Trailering: Should I Box Stall?

[Guilherme]

@cutter99

I have done up to 16 hours in a day with my horses in a slant load and they have handled it just fine. I also have a stock trailer that I use for day rides, but I’m not sure I would use it for longer hauls. I think the horses tend to use the slants for support on the longer hauls, plus I think the slants help to keep the horses from getting throw around more in case of an accident.

It takes us just short of this time (13-14 hours) to go from home to El Reno, OK for the National Cavalry Competition. We usually break the trip at about 9-10 hours and that puts us near Ft. Smith, AR. Only once did we do the trip non-stop as we had three drivers and did it at night. It was not pleasant for the humans (at least not for me). My older mare came off a bit stiff but she worked out of it quickly. The two younger horses had no issues.

Folks can either pay attention to Newton or pay the price for not doing so.

G.

[merrygoround]

@Guilherme

Dealer’s choice, IMO!

I prefer the GN 'cause it’s easier to maneuver. That might make a marginal difference in its favor. But probably not enough to worry about.

G.

With which combo where the test done?

As well as maneuvering more easily, their stabilization is quite different.

I never again want to deal with a tag-a-long except for moving my ATV and not too valuable furniture.:lol:

[pluvinel]

@merrygoround

With which combo where the test done?

As well as maneuvering more easily, their stabilization is quite different.

I never again want to deal with a tag-a-long except for moving my ATV and not too valuable furniture.:lol:

The physics of a 1000 pound mass flying around loose in a box during an emergency maneuver (such as a quick/abrupt stop) are the same whether that box is attached to bumper pull hitch or a goose neck hitch.

The loose horse will suffer greater injuries than the one that is restrained…same as with humans wearing or not wearing seat belts in a car accident.

[Bluey]

@pluvinel

The physics of a 1000 pound mass flying around loose in a box during an emergency maneuver (such as a quick/abrupt stop) are the same whether that box is attached to bumper pull hitch or a goose neck hitch.

The loose horse will suffer greater injuries than the one that is restrained…same as with humans wearing or not wearing seat belts in a car accident.

No matter what you haul that your load is tied down solid is important to avoid weight shifts, double so with horses.
As anyone that hauls live loads can attest to, restrained or packed in there where there is no room to bounce off walls is safer, so the weight in the trailer is stationary, doesn’t shift with inertia and causes the trailer to have wild swings and fishtail, which contributes to wrecks.

You can feel it when a horse is traveling loose back there and moving around.
Now, which way is more comfortable for a horse over a long haul?
My guess, it may depend on the individual horse being hauled.

[B_and_B]

I routinely did a 16 hour (give or take hours depending on customs at the Canadian border), with a big thoroughbred in a tight standing stall. It had a chest manger (which I hated for other reasons) and a partial divider. There was enough space for him to shift his weight but no more. He had to stand with his feet square underneath him. An emergency stop would put him hard up against the manager, but he couldn’t keep going.
I gave him several days off to relax and unkink, but even at 18 (the last time I did it) he was alright. It was never a difficult trip. In fact, the funny thing was, for the last three years of that, the only time he ever got on the trailer was to make that run. Never phased him!
Personally, for anything that isn’t behind a Peterbilt and on air ride, I prefer to keep them in a standing stall. It reduces the very ugly flying horse syndrome when gravity takes over because someone just cut you off and you had to lock up the brakes. It may not be what they like, but I would rather they were safe than happy.