Hi everyone! I have to trailer my horses today, and I’m getting very nervous because of the weather. It’s raining super hard and looks like it’s not going to relent all day. I’m concerned because we have an open stock trailer and I’m worried that the floors will get wet and cause my horses to slip. Is this something I need to worry about? The trailer does have mats. Should we also put down shavings? Is there anything else we can do keep them from slipping?
If you have good, textured mats & drive with extra caution, they will be fine. I actually never put bedding in my trailer (stock sides) & you definitely don’t want to when it’s wet. Remember to give them extra warning (I use a gentle brake squeeze) to balance when turning & take everything where they may need to shift their weight slowly.
Safe travels. 
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Mats can often be super slippery when we wet. I always bed with shavings. I have a stock trailer too and have hauled all over the country in every weather imaginable. If it’s cold, throw a breathable cooler on them
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If a trailer mat gets slippery when wet it’s a poor quality trailer mat and I’d replace it. The mats in my Featherlite don’t get slippery when I pressure wash them. The worst problem I ever had was when our main trailer was a six horse, former cattle hauler with a textured aluminum deck. That could get slick and that one we bedded. But it has to be the right bedding, one with a very low dust content. Otherwise air flow through the trailer can create a permanent “dust cloud” and that’s not a good thing.
Hauling in rain your main enemy is water on the road, not in the trailer. In heavy rain, or in areas where a thin layer of water is running or ponding on the pavement, you must be cognizant of hydroplaning. I’ve never done that pulling a trailer but I have in a few other circumstances. It WILL get your attention when it happens. Keeping your speed down to safe levels is an absolute necessity.
G.
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You can also keep your flashers on and just drive slowly, allow looong stopping distances, take turns super slowly if it is still pouring. The horse are not your main worry - it’s other drivers and your own speed. Horses weigh a lot, and their feet don’t slip easily when they are standing and bracing on trailer mats.
I use shavings. Absorbs urine too and makes manure less slippery.
I trailer thousands of miles and won’t even go to the local park without shavings on the floor. The only time I gave in was when a volunteer offered to take us and another gal to a place on the trail where we’d missed a sign on an endurance ride. Her horse slipped on manure on the rubber mat and fell under the divider and under my mare. Both horses behaved beautifully and were extricated with only scrapes and bruises. But I swore never again to make an exception to the rule: rubber mats are slippery!
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Agree on adding shavings.
Even wet, they won’t be slippery.
Pellets could work too, but wet them down.
I hauled cart & mini in my stock trailer in dry weather & arrived to find cart covered in pellet dust. 3h drive, mostly highway.
Mini was dusty too, but not nearly as bad as the cart.
Still, I worried the dust could have caused mini problems with his eyes & breathing.
On the return trip I wet the pellets & no dust.
I always use shavings. I have a Rumber floor (rubber encased lumber) and want to protect it from urine and manure. Shavings accomplish this nicely. It also provides a little extra cushioning.
Do not use your flashers. This is a bad idea.
