doing skin grafts on his hips and
now the hair looks funny; grows in different directions.
But he is rideable, I guess...
As for hauling horses facing backward, your reasoning is
excellent Soapweed. Rock Creek Cattle Co. in W. Montana
used to haul their horses loose in the trailer and it was
a free-for-all when they unloaded. The way you do it would
have been much more orderly and safer.
If you notice, when you put horses in a stock trailer loose,
they prefer to face the back of the trailer on their own. In fact, I
think trailer manufacturers are now making some trailers so horses can haul like this.