I don’t have the foggiest idea what kind of trailer that was, but for those wondering, here, a standard semi pulled straight stock trailer is generally 50’ long and carries up to 50,000 lbs, more or less, that depending on the empty weight of the whole rig.
When used for ranch horses, you try to stack them in there like sardines, so they don’t move around and shift the weight in the turns, especially coming off overpasses, when they have a tendency to overturn.
Every driver knows that and goes veeeery slow there.
If the horses are fewer than a whole load, you stack them tight in the front, leave the compartments on the back empty, again, so the weight is as stable as you can manage, doesn’t shift on you.
Horses ride much better tight and come out fresh, don’t get as tired as when they have to keep moving around to balance.
[QUOTE=RedMare01;6087124]
Common sense. Do you think those 38 horses had any room to move on that trailer? Do you think they had food or water? Or that they would get any on the what, two-ish day drive from TN to TX?[/QUOTE]
Nashville to Dallas is a 10+ hour drive.
The anti-slaughter movement would get a whole lot more respect if they dealt in facts instead of making up drama.
Still waiting on the break down of possible law violations–other than possible moving violations.
[QUOTE=apcohrs;6087169]
Castigating inhumane treatment does NOT make posters here into a lynch mob.
Transporting 38 horses in a single trailer IS inhumane. Defending such treatment plays right into the hands of PETA. IF you don’t want PETA making the laws in this country, DON’T excuse this crap.[/QUOTE]
Where do you get “inhumane?” 
Maybe some here don’t know enough about transporting horses.
There is not that much to excuse if you do, unless they come out with some REAL facts that something was not right with the hauling.
Wow…lots of stuff here.
Beginning this month (don’t know the date) DD trailers are not allowed to haul horses interstate by way of USDOT regs. This was due to all the hollering about DD trailers being used for horses being terrible, not giving them head room etc by the anti slaughter crowd. OK…got their way and horses can only now be hauled in single deck trailers…which have a higher center of gravity according to truck hauling friends of mine and are less stable on the road in skids, ice, wind and curvy roads.
Regarding delay in unloading…according to one report read early this morning on news channel in the area part of the reason for the delay was to get the trailer upright in order to unload it and get it stablized once unhitched from the tractor. Don’t know if that’s accurate or not but does make some sense.
Regarding the number of horses and how they are loaded. I used to do guided rides for a gal…she had a 3 axle gooseneck stock trailer…we got 14 draft sized horses in that every single day…yes, they were a bit snug and the last one we loaded was the boss and he just told everyone else to step over half a step and made room for himself. The trailer was much more stable to pull with 14 in it than with a half load that moved around. Again, my trucker friend says that they much prefer a full load than a partial not just because of the cost per head being less but because the trailers are designed to be hauled loaded full…they track better and are less likely to tip or sway due to animal movement…he says if they can get them in “like sardines” it makes a much safer load…AND…there is no room for them to get into fighting, kicking etc. which really makes a load wriggle.
Horses all over the west are hauled in all kinds of stock rigs…from bumper pull stock trailers that can handle 4-5 horses all the way up to pot trucks that are 56 or so feet long and 8-8 1/2 feet wide interior measurements and haul rodeo stock, including horses, around over half the country.
The news story said they were going to Presidio, TX. Google directions says the route from Nashville takes ~21 hours. I assume (again, I know 
) that that cannot be done by one driver in one day. Legally.
And again, not anti-slaughter, here.
One has to wonder if he had coggins and health certificates on all 38 of those horses. If he was hauling them across state lines for “training” then legally he had to do that. If for slaughter, he might have been able to get a lot number for the bunch of them. Either way, I’m going to be surprised if this guys’ paperwork for that many horses is truly in order assuming his story that they are going to training is true. I hope they check and fine him appropriately. 
I hope they actually enforce the law for once.
I am in the camp that stuffing 38 horses into any trailer is together is not done by anyone who values them for much other than meat. No one in their right mind would ship horses like that if they really cared much about their condition when they arrive at their destination.
[QUOTE=Daydream Believer;6087217]
One has to wonder if he had coggins and health certificates on all 38 of those horses. If he was hauling them across state lines for “training” then legally he had to do that. If for slaughter, he might have been able to get a lot number for the bunch of them. Either way, I’m going to be surprised if this guys’ paperwork for that many horses is truly in order assuming his story that they are going to training is true. I hope they check and fine him appropriately. I hope they actually enforce the law for once.
I am in the camp that stuffing 38 horses into any trailer is together is not done by anyone who values them for much other than meat. No one in their right mind would ship horses like that if they really cared much about their condition when they arrive at their destination.[/QUOTE]
That’s just because you don’t have much experience with working with larger number of horses you have to move regularly.
And don’t come back with your old story about being in a ranch in WY and how bad they were there.
I will say you still don’t know what you are saying there, when you [assume] people don’t care because they don’t do things the way you think everyone should do them.:no:
[quote=Bluey;6087224]That’s just because you don’t have much experience with working with larger number of horses you have to move regularly.
And don’t come back with your old story about being in a ranch in WY and how bad they were there.
I will say you still don’t know what you are saying there, when you ASSume people don’t care because they don’t do things the way you think everyone should do them.:no:
[/quote]
You know I loff you guys, but please, either get a room or ignore each other!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
[QUOTE=Alagirl;6087229]
You know I loff you guys, but please, either get a room or ignore each other!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:[/QUOTE]
You are right, I am sorry.
I will go back to sit on my fingers.:o
Is it inhumane or illegal to have 38 cows in a trailer?
I don’t know about the rest of it but I’m calling BS on the “Oklahoma ranch horse” story.
I kinda understand why he’d lie about their destination but lying doesn’t help matters any.
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Only if they go to Mickey Ds
[QUOTE=subk;6087265]
Is it inhumane or illegal to have 38 cows in a trailer?[/QUOTE]
Nope. A semi load of cows is around 40. More if it is heifers or Jerseys or young steers heading to feed lots. As mentioned by many posters, the tighter they are packed, the better they ship.
OK…so what!
HSUS has already made comments, they are the same as PETA. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some posting in this thread are members of either or both.
How long do cows stay on the trailers? Since there are quite a few slaughterhouses for cows, I would think it would not be a hugely long time. (Truly just curious; I have no clue about the cattle industry).
Actually I do have her on ignore. Please quit quoting her so I don’t have to accidentally read her [edit] ravings.
[edit]
[QUOTE=RedMare01;6087315]
How long do cows stay on the trailers? Since there are quite a few slaughterhouses for cows, I would think it would not be a hugely long time. (Truly just curious; I have no clue about the cattle industry).[/QUOTE]
Well, dairy is my business, so as to beef, all I can say is that there are around 100,000 head being fed in my neighborhood, within 30 min of a packing plant.
Dairy could just be a local haul, or cross country. Many loads of heifers come in here out of PA and NY. WHen we have had animal shipped, or provided layover facilities, they are on the trailer 12 hours or so, spend 12 hours on ground, get milked if they are in milk, load and go another 12 hours. It is a little different with dairy animals, as the end of the trip isn’t the end of the line for them.
[QUOTE=Daydream Believer;6087331]
Actually I do have her on ignore. Please quit quoting her so I don’t have to accidentally read her lunatic ravings.
Bluey, kiss my ass. 
[/QUOTE]
:eek:
Ooops again, my fingers slipped.
:lol:
