Trailering Horses -- To Tie or Not To Tie?

[Jill]

I'm curious if you all tie your horses or not when you haul them? My horses have always been tied when they are hauled and that's how I plan to continue to do things. However, I am interested to know what others do, and why they do it that way!

Thanks for participating!

PS the way I worded the question about YES and NO, a person who's being "smart" could answer yes, they tie them or not, if they do not tie them. Yes if for "tied", No is for "not tied". There does not seem to be a way to edit that part...

 

[SHANA]

Well I do both, I feel it depends on the horse. I have a stock trailer and if it is a young horse I do not tie, or a horse I just bought. I tie some of my minis and some i leave loose. If I am shipping 2 arabians I leave one loose in front box and one loose in back box that way they can move around and face whatever direction they feel most comfortable. So really it depends on the horse itself.

 

[kaykay]

this is hard for me to answer too. if i am only hauling one or two i do not tie them. If i am taking a trailer full then yes i tie them.

 

[Tony]

I do both too. My show horses are tied, except for weanlings which I generally leave loose. If I am hauling a group of mares to relocate them, they will generally be loose.

 

[Becky]

I tie them. As I stated in another thread, horses haul much better if they are tied and confined. Being thrown around and trying to keep their balance while the tow vehicle is starting, stopping and turning, is much harder on a loose horse.

 

[Jill]

It really surprised me on the other thread to hear how many people haul minis and full size horses untied. To me, that's scary, but like I said, some of you who do haul untied are people who's points of view I take seriously.

We have a mini stock trailer that can haul 2 horses in the "open" section and one in the "tack" section. I tie them in the trailer. Our new mini gooseneck trailer has dividers AND tie rings. I plan to tie even though I seriously doubt they could turn around in the dividers. Attempting to turn around alone could probably cause injuries and/or damage to the trailer.

I appreciate the input so far and look forward to seeing how this thread goes.

 

[CyndiD]

I never haul very many at once, but I never tie them.

I was at a show a few years ago when a fellow lost a yearling colt to a broken neck from being tied. They think he tried to turn around and somehow got the tie over the top of his neck and in his struggle his neck broke. I saw the vet arrive and then they put him down. :no: It was so sad...after that I decided not to tie mine.

 

[Leeana]

We have a 2 horse trailer. Normally if were hauling one we will keep the divider in and tie them. If were hauling two the divider goes in and both are tied so they dont try to turn around or anything.

We did once take the divider out and turn one (we were only hauling one horse) loose because when they were tied in the trailer and kept jumping, i was scared to death they would get there leg cought in the lead so i really felt it was best to just turn them loose.

If possible i like to tie them but if not turning them loose is fine i'd think.

 

[RJRMINIS]

I think it depends on the situations....Sometimes I tie, and other times I don't. It all depends what I am hauling.

If I am hauling a stallion and mares, they are definately all tied. Two mares that ride well, and are used to each other, well I leave them untied.

Also depends on alot on the trip, On a really long trip I try to leave them untied so they can move around in the trailer, if they are good haulers.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

It depends on the trailer. In stock trailers, it is safer NOT to tie. In your average slant load/straight load, it IS safer to tie. The articles you see about trailering do not say don't tie, they tell about the problems that can occur if you tie too tightly. The horse needs to be able to drop his head to clear the airway. If the ties are so tight they can't do that, shipping fever and other problems can easily occur. I ALWAYS tie when shipping in my truck, always tie when shipping in a straight or slant load, and never tie in an open stock trailer.

 

[wade3504]

I have a stock trailer and don't tie. I believe horses like standing in different positions while hauling and many times I have seen mine stand backwards so I let them choose how they want to be.

 

[Peggy]

I don't tie the minis, but always battle with whether I should or not. I want to do what is best for the horse so I wish I knew what that was.

 

[REO]

I have been wondering if Laura from Ten L had the horses tied or untied in the trailer that rolled. Which ever it was, worked for her that day (as well as having that guardian Angel!)

