"Do Horses Like to Ride in the Trailer?" Topic

I know dogs love to ride in the car, but do horses like to ride in motor vehicles or in trailers towed by motor vehicles?

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

It depends on the horse. Most are fine and couldn't care less; a few act like they're being led to slaughter when tying to get them loaded up. My sister once had to ride a horse several miles, along a highway and through a town, back to the barn once after a horse show because it simply refused to get in the trailer.

Glad you asked. Usually the deciding factor is whether the trailer has a steel floor or, god forbid, a wooden floor weakened by years of wear and tear and horse urine. If said floor was in shoddy condition and if there is a chance that the horse could step through the floor with one or all four hooves while you gaily haul down the road at 70mph in your Powerstroke or Duramax, listening to Carry Underwood, unaware of the screams and carnage going on behind you, AND the horse is aware of the floor problem and a myriad of predictable and unfortunate outcomes, it will not get in the trailer and will beat you to death at the first chance.

Actually Endless, you are WRONG!

The horse would beat the driver to death because said personage were listening to Carrie Underwood! (I know I would)!

Of the three I once had, two were fine, walked up the ramp
and into the box w/o problem, rode easily.

The third, though…he was a real pill about loading, but
he rode quietly once in the box.

My horse loves riding in the trailer. Every time I hook up to it, even just to move it or for maintenance, he comes running and whinnying. Leave the trailer in the field with the ramp down and he will get in it on his own. My wife's horse makes up for mine. We had to feed him in the trailer for a couple weeks before he would board without a fuss. Even then, he won't board an empty trailer. Another horse has to be inside first.

Depends on how drunk I am;)

I am offended having to look at a horse's rear-end as I travel behind the horse trailer. Horse's need more modesty.

That does remind me of my early driving days when I tended to tailgate. I was behind a tractor trailer hauling cattle. One of those bovine cut loose a torrential outpouring. I hit the brakes and the wipers at the same time. That driver must have laughed his ass off watching my yellow (and now yellow-er) Pinto rapidly make distance behind him. I don't tailgate anymore.

Kelly, the same thing happened after I bought my horse. He stands 16-3 and his rear is somewhat higher than the tailgate. We picked him up in Tennessee and were heading for home in Georgia. At a pit stop in Chattanooga, some guy in a rather expensive foreign convertible with the top down was not happy with my speed on the exit ramp, so he laid on the horn while right on our back bumper. This spooked the horse and he let go. The detritus went on and over the windshield. He pulled up beside us at the gas station and got out in his wet, newly brown clothes. He started approaching my wife screaming obscenities until he saw the Smith and Wesson hanging on my hip. Then he remembered he had an appointment somewhere else.

CS and KA,
Horse rear gunner…..

A different story from years ago.

Spooking a horse bad news. Many years ago an "idiot dim bulb" sounded a horn repeatedly besides a horse and "other actions" near a standing horse. Horse reared up and promptly landed his hoofs and weight on the car hood of the said mentioned person. Crushed the metal car hood completely in short order. Said person was "red faced" and called police. Local sheriff stopped by, , heard two different stories, saw the scene on store video covering the parking lot, and cuffed /arrested the complaining idiot. Story in paper several days later told the "idiot" had two days in jail (posted bond) for lying to authorities and several other charges etc, paid fines and court costs of $1,200 USD dollars and had car impounded for evidence till trial (weeks later).

Seems the horse owner and sheriff had same family name.

I always wondered about this. I always felt so sorry for them when I see one being transported. I know its not inhumane or cruel, but still felt sorry for the horse.

As to the "waste elimination" comments. I can only relate with one comment. Either keep a several car distance behind a tractor trailer carrying pigs or pass it as soon as possible.
Got stuck behind one on a two lane road once for several miles on a two lane no passing road. I swear, two hours afterward, going into see a customer, my clothes even smelled. That was with the windows closed and the ac on.
Definitely didnt want barbeque that day.

One of my horses actually seemed to enjoy it. I had a four horse stock trailer. My friend and I used it for cavalry re-enactment events mostly.

Although hit would hold four horses, there were just the two of them. As my horse was larger, we put him up front. He had a halter on, but no lead rope and was not tied. We closed the gate separating the front and back halves and put the second horse in.

Off we went. My horse always rode facing the rear. He munched away on some hay in a hay net tied to the side and seemed quite content.

Most people in the East (where I live) tie their horses in the trailer. Western ranchers leave them loose like I did, in this type of trailering arrangement. The horses are quite callm this way and apparently comfortable.

Tom

This spooked the horse and he let go. The detritus went on and over the windshield.

"If my horse can sh*t on you, then you're too close." would be a great bumper sticker.

In mother Russia, horse ride you.

Always figured that it's one of the marks of industrialization when we move from horses pulling vehicles to vehicles pulling horses.