My horse always seems to scalp himself in the trailer, so he goes in a head bumper and a flymask over it. One time I just used the head bumper and he still managed to scrape the little star entirely off his face. I swear, I don’t know how he does it! I’ve been through the trailer looking for sharp edges and can’t find them. He’s a magician that way.
Clothing depends on the horse, and weather.
Legs either get bandaged all around, BOT quick wraps all around or naked. Always front bell boots.
Leather halter.
Out of curiosity, do people do shipping wraps any more
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/547206_10151970151535132_396377485_n.jpg
(my old mare, wrapped in shipping wraps)
Or do people just do regular standing wraps
https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1175472_10151822570340132_1479395478_n.jpg
(Current boy during a show)
and add bell boots for heel/shoe protection?
If so why? I have made the transition to standing wraps or shipping boots rather than shipping wraps but I don’t really know why. I was fairly young when I made the switch and probably did it just cause that’s what others around me were doing. My current boy would probably kick the whole ride if his hind wraps were that low (I do them slightly higher than regular standing wraps even or he gets annoyed, though he’s totally fine in shipping boots) so I wouldn’t do shipping wraps with him but I’ve had other horses that were totally fine with low wraps that I could do it on.
I use shipping boots rather than wraps per the advice of a vet. Wraps can come unwrapped and get tangled around a horse’s legs. Boots are usually a big piece of material with velcro sewn on. Even though they can come undone or slip down, they cannot entangle a horse’s legs and cause damage.
I’ve never had a horse have problems wearing shipping boots. I just “practice” with them if I am not sure if the horse has ever worn them. Put them on, walk the horse around put him in the stall for ten minutes, and then it’s no big deal.
[QUOTE=Flash44;7235674]
I use shipping boots rather than wraps per the advice of a vet. Wraps can come unwrapped and get tangled around a horse’s legs. Boots are usually a big piece of material with velcro sewn on. Even though they can come undone or slip down, they cannot entangle a horse’s legs and cause damage.
I’ve never had a horse have problems wearing shipping boots. I just “practice” with them if I am not sure if the horse has ever worn them. Put them on, walk the horse around put him in the stall for ten minutes, and then it’s no big deal.[/QUOTE]
I have never, in about 15 years since I learned to wrap, had a pair of wraps come unwrapped or get tangled.
I ship in the big full-coverage boots. Blankets depend on the season, Newmarket fleece under the Baker in the winter, spring depends, and then a fly sheet in the summer. Sometimes he’ll ship back in standing wraps over poultice/liniment if it’s a far distance. Otherwise I wrap at home. Our trailer rides are typically 10-20 minutes, but can be up to an hour to one showground.
No bumper/sheepskin halter/etc.
Since the the heavy well made expensive shipping boots came out, I use those. A leather halter. Blankets optional as trailer is pretty warm.
Ship your horse in the way that he is comfortable - if he’s never wrapped or booted, I’d not start on a trailer ride.
I’ve seen horses panic about shipping boots (that come loose/undone - horse was being acclimated at home) so I’d not assume they are absolutely safer than properly done wraps.
(the only wraps I’ve seen come undone were done by the kids in training 
)
[QUOTE=alto;7235959]
Ship your horse in the way that he is comfortable - if he’s never wrapped or booted, I’d not start on a trailer ride.
I’ve seen horses panic about shipping boots (that come loose/undone - horse was being acclimated at home) so I’d not assume they are absolutely safer than properly done wraps.
(the only wraps I’ve seen come undone were done by the kids in training )[/QUOTE]
My trainer had a teenager wrap her jumper backwards and bandage bow him. Luckily, it was very mild and only put him out of work for about two weeks. I was pretty sure said teenager was going to have to jump the jumps in place of the jumper gelding.
I have never had wraps come undone. I’ve wrapped a LOT of horses a LOT of times (when you’re the grunt/show-wife, you wrap). Our two were in standing wraps, in a trailer for 8-10 hours for 9 days straight with no issues.
