Anyone care to share the most unusual way they have hauled their mini?

[QuiltinMom]

Hubby and I are looking for our first mini. We don't have a livestock trailer and will be borrowing one from a friend. But in the mean time that has got me thinking.........I wonder how other people haul their minis if they don't have a trailer available to borrow. I have seen photos on the internet of them in mini vans and in the back of a large SUV.

How have you hauled your mini before?

We would love to modify a flatbed trailer we have, but we want to make sure it would be safe. Anyone have any ideas or plans of how to modify a flatbed to a safe enclosed trailer?

THANKS!!!

 

[amysue]

Ive been hauling minis in my suburban for years. I just put a hay bale on the ground for them to step up onto to get into the suv. I know people who have bolted plastic calf hutches to the wooden deck of flatbed trailers to haul calves, I dont see why it wouldn't work for minis. I have hauled weaned foals home inside of big dog crates with rubber mats on the bottom too. If you can borrow a horse trailer, that would be great. However, if you cannot get a trailer, there are other ways to get them home.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

While a well maintained horse trailer remains my first choice to haul horses of any size we did haul a couple of geldings inside a truck box canopy once. It was actually a pretty nice way to haul since they had plenty of room, windows allowed air flow and I could turn my head and see them in the back to see how they were doing. They made a great deal of the aprox. 9 hour road trip laying down. They arrived at our destination very calm and relaxed, I believe they liked the lack of sway that being in the truck offered.

 

[bevann]

I once hauled a young Mini with severely contracted tendons in the back of my Mini van to my small animal vet for x rays.He was small enough to pick up and put in the back. I also hauled 2 mares and foals from KY near Louisville to Delaware in the back of an 8 passenger van with back seats removed.Put straw bales in there for support and separation.I was alone and it drew some stares when I stopped for gas.Made 1 stop in VA at friends' house for an overnight stay.It was a long ride.I had a ramp built that they could step on for side loading.

 

[secuono]

Lots of people simply toss them in their van. Works for calm ones, but not ones prone to going nuts.

 

[MindyLee]

I hauled a colt in the back seat of my pickup. I got pulled over for swerving actually. Cop walked up and asked me y did I swerve...

I told him cause the horse in the back seat tried to jump in the front seat. And I smiled.

He looked in and laughed. You do have a horse in the back seat he said still laughing. He took a pic and let me go still smiling to himself.

Also brought 2 home in back of cab from WI to MI.

 

[Kendra]

I haul a horse in my van all the time. But my van has a safe standing stall for the horse, which would keep him from becoming a projectile if we did get in an accident. If you do go with a "non-traditional" hauling option, please be sure that it is safe for both the horse and for yourself.

 

[Miniv]

I have a mini van specifically for our minis. We also have a three horse slant trailer. Prior to that we have used a pickup with a canopy (with hay bales for buffers), and the hubby has folded up the back seat of the pickup cab - usually for a youngster. Of course, tarps are a must and we have a thin rubber mat we got from Costco.

The most unusual mode we used, years ago was my dad's Mercedes station wagon.

If retrofitting a flat bed trailer, having it be a dual axle is a must. The "container" should be covered, not open aired, but at the same time should have plenty of ventilation. The wood floor should be treated so urine and hosing out won't rot it, and then of course covered with a rubber mat. Have the tie downs installed above the height of a mini's head to avoid injury.... You might also want to screw in a rubber mat on the front wall (at least) for cushioning.

 

[AngC]

Hubby and I are looking for our first mini. We don't have a livestock trailer and will be borrowing one from a friend. But in the mean time that has got me thinking.........I wonder how other people haul their minis if they don't have a trailer available to borrow. I have seen photos on the internet of them in mini vans and in the back of a large SUV.

How have you hauled your mini before?

We would love to modify a flatbed trailer we have, but we want to make sure it would be safe. Anyone have any ideas or plans of how to modify a flatbed to a safe enclosed trailer?

When we got first got our horsies, a couple years ago, I thought about borrowing a trailer. But didn't. If I borrow it and it somehow wrecks, I figured I'd own it.

I bet we could have tucked a couple minis behind the seats in the husband's extended crew cab thingie. It never entered my mind. We got a 3 horse (full-size) slant. That just really didn't work out, so luckily we got rid of it without too much loss and now have a mini trailer. Of all the alternatives, I've seen on the internet, Kendra's van arrangement looks really nice.