Trailering 101
If it's not broke don't fix it...
...and we don't mean the trailer.
DISCLAIMER: Always read all operating manuals, for tow
vehicle, trailer, hitch and related components for towing suitability and compatibility
before operating.
If you are like us you probably receive more than one horse national
or local magazine. Since, the health and welfare of our horses is always a
prime concern when the front cover contains catch titles dealing with
trailers and trailering, it no longer becomes a candidate for the recycle
bin. Well not immediately anyway, not at least until that portion of the
magazine has been read by one or more members of the staff. Why,
because like so many of you we too try to keep up on the latest and
greatest news concerning the welfare of our and our customers' horses when
traveling...And to see what the resulting "trailer trend"
is going to be.
If you have been around horses for any length of time, you'll understand
what we mean by "trailer trend". Have you heard of the "straight vs. slant"
debate?
According to countless articles written over the years the theory is that
horses ride better on a slant than straight on. And in some cases
they didn't stop there, they took that concept one step further to not
only ride on a slant, but slant and backward. Many times these
articles and studies are written and conducted by authors and universities
that have enough horse credentials to catch the attention of even the most
seasoned of trailer hands. So why shouldn't we be ready to throw away our
current trailer to get what the "experts" say is the
"better" way to do it?
The answer, simple...Horses can't read medical studies. Now you may
think that is a smart answer but it simply means that if a horse
"seems" comfortable in his current environment, changing it MAY
cause more harm than good...hence...if it's not broke don't fix
it... Now we are not addressing upgrading your old trailer to
something new in modern, of course since we sell them, we are just
addressing the position in which your horses haul, whether it be
backwards, forwards, or upside down (a bit extreme but who knows what the
future holds :~).
Now we don't want you to think we are encouraging you to dismiss what is
being stated, in fact we believe it should be read with an open mind, you never know when something may help with your
current situation. We
suggest however, that before actually purchasing that new cure all
trailer, that you conduct a study of your own. Hire someone or bribe
a friend with a similar configuration to what you are considering.
Load ol' dobbin, take a spin and see what happens. This little study
of your own may save you from making a several thousand dollar mistake or
reinforce the fact that the investment you are making is the right one for
you.
The article that prompted the writing of this came from The April 2000
issue of EQUUS®, VOL. 270, called "HOW TRAVEL AFFECTS HORSES1".
We found this to be very interesting, and even though they admit that some
of their studies were not complete enough to be considered the gospel, it
did cast a shadow of doubt over some long time thoughts concerning
trailering and horse happiness. They even did some research into standing
position, and air flow in trailers among many other items. If you
get a chance it's well worth the read. As a foot note, a regular
feature in the magazine called "back page", also located there,
has some very interesting insight to what horseman long ago already knew
about this subject.
1EQUUS® is a
registered trademark of the PRIMEDIA Enthusiast Publications, Inc. This
magazine is usually available in tack stores and even some magazine
shelves in local stores. Their subscription office can be reached at
800-829-5910 (US and Canada) or you might try equus@palmcoastd.com.
Happy Trailering... See you Next Month.
If you have any comments, suggestions or topics for
a "Trailering 101" article we'd be happy to take them. Trailering
education is our goal.
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