We are moving from Missouri to Ohio and it will be at least a 10 Hour drive. Not really sure the best way to handle such a long drive with my OTTB. I’m tempted to leave her legs naked. She will be alone in the trailer. Thoughts?
Naked legs. If she has shoes, bellboots.
Studies (that I read awhile ago, and do not have handy) have shown that they are more uncomfortable with the wraps, or shipping boots.
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I have done as long as 16 hours in a day. I do not wrap, but make sure I have enough shavings to provide a little cushion and to keep the floor from getting slick. I dampen the shavings a little so they are not dusty.
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^ this
Safe travels ~
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I’ve had multiple horses transported long distances and all the professional shippers recommend naked legs. I have never wrapped or used boots and all horses have arrived safe and sound.
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You don’t!!
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Ok perfect! Thank you all, I definitely wanted to leave her legs bare as well, but I glad you all agree!
thanks again
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Just another vote for “don’t wrap the legs”. I hauled three horses cross-country in an open 4-horse stock trailer twice and didn’t wrap their legs.
The one thing I did do, that turned out to be smarter than I usually am, was to add a second floor on top of the original, then put the mats on top of that.
Ten hours is not that big a deal so long as the horse is healthy. However, it might be exhausting on you, if you’re not used to long driving hours or you run into unexpected construction .
Just in case you want to layover halfway:
The places I kept my back yard trail horses treated them like heavily insured show horses:)
Safe journey to you:)
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My mare was in a deep straw bedded box stall for 36 hours when she shipped from the east coast to KS. No wraps and she walked off the van without a hair out of place.
Good luck with your move!
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I love this! Thank you! She is healthy but the longest I have ever driven with a horse and trailer is 7 hours. So 10 is going to be challenging.
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I’ve hauled across the country a few times and I also vote for bare legs and deep footing. Straw is best if possible because it is less likely to get blown into their faces. I also ship with fly masks on them to keep stuff out of their eyes.
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When we ship back and forth from NY to FL every year, we do wraps and bells on all four. Never had an issue - but all horses are used to being wrapped, and being shipped.
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I ship bare legged and bell boots only on 95% of horses. If any balance issues or first time traveler, I’ll use the smb boots just in case they step weird coming off the trailer or on themselves during transport.
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What do you mean by add a second floor? You literally had a second floor installed in your trailer? How would that work? What would they attach it to? And why?
Yes I literally had a second floor installed on top of the original tongue and groove. I still have that trailer and it’s still double floored, although it’s all new wood.
i have an open stock trailer, attaching the top 3/4” marine plywood to the original tongue and groove was a piece of cake.
Why? Because it took some of the rough ride out of the floor. This is a 1987 stock horse trailer, it’s a pretty bumpy ride in there to haul horses 2,200 miles cross-country twice. I rode in the trailer before and after the second floor was installed and there was a difference. There were regular trailer mats on top.
It was my idea and I wasn’t sure it would work. Maybe it wouldn’t for some but my trail horses were healthy and in great condition at that time. They were in that trailer some days up to eight hours, once for ten hours due to construction. Nobody’s legs stocked up at any point.
And no, I never had an issue closing the big divider door between the front and back horses, or the outside door:).
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