Safe to tie two on one side of a 2 horse?

[ecileh]

I have a Hawk 2 horse bumper pull. At the moment, there are spots to tie on either side of the trailer.

My husband bought a horse recently and suddenly we are trailering places together. The two mares live together at home* and can be quite herd-bound when it comes to one another…this past weekend, we were at a clinic and I had to open up both of the man doors in the trailer so they could see one another through the trailer…because heaven forfend they not be in line of sight, even though their BFF is less than 10 feet away. (sigh)

We also fox hunt and park on the road quite a bit, which leaves one side of the trailer against a ditch. I had already been trying to figure out how to deal with that, but the experience this weekend at the clinic made me wonder if it would be safe to just take the trailer to the dealer and have them add another tie spot on the driver’s side.

I feel like that would put them pretty darn close to one another though…and maybe not a great idea? Any thoughts?

*At the moment, there is no way to separate them at home. BO and I are working on it, but right now that’s just not an option.

[trubandloki]

We tie on one side at several things, where the rules are to not tie on the traffic side (even though there is a ditch on the shoulder side).

[ecileh]

@trubandloki

We tie on one side at several things, where the rules are to not tie on the traffic side (even though there is a ditch on the shoulder side).

Do you use the same tie spot (on my trailer it’s a u-shaped bolt), or did you have another tie installed?

[trubandloki]

This trailer has a tie spot at the back. We have to put up the ramp and close the top. So one is near the front and one is near the back. They could reach each other if they wanted to. We only have them like this to tack and untack, so we are right there.

[Foxglove]

I added (rather the manufacturer added) a second tie ring on both sides of the trailer. Some folks even have a third and/or 4th put up high to hang a hay net. Having said that, I RARELY tie to my trailer and only if I can supervise my horse(s). I have seen too many accidents with horses pawing (tire exploded, scared horse, pulled side off trailer, ran away madly with jagged aluminum wall flapping behind him), rubbing heads (destroyed paint with deep scratches), chewing molding on wheel fenders, kicking at each other . . . if I must tie to the trailer, my boy is hobbled so he can’t paw and supervised.

[B-burg_Dressage]

My 2 horse BP slant load has two tie rings on each side. Perfectly safe (or as safe as straight tying any two horses next to each other) for my two geldings. Even my old straight load had the two tie rings on the back where they were just as close, though could have maneuvered away if they wanted I suppose.

[GoodTimes]

You can, just be careful if they’re tied in a spot (or if the tie/rope is too long) that they don’t get caught trying to go around the back of the trailer. I watched one horse get his halter caught on the latch holding the ramp closed.

[beowulf]

I have tied as much as four horses to one side of a trailer - just make sure each tie ring has baling twine (or some other breakaway) and each horse has an individual tie ring. You may need to install additional but it is cheap and easy. In a pinch you can tie to the same tie ring but I prefer not to in case one horse has a moment.

A side track but – one of the things I love most about my “new” (to me) flatbed truck is that I can tie horses to it. I bolted down several rings on both sides of the truck flatbed - six horses total can be tied to the truck/trailer combo.

[ecileh]

@beowulf

A side track but – one of the things I love most about my “new” (to me) flatbed truck is that I can tie horses to it. I bolted down several rings on both sides of the truck flatbed - six horses total can be tied to the truck/trailer combo.

That sounds amazing! (Of course, I can only haul two at a time…but how cool to be able to tie to the truck!)

[beowulf]

It’s pretty rad. Pre-COVID, we would “tailgate” on it after a show or outing with haybags for the horses and beers and treats for us. Here’s a picture of the set-up; we were at an XC outing last fall, haybag + grain on the top of the flatbed. It’s SO useful!

[candyappy]

As long as they don’t kick at one another they should be fine tied to the same side.

[ecileh]

[foggythistle]

It also doubles (triples?) as a tall mounting block!

[sascha]

Yes? If done as safely as possible.

