Trailering with windows up, or windows down? Making travel cooler

[scrbear11]

I have a slant load trailer. It’s hot. Really hot. I have always trailered with the feed door up.

I see more and more people trailering with the feed doors down and their horse hanging it’s head out the window.

I see the danger in that… but I do have safety bars so little mare can’t stick her entire head out. Still a risk, but if she wears a fly mask to travel… Thoughts?

Also saw someone else pulling a slant load. The feed door was up in the slant the horse was in, but the feed door was down on the next slant over so the air in the trailer could circulate.

Any suggestions on making travel during the hot months cooler?

[Highflyer]

If you have bars /screens I would leave them open. I would never let the horse put its head out while you are moving.

[cutter99]

If you have jail bars on you windows, drop the windows and leave the jail bars up. That is what they were designed for- optimum air flow. Never, ever go down the road with a horse sticking its head out a window!

[hosspuller]

Always a fly mask when using the jail bars only. Drive with your hand out the window. You’ll feel the road grit impacts… Think of the horse eyes.

[FatCatFarm]

Windows down with jailbars up only for me and mine. Vet says allowing horses to hang their heads out the windows while moving is a major no, no for the eyes and not to do it.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=FatCatFarm;8210039]
Windows down with jailbars up only for me and mine. Vet says allowing horses to hang their heads out the windows while moving is a major no, no for the eyes and not to do it.[/QUOTE]

+1

G.

[tabula_rashah]

Another vote for the windows down/ bars up. I’m all about as much ventilation as possible but not hanging heads out the window.

[2tempe]

I open all windows, but leave the one in front of his face only open a few inches. Also, my trailer has two ceiling vents.
Noticed last weekend that my ceiling is very hot this time of year and am going to look into getting it insulated…

[cayuse]

No to the head hanging out. As someone who has a horse that battles with eye issues, that scenerio gives me the willies!
Could you open the windows in the next stall back so it’s not blowing directly towards her?

[Appsolute]

Yeah NEVER allow them to hang their heads out of a moving trailer! Not saying you would OP - but people do it - just last weekend non “horsey” hubby and I were driving, when he eblowed me and pointed - that isn’t safe right?! I looked over - horses hanging their heads and necks out the window while going 70+ down the freeway.

Not safe at all - and never okay. No no no to this.

But for hot weather? YES windows DOWN, bars UP, and fly masks ON.

[DoubleDown]

How we roll- all Windows down, all bars up, and fly masks on!

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=hosspuller;8209920]
Always a fly mask when using the jail bars only. Drive with your hand out the window. You’ll feel the road grit impacts… Think of the horse eyes.[/QUOTE]

I agree, any time you trailer, I’d put a fly mask on. In addition to road detritus, if you have hay in the trailer or shavings, the sawdust and hay flies around and can get quite irritating.

As everyone else says, any time you are moving, everything should be shut to keep the horse in - jailbars especially. Window screens open but never leave the actual window itself open!

Also, I’m seeing a lot of people who trailer straight loads with the top windows (that overlap the ramp) open. DON’T DO THAT! I have witnessed to my absolute HORROR a horse that flipped back over the closed ramp (but open window) while the driver was leaving the show ground. It was absolutely horrifying. I don’t know if the horse was okay, he was very banged up.

[beau159]

Windows always open.

Even when it’s not hot outside. Air flow is so important.

My guys always get hauled with their fly masks on. The “jail bars” keep their heads inside.

[Heart_s_Journey]

Fans that are on the butt side, so they blow air across the horse’s rump, back, etc even when the trailer isn’t moving. Fans really make quite a difference as well as the open windows w/bars, fly masks, and ceiling vents

[PeanutButterPony]

Windows down/open
Bars up
Go

[stb]

All vents open. Windows down. Jail bars up. Fly mask on. It’s hot down here, y’all.

[fordtraktor]

I ordered extra windows for light and airflow, but I leave the big windows closed and open the smaller inset windows. I might feel differently if I lived in FL! Also, I close the back of the straight load. I have windows in those too which I open for ventilation.

[IndyEquestrian]

Windows down, bars or screens up and fly masks on. . . For us the more air the better . . .

[DressageLin]

I regularly trailer with the top of my dutch door straight load open. I honestly never gave it a second thought. Hearing that a horse flipped over the half door is certainly making me re-think this. Do others just leave these closed? I hate the thought of it being so stuffy while trailering in the summer heat.

[Highflyer]

The trailer we had when I was a kid (older Kingston) didn’t even have top doors, just a (long destroyed) tarp that unrolled to cover the back when it was raining. I do remove the top doors on my trailer (they don’t fold back flat) and haul without them most of the year. Personally, I feel that if you are hauling horses that haul well and are loaded facing forward, the risk is minimal. Obviously I would not haul a foal or a loose horse/ horse facing to the rear without top doors, but I feel comfortable doing it with my horses loaded facing front and the partition fastened. Realistically, if they rear in the trailer, there is going to be a major problem regardless of whether the doors are open.