Need tips...Hauling Mini and Horse

[MThorselady]

I will be hauling a quarter horse and mini to the vet a couple hours away. Neither animal has hauled together before. The QH will be in her usual first position with divider. I was thinking the mini loose as, IMO, it’s not safe to tie a pony since they don’t have a divider and they are too short for the D rings. I’m afraid she would hang herself. So I was thinking sturdy plywood attached to the divider going low to the floor with pool noodles secured to all edges as a divider for QH and pony. Thoughts?

Anyone have a better idea or have experience with this? Tips appreciated!

[PrincessPonies]

I have a very small pony, a couple inches above a mini. Not sure what kind of trailer you have or how your pony behaves, mine is trouble. When loose she tries to turn around and bite my horse. She gets tried with a very long lead rope so she isn’t being pulled and can still easily get her hay. But she can’t turn around and she can’t just walk off when I put down the ramp. With her size compared to the trailer dividers that works best for us. My friend trailed her mini loose but he was better behaved then mine. If possible you could try loading the mini and seeing how your pony fits in and what he might try doing while on the trailer.

[clanter]

one time event? make two trips

[MThorselady]

@clanter

one time event? make two trips

We are driving two hours one way for the vet and farrier…can’t make two trips.

[reignthealarm]

My mini is a nervous wreck in the trailer, even when in with his best friend (a TB). When left loose, he will turn around and duck under dividers, or worse, he will try to go OVER them! After a couple times of rearing and getting caught on chest bar (straight load), then again getting caught in a hay net, hung at normal horse height (slant load), he now rides BACKWARDS in a straight load! He is tied to the butt bar with no hay net and that seems to work well enough. No more rearing!

Is yours a straight load or slant load trailer?
If you are in a slant load, I would think your idea of plywood and noodles may work well enough, assuming both horses travel well. If a straight trailer, make sure you also put plywood on the front to prevent the little one from going under the chest bar. With your trip being 2 hours, I would make sure you put hay where she cannot get caught up in the net.

[chestnutmarebeware]

My 28" mini (tied) managed to shimmy out of his halter, open the access door and hop out. All while I was going about 30 mph. His buddy then did the same thing in order to follow him. My recommendation: tie them down like a hostage!

[atr]

I had to evacuate my crew of two full sized horses and a 37" mini from a rapidly approaching wildfire this summer. I have a 2 horse straight load trailer. I took out the head divider, loaded the two big guys, and then stuffed the mini through the escape door under their noses in the head space.

It was a case of “just shut up and get in there” but everyone did remarkably well. I tied mini to one of the D rings that the manger bags usually attach to on the front wall on the trailer.

I think if I had to tow the mini solo, I’d do the same thing and have him cross-wise in the front again. He seemed more stable than when I’ve put him in a straight-load compartment–I usually tie to one side of the breast bar if I’m doing that.

[MThorselady]

We have a three horse slant. So my mare would be in the front position with a divider and we took the second divider out so pony can’t get stuck under it. She is about 37". I was thinking if the plywood is on there so pony can’t touch the mare then she could be loose with hay to keep busy…like a stock trailer.

In the past she has hauled loose with her pony buddy (no dividers in trailer, no other horse.) and did wonderful. But her buddy was put to sleep a few days ago and this will be her first trip without her buddy.

One dilemma I have is whether to tie her. She can be flighty (abused and abandoned past) and the tie rings in our trailer are above the height of the windows. There is no lower option and I’m so worried I’ll open the door and find her hanging because she panicked and pulled back or fell. Should I tie her even though the rings are way high?

[rothmpp]

Can you do the same thing for the second divider? plywood with pool noodles? the just put her loose in the second, fully enclosed below the top of the divider, stall. Give her some hay on the floor and then you can safely open the rear door without worrying about her bolting out and also nothing for her to get hung up in.

[Leather]

What about using something like a Blocker Tie Ring or The Safe Clip? She can be tied but if she did panic or fall she wouldn’t get hung up.

I use the Blocker Tie Rings in my trailer for that very reason–plus I like that I don’t have the extra step of unclipping the lead rope and using a trailer tie.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/blocker-tie-ring-6004
https://smarttieproducts.com/products/clip/