I have to update some apparel for one of my horses, and figured it was a good chance to see what people are using, what works & what you don’t like/use. I have a body-clipped horse I routinely ship for lessons, etc., and live in New England. I’m still a ‘wrap-for-shipping’ person, but, I have used Back on Track wraps up front on the way to our destination, and am awfully tempted to try shipping boots for those o’dark-thirty treks in the freezing cold :yes:
We ship with fuzzy shipping halters, front standing wraps and bell boots, and nothing on the hinds. For blankets, they go naked or in anti-sweat sheets. I’m also in New England.
I use standing wraps and a fuzzy shipping halter. Clothing depends on what time of year it is.
Thanks.
Are the naked horses clipped? I know they run ‘hot’ while trailer but some mornings it’s in the single digits when we load…
[QUOTE=supershorty628;7234752]
I use standing wraps and a fuzzy shipping halter. Clothing depends on what time of year it is.[/QUOTE]
Do you have a to its shipping blanket/sheet/whatever? Layer or?
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Thanks.
Are the naked horses clipped? I know they run ‘hot’ while trailer but some mornings it’s in the single digits when we load…[/QUOTE]
Yes, clipped, though they’re not usually going anywhere in the winter except to Florida (anti-sweat sheets for that). At my old barn, all the horses shipped to one day shows in the winter with whatever blankets they had on. It’s personal preference and really depends on your horse. Some horses run hotter or colder than others.
[QUOTE=huntereq1292;7234768]
Yes, clipped, though they’re not usually going anywhere in the winter except to Florida (anti-sweat sheets for that). At my old barn, all the horses shipped to one day shows in the winter with whatever blankets they had on. It’s personal preference and really depends on your horse. Some horses run hotter or colder than others.[/QUOTE]
Ah that makes sense 
Most of my winter will be spent…embracing the cold…
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Do you have a to its shipping blanket/sheet/whatever? Layer or?[/QUOTE]
I just use stable blankets and layer as necessary (my trailer is really warm, so I almost never need more than one blanket!). I haven’t shipped when it’s really cold for a while, but IIRC, when I sent Nikki back from MN to NY in November of last year, I’m pretty sure I had a sheet and a Baker blanket on her.
I use standing wraps, leather halter, and if it’s winter (clipped horse) a stable sheet or his fitted wool cooler if it’s pretty cold. It gets quite warm in the trailer even in the coldest of weather.
In the dead of winter whatever the turnout blanket is. In less cold weather a sheet, cooler, or naked.
Regular halter, naked legs, never used shipping boots or wraps on a horse. If I’m going to be tying to the trailer then I might up boots on at home.
Leather hatler- they break if the horse pulls back. (nylon does not. They have nylon halters with leather crowns for shipping, too, if you’re stuck on having a nylon halter.)
Bell Boots - to protect shoe pulling (hopefully, though we all know that shoes get pulled with bells on, but hey, we do our best!).
Standing Wraps - Controversial subject. Some people say no wraps because they can be unwrapped and go everywhere, I say wraps because I hate shipping boots. They (again controversial) “add support” as much as a wrap can support a 1200 lb horse can, they protect very well, and to me, shipping boots a) are a hassle, b) can cause a lot of anxiety in some horses who aren’t used to them c) can slip down and you’re in the same if not worse boat than if wraps unwrap.
as far as clothes go, depends on weather, clip job, etc. really your call. I usually strip down one layer (so if they’re blanketed, it goes to a lighter blanket, if it’s a light blanket, to a sheet, if it’s raining, a sheet, it’s your call)
I’ve done naked legs, wrapped legs, and shipping booted legs on 14 hour trips and it’s really hadn’t made a difference either way. I like the way wrapping/booted legs make me feel safer (and I’ve wrapped plenty of legs and shipped plenty of time with boots that I don’t feel it’s any more likely to cause a problem than simply wrapping a stalled horse). My shipping boots are getting too old now that I would not use them for long trips, they aren’t stiff enough anymore to stay up as well as I’d like.
Blankets it totally depends. In -15 degree celcius weather and lower I think I’ve often used a light rain sheet. In warmer weather naked, cooler, or baker type sheet
Leather halter.
Wrapped legs, bell boots, fleece shipping halter with a head bumper, and whatever blanket they’d normally be turned out in (in the winter).
Prefer shipping boots to standings for those painfully early mornings. I like the ones Dover sells. I will ship in standings on the way home if he’s worked hard (like, after an event).
Neither of my horses wear anything BUT leather halters, so they’re in them no matter what.
Clothes depends on the horse, if there’s a travel companion, the trip (local, or traveling south? or long distance but cold), and the weather. My horse HATES the cold and shivers kinda easily, BUT, he also gets a little bit of a runny nose and a minor cough if I close the trailer up too much. So, I usually leave it more open and bundle him in light, wicking, breathable layers.
I do for all of ours:
Fuzzy shipping halter
If it’s under 40 degrees out and they’re clipped I use a baker blanket or Irish knit, if it’s above then a scrim to keep them clean
I wrap tails with equifit tail wraps incase someone gets the tail munchies or wants to rub.
Long distance (like over 250mi) we do shipping boots and bell boots
Localish we do standing wraps on all four and bell boots. I prefer the Velcro bell boots because I’m lazy…
We’ll fly spray so the don’t get the urge to stamp flies and have haynets hanging. Mine ship on smartship and show.
My boys get leather halters, stable blankets/wool coolers with shipping boots on the way there and wraps with bells for the way back- if they jumped otherwise they stay in the shipping boots.
I have never shipped a horse with bare legs.
When I ship I usually throw some polos on but if I’m going farther away I put some shipping boots over the polos (polos help them from slipping down) and bell boots, along with a tail bag for long trips and the clothes they wear depend on the temp.
Nylon halters because I’d rather the horse not be naked in an emergency. But I either don’t tie, or tie with a trailer tie and a hay string.
Polos on all four and bells.
That’s it.
When we moved from WA to FL last winter, we did standing wraps because we were concerned with stocking up. It worked really well. In 9 full days of traveling, only one morning did one of our two get stocked up. And, that was poor planning on our part. We stopped in Amarillo for the night at a cutting barn. Cutting horses are markedly smaller than our two Tbs. 10x10 stall wasn’t my mare’s friend. (still feel bad about that one…)
We also put bell boots on all the way around in the trailer if they are shod. Our gelding managed to step on his back right with his back left in the trailer about a month before we moved. He shoved three nails into the sole of his hoof. Luckily, we were on our way to the vet clinic to get teeth done and Coggins/etc.
Would it have happened with bells on all the way around? Maybe, but it hasn’t happened since!
Beyond that, leather halters and our thin wool coolers if it’s chilly. We have a 4h slant, so being stuffy isn’t as much of a problem with only two horses in our trailer.
i really hate shipping boots and would rather ship naked than with them. i know everything has its pros and cons but i just feel like they are pointless. but im also a really competent, OCD leg wrapper and find nothing more satisfying than the sight of 4 perfectly standing-wrapped legs. im such a weirdo, i know. (does anyone else breath a sigh of total contentment and satisfaction after completing nice, pretty wraps?)
ive shipped naked legs before, at the request of owner, but it was always really short distances.
always a leather halter or nylon with a breakaway crownpiece.