ElisLove- Like your guy, my mare would be crabby about stuff that low on the backs of her heels. Our gelding is, well, “schpeciul” and nothing bothers him. A good trait in a horse, but he is a little slow mentally…
However, I will wrap a little lower on the fetlocks if I feel they need a little support. Much like putting on a good pair of sneakers if you are going to be on your feet all day.
-Leather halter
- Dover mesh-lined shipping boots…I prefer boots to wrapping
- Bell boots (not necessary because the shipping boots cover but I just leave his on since he always wears them)
- Wrap tail with ace bandage
- Stable sheet if cold enough and he is by himself. If there is another horse in the trailer I usually don’t put a sheet on until it’s around 40 degrees F or below because of the body heat with the windows and doors closed. Sometimes have 2 sheets on him if it’s really cold but I try not to ship in blanket.
Naked except for a leather halter and maybe a light sheet. The only time I ever had a shipping injury was when I DID have shipping boots on! I used to haul twice weekly 3+ hours to hunt and also multiple cross country trips of 3 days. If I was hauling more than one horse I might reconsider due to the possibility of them stepping on each other, but it’s almost always just one, and I think they balance better and knock themselves up less when bare-legged.
[QUOTE=TheJenners;7235140]
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.[/QUOTE]
That’s an interesting thought. I always was taught leather crown piece or halter as a break away. But not having the horse loose without a halter is a very good point. Maybe put on 2 halters?..I think hay strings sometimes break too easily. I want the horse to feel pressure and eventually give as opposed to learning they can break away easily. Leather halters will break if the horse is so frightened, misbehaving, pulling really hard etc…but they do not break if they pull back and a have a little 20 second fit and then relax.
For those that use the sheep skin halter or “fuzzy halter”, why do you use that halter for shipping?
[QUOTE=Cannonball;7236614]
For those that use the sheep skin halter or “fuzzy halter”, why do you use that halter for shipping?[/QUOTE]
People use it to prevent rubs. I have never had a problem with rubs with leather halters however some horses have more sensitive skin or ship more than my horses.
[QUOTE=saaskya;7235268]
does anyone else breath a sigh of total contentment and satisfaction after completing nice, pretty wraps.[/QUOTE]
Yep. I’m also OCD about standing wraps. I’m pretty particular about how I want them done and how they should look when they’re finished. I’ve been known to undo and redo my own horse’s wraps a couple times because they just didn’t look right.
[QUOTE=ybiaw;7236742]
Yep. I’m also OCD about standing wraps. I’m pretty particular about how I want them done and how they should look when they’re finished. I’ve been known to undo and redo my own horse’s wraps a couple times because they just didn’t look right.[/QUOTE]
Me.
[QUOTE=To the MAX;7235678]
I have never, in about 15 years since I learned to wrap, had a pair of wraps come unwrapped or get tangled.[/QUOTE]
Me either, but I’ve seen shipping wraps other people put on come loose when the horse kicked or stomped a lot in the trailer. It doesn’t take much for a horse to kick the bandage off. Of course, that same horse will kick off a shipping boot too, but won’t get tangled up in it. I’ve also pulled standing bandages off a horse that shipped in and watched the tendon blow up like a balloon because the person who put them on put them on too tight. For me, usually trailering 30 - 60 minutes, boots are safe and easy.
[QUOTE=Flash44;7237040]
Me either, but I’ve seen shipping wraps other people put on come loose when the horse kicked or stomped a lot in the trailer. It doesn’t take much for a horse to kick the bandage off. Of course, that same horse will kick off a shipping boot too, but won’t get tangled up in it. I’ve also pulled standing bandages off a horse that shipped in and watched the tendon blow up like a balloon because the person who put them on put them on too tight. For me, usually trailering 30 - 60 minutes, boots are safe and easy.[/QUOTE]
Masking tape can be your friend 
It doesnt look as pretty but it certainly safeguards any chance of wraps getting undone.
Standing wraps on all fours. Bell boots on the front.
Always always finish the wrap of with a round of tape. Wrapping has become a lost art in this day and age though, most people are better off leaving them naked.
I ship out weekly to lessons, etc…
Summer - leather halter
Winter - fleece cooler, leather halter