 

[shminifancier]

I have a small mini trailer with no hay manger, And I haul ALL critters in there UNTIED. From mini horses to Shetland Ponies, to Calves and steers

That is when I am not hauling the little minis from donkeys to mini horses in the back seat of my car.

 

[Mona]

I voted NO because it was closest to my routine. I almost never tie, unless I have a specific reason for having to/wanting to tie that particular horse, but I do prefer to leave them loose if at all possible, as I feel it gives them better balance. I also worry about crashing, and the horse dangling upside down or breaking it's neck from the force of it, when otherwise he may(or may not) just tumble around, be sore, maybe break a few bones. Not that is has a lot of validity, but that is what I do, and why. I also feel they are more relaxed when not tied, and will travel more stress free. My horses are generally only tied to have feet trimmed, for grooming, or deworming, shots etc. They don't seem to mind being tied, but I just feel they are more relaxed loose.

 

[babygoose]

I have a stock and leave them loose when I can. One horse per area can be loose. Hauling more than that and I tie. The mini rides loose. My draft X I have to tie. If I leave her loose, she walks in circles and you can feel it while driving. But I tie her so she can face at a slant backwards which seems to make her the happiest. I tie her with one of the safety ties that has velcro in it and leaves a little tail still attached to the horse if it breaks away. I have never had her break it just standing there, but in case of an accident, it would break before her neck did. Any trailer with the dividers still in I would tie. I would be too afraid they would attempt to turn around even in a small space. Again, I would use the breakaway tie.

Also remember with big horses, they should be only left loose in a trailer designed for that, such as a stock trailer. A stock trailer is designed to pull safely with livestock moving around in there. Take the divider out of a regular two horse and turn a big horse loose in there and it might not pull as safely if the horse moves around much, or stands backwards. They are built to haul a horse facing forwards.

I guess it depends on the horse, trailer, and circumstances. I just try and do what I think is safest.

 

[Buckskin gal]

In most cases we think it is safer for them not to be tied. Just don't always trust them not getting a foot over their tie! Mary

 

[Kim]

I much prefer to haul horses loose, however, I only haul one horse in each open area. Our trailer is a stock trailer, converted for minis. We have 8 stalls in it, and each horse gets their own stall. They are big enough for the horse to turn around in and lie down in, but not big enough so that they'd get thrown around if the trailer makes a sudden movement. Our horses really prefer to be tied loose, and we haul 42 hours straight to Worlds each year, and they always arrive in perfect shape and not stressed at all. Given a choice, a horse will usually ride backwards in a trailer and most set ups to tie horses do not allow for this possibility. We did go to a couple of shows this summer where we brought more horses than we have stalls in the trailer, so had to tie, and although the show was not even two hours away, when we arrived I could tell that the horses were not as comfortable as if they had been hauled loose. Loose is definitely my preference, and every time I've talked to commercial haulers or those who frequently haul long distances they've confirmed that loose is better for the horses.

 

[sedeh]

I don't tie mine for multiple reasons. I think they can balance better if they can move around. It's also better for them respiratory wise to be able to lower their heads. I'm a triple checker though before I take off! I'm always paranoid about that back door not being latched properly. I also always do a quick check of tires and hitch/electrical before I take off.

 

[chandab]

You left out one response... It Depends

I have a two horse straight load; I've always tied my full-size horses in it. I've seen them get their head turned back around to the side, but can't ever seem to right themselves (turn their head back to the front). Since, having minis, I've hauled them in the same trailer, but I haul them loose (I just added a piece of plywood, so the divider would go to the floor and each mini had it's own stall).

[Two horse straight loads are designed to have the horse facing forward, that is how they are balanced; a horse that faces backwards in one will cause problems for the tow vehicle. (I doubt minis weigh enough to cause a problem).]

We also have a stock trailer we use for hauling cattle and horses. When we are moving cattle with the horses; the horses are often hauled tacked up to be ready to go when we get to the pasture, so in this instance they are hauled tied. If we are just moving a couple horses, then they are hauled loose; one per compartment in the trailer.

So, it depends on many things.