I take extra precautions even though my horse ties perfectly. She will literally stare me down while doing mini rears (front feet 2" off the ground) putting zero pressure on her tie when she would prefer to be loaded rather than stand outside the trailer. She is not stupid lol when it’s cooler inside or outside atmosphere is just too busy for her taste, she will let me know

My extra precautions are a round very silky/slippery rope* with a safety snap instead of a regular clip and a proper quick release knot at the trailer. So, if she should really yank, she will be loose with a halter on and nothing trailing after her to make her further flip her noodle or get caught in. If I should be present when she flips it, a quick yank puts her under my control with a lead rope of sorts that I can swap out quickly for a proper lead rope.

When trailering a buddy, they either get tied either side of the ramp (ramp up, of course) or on the same side. All depends on parking logistics, but I don’t tie them on opposite sides where they can’t see each other. After all, trailering together for 15 minutes or more = married for life! LOL! Both get full safety precautions whether the other owner believes it’s necessary for their horse or not. I have 2 of those ropes that stay in my trailer at all times.

*I want a quick release knot to come away with one easy tug no matter if it’s wet, dry, being pulled on by the horse, etc.

[endlessclimb]

@Foxglove

pulled side off trailer, ran away madly with jagged aluminum wall flapping behind him)

If this happened, the tie ring was not appropriately installed. It is to be throughbolted to the frame, not the skin of the trailer. The ring itself snaps or the horse drags the entire trailer with them.

[equinelibrium]

I have almost exactly the same situation as you. Boyfriend’s gelding lives with my mare and they cannot be out of each other’s sight when off property We’ve been tying them to the same side of the trailer with no issues, but our trailer does have 4 tie rings on each side (2 for tying horses, and 2 high up for I assume haynets).

For what it’s worth, I’m not convinced that having them live separately would solve the problem, at least in my situation. The couple of times I’ve gone on long road trips my mare gets uber attached to her trailer buddy, so she would probably just get attached all over again in the trailer…

[ecileh]

@equinelibrium

For what it’s worth, I’m not convinced that having them live separately would solve the problem, at least in my situation. The couple of times I’ve gone on long road trips my mare gets uber attached to her trailer buddy, so she would probably just get attached all over again in the trailer…

I think it might. My mare gets super-attached to anything she lives with, but has never really cared about a horse that might have hitched a ride on the trailer and seems to forget they even exist when we have gone places with friends and moved off separately.

I don’t know. I have always sort of rolled my eyes at my fellow hunt members who have horses like this…but now that my husband is riding too, the struggle is very real!

[trubandloki]

@equinelibrium

For what it’s worth, I’m not convinced that having them live separately would solve the problem, at least in my situation. The couple of times I’ve gone on long road trips my mare gets uber attached to her trailer buddy, so she would probably just get attached all over again in the trailer…

Or that horse they stood next to for a few minutes that they have never met before and is suddenly their best friend in the whole world and it is not allowed to leave.

So strange to have a horse that acts like this when she does not appear to be herd bound at all with the horse she lives with at home.

[beowulf]

Regarding the woes of being herdbound, I feel it. My horses all get Nov-Janish off, just because its impossible to do any meaningful work in the NE winters here without an indoor. Every year I go through the herd-bound hysterics the first few weeks everyone is back into work including if I – god forbid – trailer someone anywhere. If I’ve learned anything it’s just that you have to keep doing it every day. Take them apart, do your work, go back. Rinse/repeat. Then one day it’s like the herd-bound switch is turned off.

FWIW, I don’t think living separately changes it much either. I think it just makes their stress about being alone worse but they eventually “cope”.

Horses.

[equinelibrium]

I hope it works for you! I totally feel your pain on suddenly being *that * person. I’d forgotten how embarrassing it is to have the horse that’s getting everyone else worked up in the warm-up ring. Gotta love horses for keeping you humble!

Ours do get upset if they’re left alone at home, but nowhere near the antics they pulled the last time we hauled away. At home the one left alone will call and pace a bit, but will still eat hay. The one taken out is usually completely fine. At the show both completely lost their minds, even when attached to their human.