Horse on a BOAT, slant open or closed?

[jumbojet]

We will be moving my horse to Alaska this summer and she will be in her horse trailer on a ferry for 10 hours. She will also be in the trailer 1-2 hours before and after the ferry ride. So she will potentially be in the trailer for up to 14 hours without the opportunity to unload.

We have a 2 horse slant, and I’m wondering what would be the safest and most comfortable option for her.

1. Keep her in the front slant spot (most likely tied)
2. keep her tied in the back slant spot (which is bigger than the front slant spot)
3. take out the divider and leave her untied to move around the trailer. There’s not a lot of room in the trailer, but she would be able to turn around.

As long as the waves aren’t too rough, I’ll be able to go down every few hours to check on her and untie to let her head down if she’s tied, just FYI

This is the trailer: https://www.dhmco.com/shadow-horse-trailers/bumper-pull/2-Horse/7676/

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

My inclination would be to take out the divider and let the mare use the whole area available to her as a box stall. Since you do not normally haul her like that, you could do a few test runs with that configuration prior to the ferry trip to see how she handles things. My only concern about option 3 would be if she for some reason got worked up and started throwing herself around. But she could get worked up tied too.

ETA: my horse has ridden in a 2-horse slant load trailer on a ferry. I left him tied in the front stall as he usually would be; however, the crossing was only about 25 minutes. I think the sensation he felt while the boat was moving was probably quite similar to the sensation while riding down the road (vibration and a sense of motion) .

[fanfayre]

Our Island horses regularly take 2 hour trips on the ferries to leave and return to the island, and are usually tied in their normal stall in the trailer (2, 3, 4, and 6 or 8 horse trailers. because we try to share trailering and ferry costs as much as possible) and are often in the trailers for 12-14 hours [especially if we’re travelling to California or Montana for competitions]
But, having the option to remove the divider, I definitely would give her that space on the ferry, even if she had to remain tied (but I’d leave the tie as long as I safely could) if she couldn’t be let loose, and then tie her up for the driving parts of the trip.
That is, I’d tie her until I was loaded on the ferry and then if she could be loose during the sail, I would tie her back up just before docking, but I’d leave the divider out the whole trip if possible.

[Simkie]

Yep, another vote for removing the divider (or tying it back) and leaving her loose. Or tied in the larger space, as a second option.

[Guilherme]

Keep the horse in rather close limits. Why? Newton’s First Law.

The Army had transports at one time that moved horses regularly from the West Coast to the Philippines. They were equipped with “standing stalls” and the horses were hand walked daily but otherwise closely confined. That way if you get some wave actions it’s unlikely the horse will have to deal with them beyond bracing against the sides.

The other Navy vets here will tell you that you don’t allow gear to become “adrift” when at sea. That will only lead to problems.

G.

P.S. An otherwise healthy horse will suffer no adverse affects from standing a slant load trailer for 14 hours.

[Bluey]

It depends on how risk adverse you are.

Tied and confined is best if there is going to be some rough going, on bumpy or twisty roads or at sea rough weather.

If you don’t expect any but going down nice highways without stop and go traffic or possible accidents, and smooth sailing at sea, then you may leave a horse loose and hope you are right it all will go fine.

Talking to commercial haulers, they say clients always prefer their horses have more room, even some that they are loose in there.
For their own horses, these drivers say they would prefer they stand there, just maybe have more stops.

Either way will be fine, but which is better?
The old “it depends” on the horse and expected circumstances applies.

[wsmoak]

I used my 2-horse slant as a 1-horse trailer for years after I bought my big horse. I would remove the divider and tie in the front position, leaving her room to move, but not loose to turn around.

[NancyM]

Another vote for removing the partition. And since you are not going to a competition, you could use some acepromazine to further remove any stress from the situation. It may not last the entire trip, but it would certainly last for some of it, and if you can access the trailer, you could redo it if you felt it was necessary. If the first part of the trip is stress free, the rest of it often remains stress free even after the drug has worn off. The rocking motion (as long as it isn’t too rough seas), tends to rock horses to sleep, if things go right. 1 cc IM is usually an adequate dose, but consult your vet when you buy it. If the weather during the voyage gets BAD, it’s nice to have some tranquilizer with you. But it is necessary to give the injection BEFORE the horse gets upset. Be proactive.

[Guilherme]

Remember, all, that this is aboard a SHIP that will move in two directions. Giving lots of room to more or drugs to reduce the ability to appreciate movement might well be a VERY BAD THING!!!

Now if this is a short, ferry ride across inland waters that’s one thing. If it’s a long ride in more open water you have a VERY different environment.

G.

[Madhouse]

I would put the horse in the most confined space possible. Keeping her “stowed for sea”. I’ve actually slept standing up in those same waters when I was in the Navy - comfortably wedged against some equipment.

It’s the time of year for rough seas - having a bulkhead to come to rest against and limiting the distance between surfaces is your best bet.

