In general, my horses are very good in the trailer (Precious wasn't always that way) and I have gotten a little lax in how I manage trailering. Last night when I get to Julie's to use her round pen, I take Zapa out of the trailer first. I then go up to Santana and before I can get him unhooked, he backs ALL THE WAY out of the trailer and stands, tethered by elastic that is in the process of being stretched to its limits (and I am watching start to snap before my eyes).
So, what do you do? When the mistake is already made and you have to resolve the situation before the elastic snaps or the horse jumps on top of you? I reached over to Santana and tried to use the safety latch to unsnap the trailer tie. First attempt, no luck. I'm praying that the elastic won't break and/or the tie won't snap in my face when I undo it. Second attempt it comes loose. The snap isn't as bad as I expected, but did I mention that I didn't have a lead rope attached?
*Jerri bows for the stupidity award*
Of course, I haven't filled you all in on my recent experiences with Santana, so the fact that I was able to quickly catch him was nothing short of a miracle.
This is what my old elastic trailer tie now looks like:
So lesson learned:
1. Unhook horses and attached lead ropes BEFORE opening divider
2. Practice horses standing untied in trailer BEFORE backing them out (which by the way I do with my own horses, but this was only the 3rd time I'd trailered Santana)
3. Use nylon trailer ties (that elastic was scary) so they can't back all the way out of the trailer (I'm still not sure this is the best decision)
4. Always use trailer ties with quick release latches AND spray them with WD40 or Silicone spray if they get sticky (mine were getting sticky so I did this before we went home-I keep a can of that stuff in my trailer).
5. Don't be an idiot, always practice good, safe trailering techniques no matter who the horse.
3 comments:
Wow, sounds like that could have been a disaster if it had gone any differently. So glad you and your horse are both safe and sound.
Hi,
I was searching for a few good Horse Blogs over the net, and thankfully came across 'Learning Horses'.
Since, this blog is in most ways dedicated to horses, thought of dropping in a line or two on the upcoming Derby here in the UK.
The Epsom Derby, which is considered to be one of the most prestigious flat thoroughbred horse races in the world is one of the most iconic events in the British sporting and social calendar. It will take place, this week, at the Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surry, England.
I've been covering the latest news and tips on the Derby at my website - www.jumpingjockey.com
For the 2006 Epsom Derby Video please visit http://www.jumpingjockey.blogspot.com
Regards,
JJ.
I never tie my horse in the float (trailer) nor do I use bum bars (having taken out the centre divider from my two horse trailer). Training a horse to enter and stand in a float is important and can save you many more hours of stress than it takes. However, for most horses simply tieing the horse using its lead rope and bailing twine works perfectly well without having to invest in yet another piece of gear like a traier tie.
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