If you have a slant load, do you load the horse and tie from the window (if you tie) or go in with your horse? I’ve always done it one way, but curious about others.
Depends on the horse.
Some of mine I stay outside the trailer, send the horse in, shut the divider and then I might tie the head thru the window, or I might leave the horse loose.
Others I walk in, tie, and shut the divider.
And then the stupid ones get walked in, rope handed thru window to handler outside, and then I carefully close the divider without freaking the horse out. They are NOT tied before divider is shut because of their flight reflex. If they decide to go backward I want the long leadrope to feed thru the window vs. them hitting the end of a trailer tie and freaking out more.
I never have one blanket policy for loading every trailer. Loading is always catered to the horse, to what they are comfortable with. I am not suggesting you let the horse “win” and put yourself in unsafe situations, but when I have a horse that I KNOW has a strong “flight” reflex, then I try my best not to trigger that reflex if I can. Some of the horses I haul are not my horses, not my monkeys, not my circus. I am not going to train these horses… My job is to just get them from A to B safely and quickly.
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I only haul my own horses. I go in with horse tie, then close the divider and exit trailer. Mine are good to trailer otherwise I would potentially alter my routine.
Same as California unless I’m loading in the end stall and there’s not enough room for the two of us, in that case I’ll tie from through the window or leave loose. I used to be an always tie person but now I’m starting to go with leaving them untied so they can get their heads down if needed to blow out.
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I go in with my horse (I prefer to have them self-load but I haven’t trained this horse for that yet). I slip the lead out the window and close the divider, then go tie him from the exterior window. I never tie a horse in the trailer without the divider in place. When we unload I untie him and then go open the divider and back him out.
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I’ve done it both ways, if tying, depending upon the horse and the trailer. With current horses, we walk in and tie - which means clip the in-place tie (with buffalo snap) to the halter and remove the halter lead rope (which has a bolt snap). When unloading, we go in, clip on the lead rope, un-clip the trailer tie and unload the horse.
In the past, sometimes I put the lead rope through the window or air gap, then tied from the outside, or removed the lead rope from the outside if not tying.
I’ve always had cooperative horses.
I don’t like standard bull snaps, as they are difficult for my small hands to open. Here is an example of a buffalo snap, although not the exact one I have, which is similar to a bull snap but easier on the hands: https://www.chicksaddlery.com/4-buffalo-snap; I notice this source also stocks easier to operate bull snaps, too.
I lead my horse in and tie him (attach bungee tie that’s in the trailer to his halter then remove lead rope), then close the divider, then close the doors, then close the windows. I’m usually by myself, and put my horse in the front stall of the 2 horse slant.
ETA - I’m short, so using the bungees, and tying from the inside is easier for me than trying to reach the tie rings!
Mine is a stock combo slant. I put my horse in, either throw the end of the lead over the neck horse’s neck or out the slats, close the divider, then go around to the outside and remove the lead and attach the trailer tie to the halter.
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Like Moving toDC Said: “Depends on the horse.”
We send our present horses alone into the slant load. close the divider, then attach the tie to their halter through the window. Unload the last horse by pulling on his tail. But go into the trailer to unload the first horse on.
Other horses, we’d lead on, then close the divider. I like to back the horse out, then halt him half in. half on the ground. Keeps him from rushing out the door. He waits for his treat then continues out.
I teach my horses to self load, so I always send them in and tie from outside the trailer. I don’t like putting myself in a trailer with a horse - no matter how trustworthy the horse. It just seems like asking for trouble.
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AlsoI put the butt bar up before I tie.
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I go in with mine but have always felt a little uneasy. I have a 3 horse slant trailer and to tie from the outside is hard. I have to balance on the running board and reach up. The 3rd slot is too tight so I send in, put up bar and close the door, then tie from window.
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Hey Y’all,
I just put up a post asking similar stuff. I should have read this one first. The new horse I have is just trying to do what he did with the straight load, I think, and back out when the human goes out. And he’s been quiet about it. BUT I totally agree that I don’t want to be jammed in a trailer with a horse that’s freaking out. Plus the new trailer has a back tack area and so the back “funnels down” making it way too tight for me.
I will add that I’m really claustrophobic anyway.
My older horse, I am having all kinds of issues with. He is the reason I got the slant, he traveled really well in a slant last year about 3 hours one way and with a good hour stop on the back. His usual trailer was a stock combo, where he was tied but there were no stalls. He rode really terribly in it. On the way home worse than going out-he whirled so much that he would shove the mat out from the back.
Anyway, in the new slant I had multiple days of loading and unloading and one short ride and he was fine. Then took him to a hunt-which was it’s own issue but he settled down, loaded fine. Stood there while I chatted. But when I headed home he started kicking and scrambling. When I got home and opened the slant he was swinging his butt back and forth so violently I couldnt’ get to his head. I put the slant back, climbed up and untied him. He instantly tried to peek under the slant (scared me to death), flung his head up and looked like he was trying to twist around but it was too tight. I opened the slant and he whirled around and flew out, but I was able to grab the lead rope when he went past. I was in the trailer too, and I wasn’t happy about it.
Any advice appreciated!!!
Regards,
Huntin’Fool
Oh and can you leave a horse untied in an slant? Can they get their head under the divider? Can they twist around?
nothing is impossible when a horse is involved, how about trying to jump out the window?
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This is what I do! I don’t ever need to haul alone, so the tag team works well for us.
ETA, if the horse is well behave, I walk in, toss the lead line over the horse’s back, close the slant divider and my DH then reaches through the window, grabs the lead and ties (snaps) the horse up.
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What clanter said 
My horse can turn around 180 degrees in a straight stall (ask me how I know), and probably could in a slant if he was motivated. He’s 16 hands.
If you’ve done the groundwork you should be able to close the slant and then walk around to tie him through the window. Tying before closing the divider is asking for a horse to set back and break the tie/flip/freak out (you’re SO lucky your horse didn’t get hurt or freak out). Lungeline out the window or a helper to start can help get across the message of “stand, darn it”.
When we had a slant, our trainer would load the horses and hand the lead to the kids who were standing outside the trailer at the window. The trainer closed the divider and the kid had to clip the tie and take off the lead. Rinse and repeat.
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And let me ask-have y’all ever seen a slant with a chest bar that a person could duck under? A friend said he had, but I think he’s mistaken. I don’t see how that would work.
Yep! But only in the very front stall that had an escape door. The others were “normal”.
Like this:
A chest bar or strap keeps the horse from walking out if you actually use the door.
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Please seriously rethink the bungee ties. I know two horses who have lost their eyes because of them.
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