[mypaintwattie]

I would keep her confined and tied. If you must give her more room than put her in the back slot but otherwise she will be fine in the front. I’ve been on a aircraft carrier in some moderately choppy seas and it was much easier to hang on to something than to try and move around freely. There is a reason everything on a ship is tied down. Keep her confined so that she can use the sides for balance if necessary. Good luck on your adventure!

[happilyretired]

Well you’ve gotten conflicting advice for sure. If it was me – I’d try and locate someone with commercial shipping experience who also has experience with hauling horses in similar conditions (long ferry ride … similar types of crossings in terms of wave action, wind potential etc) and get their advice. Or talk with someone at a firm that does international horse transport like Dutta. Sometimes what “seems best” for the horses (e.g. leave them loose) turns out to be bad advice based on similar experiences.

[Guilherme]

@happilyretired

Well you’ve gotten conflicting advice for sure. If it was me – I’d try and locate someone with commercial shipping experience who also has experience with hauling horses in similar conditions (long ferry ride … similar types of crossings in terms of wave action, wind potential etc) and get their advice. Or talk with someone at a firm that does international horse transport like Dutta. Sometimes what “seems best” for the horses (e.g. leave them loose) turns out to be bad advice based on similar experiences.

Actually, I gave advice from a commercial shipper, the U.S. Army, that had very specific and very relevant application to the movement of horses aboard ship. If you can find a commercial shipper that regularly and frequently moves horses by sea then by all means talk to them. But if it’s a shipper that just moves horses on freeways then that advice is not specifically relevant.

G.

[islgrl]

I live on an island, our commute on and off is less than an hour but I am familiar with horses and boats. If it were me, I would confine to front slant and leave tied. The boat will move a LOT. More than you are feeling actually and if the horse is reactive to that very unnatural movement (to them) and starts to move around it could panic.

[theresak]

If you leave her loose, I’d get a full width butt bar installed across the back of the trailer. If she’s able to lean or sit on the door for a long period of time, I’d be nervous of the integrity of the latches and possibly bending the door.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

After reading further posts, I will change my answer - which was based on inland ferry crossings in mild conditions. I did not consider the possibility of rough seas when I answered; obviously some of the more experienced sailors who have replied know more than I do!

[2tempe]

Re checking with Dutta or other int’l transporters, on planes the horses are in the equivalent of a straight stall, tied at the head. Personally I’d vote for more confinement as opposed to less.

[NancyM]

PS. I shipped back and forth for years from the same island as islgrl. There are several WORST things that can happen when shipping by sea. One of them is that the rocking motion increases the stress level that the horse may feel when in the trailer due to high seas may make the horse MORE claustrophobic than he normally is, and panic starts to set in, when it normally would not be a problem without the unfamiliar motion. Keeping the horse confined so that he can’t move at all tends to make this panic worse, which is why the larger stall is recommended, if one is available. If the horse can move his feet a bit, spread his feet more to support himself during the rocking motion, he MAY be able to relieve SOME of the stress he feels, maybe enough to keep full blown panic at bay. This is why acepromazine (atravet) is recommended, to chemically keep any stress that MAY start, at reduced levels. This drug does not negatively effect balance, it only reduces stress levels, and is commonly used for shipping horses who may be going to be subjected to stressful situations. Whether or not you tie the horse depends on how claustrophobic your horse may get when tied. It’s an individual thing. If the horse gets overly stressed in the trailer and panic sets in, the WORST things that can happen are 1) He can kick the trailer apart, the walls and ramp can be damaged or destroyed. 2) He can flip himself over in the trailer, and damage himself in the process. Both these things have happened on the BC Ferry run. It is an “inside passage” run, but seas can still get very rough.
Best to keep any possible equine stress at bay, and monitor stress levels as the voyage progresses.

The other really bad thing that can happen when shipping a horse by sea is a shipwreck. Our horse was involved in a shipwreck on BC Ferries in 1979, when the Queen of Alberni went up on the rocks in Active Pass, due to avoiding hitting a fishing boat. The ferry was on the rocks for 24 hours, overnight. The passengers were evacuated, by order, as the ferry operators where unsure if the ferry was going to float when the tide came in again and lifted it off the rocks. Overnight, as the tide went out, the ship tilted badly, and the trucks fell into each other, onto their sides, against each other. A vet from the island came on board during the night at some point, and tried to give the racehorse (Gun Music) more tranquilizer as panic was setting in for her by then and it was only going to get worse, especially as she was losing her footing as the floor of the truck became more sharply angled. But by morning, and by the time they got the ferry afloat again, and back to the terminal, she had bashed herself to death in the truck. The pony she was travelling with, a travelling companion, survived. The truck had to be power washed to get all the blood off the walls and ceiling and floor.

I don’t live on the island any more. But taking a horse trailer on the ferry is always stressful for me. The worst CAN happen, has happened before. Be prepared, and look for your best bet to keep yourself and your horse alive should the worst happen. I always like to have a bit of room to be able to get the trailer ramp down, for if I have to unload and ask my horse to jump off the ferry deck and into the water to swim for shore if necessary LOL. I have “trust issues” with ferries.

Sorry if this recounting of happenings makes you uncomfortable about your upcoming voyage. But forewarned is forearmed. Good luck.