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Discussion on Ducking under the Divider!
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Member:
Keating
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Posted on Friday, Jan 3, 2003 - 10:04 pm:
My friends just had a scary experience with their brand new trailer, and I'm wondering whether this has happened to anyone else. They were taking their first trip with their new 2 horse slant-load trailer. All was fine til they unloaded the first horse. The front horse panicked and tried to duck under the divider (which of course was still closed. He got stuck there, with the divider across his back just behind the withers. He pushed up hard enough to crush the divider and free himself.
Today he has a sore back and they have had the divider removed permanently.
Has anyone heard of this happening? What is the appropriate height off the floor for the bottom edge of the divider?
I am just about to order my own new trailer and I've specified a jail-bar style divider. I'm thinking that if the horse can see what's happening, he might not panic so easily.
Any opinions?
Kathleen
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Member:
Htrails
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 4, 2003 - 8:36 am:
The horse should know to stand tied and give to pressure. Having a barred divider assuming pleasant horses is sometimes a very good idea, for ventilation as well as claustrophobia. The horse should be tied long enough that when it backs up it's rear touches the butt wall before the lead tightens on it's head which will encourage the horse to step forward - it will also need to be long enough so the horse can lower it's head for balance and clearing it's nose - however the tie should not be so long that the horse can gets it's head to the bottom of the divider or get it's neck around thinking it can turn around. It is a delicate balance!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 4, 2003 - 10:24 am:
The mistake seems to the horse was untied while the other horse was being unloaded. The horse should have been left tied until someone was ready to open the bar.
DrO
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