I am the best horse hauler I know and the only one I trust 💯 to haul my own horses. That is because 1) LUCK and 2) driving EXTREMELY cautiously.
I was hauled in the back of a horse trailer a few times, once over a speed bump that sent me flying, and though those experiences gave me MORE respect for slow turns and preemptive, sensitive driving, I came wired that way.
I have had plenty of near misses: deer running out in front of my truck, objects flying out of trucks ahead of me and into my path &, of course, technical difficulties.
Luck and extreme caution saved us.
However, with all the many trips I’ve driven, I still get nervous about long hauls. Mostly, because of the variable of the horse itself, which is somewhat out of my control.
It is why I spend so much time hauling Tweed (and my past mounts) so that I can trust them back there WITHOUT a camera. Some people have cameras, of course, but I don’t know how they can drive AND monitor the horse.
I’m old-fashioned.
I close the door, drive away, and say a thousand prayers for a safe trip along the way.
Don’t try having a deep conversation with me until my trailer is safely emptied at the destination. I am mentally locked and loaded.
It’s draining— and when I get home I throw myself into a comfy chair, pour a large glass of wine, breathe a huge sigh of relief, and celebrate. That’s the fun part…
But I’ve got to do everything in between the fun part now.
Wish us luck.
Good luck! I echo this whole post 100%. It is very draining because you have to be constantly vigilant.
ReplyDeleteYes, you do, and you’re also vulnerable to what your horse is doing. We arrived safely, and Epona did really well. She was a bit nervous about getting out at a “new” place, but seemed to remember it once in her stall. Time for that wine!
DeleteHorse hauling is not for the faint of heart! I'm with you on the load 'em up and pray for a safe journey. But if I hire a pro hauler, like when I sold Theo, I do expect them to either have a camera on them or to make frequent stops to check on them. It is up to us to do all the prep work to make them good hauling citizens, but we all know how quickly things can go south.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it safely!
I have considered getting a camera for the trailer, but I think it would make me more nervous, which would distract my driving. A pro-hauler is a whole different thing. I’ve never used one, but that makes sense about making frequent stops and monitoring them on really long hauls.
DeleteI was tongue in cheek about being the best hauler I know. By that I mean, when my horses are being hauled, almost no one is good enough, not even my husband, and I become a horrible backseat driver. “Slow down.” “Take the turn wider.” Etc etc. etc. Bottom line is that I just need to do it myself because no one can meet my standards, not even me. 😂
The prep work is so important. Lots of short hauls ahead of time, or even just loading up, driving around the block and back home. It doesn’t take much for them to start relaxing in the trailer. It never ceases to amaze me how willing these huge animals are to climb into a moving box—practically a death trap. But they do.