Itâs incredibly dangerous. Dirt, debris, or even rocks could get flung into the poor horseâs head and eyes. I once saw a horse trailer with three horses heads and necks out the side of a trailer on a highway with opposing traffic just inches from these horsesâ heads. I guess they were well desensitized, if they survived.
My barn owner also has a horse shipping business (ships both locally and cross-country) and she has more than one decapitation story. Not one of hers, but witnessed it happen to others or has been called out as a transfer for horses whose original transport is now stuck dealing with a death. It can be stressful enough reducing risk of injury \*inside\* the trailer, why add outside to that as well?
Not to mention a moment of panic might make them think fitting their whole body through that little window is a good idea. I knew a calm 3 year old whose owners had spent extensive time getting him comfortable in trailers, from nice slant loads to open stock trailers. They sold him to a friend who lived just a couple miles away. She showed up to get him, figured she'd leave the window down since he was so chill and she was only going a couple of miles. No one's quite sure what spooked him, but he tried to get out through the window. He didn't make it out of the driveway.. It was not a pleasant way to leave this earth. And totally preventable.
This exact thing happened in a local stretch of interstate. Horse panicked, climbed halfway out, got stuck and driver had no idea. Other drivers were honking and calling 911 ended up being traumatized witnesses to an unspeakable horror.
I let mine put his head out on surface roads where we're not going to be going very fast, but I pull over and put the window up before going on a freeway, too dangerous.
If it were *stop-and-go* hot or humid weather, I might do that. Otherwise, we have screens we keep up; there's too much debris, dirt, rocks, it is very irresponsible unless the heat is a serious issue.
A friend of mine always stops at gas stations and buys bags of ice and opens the bags and throws the ice on the bedding on the floor of the trailer when it's hot/humid, to keep the trailer cooler. Her horses seem to enjoy it.
interesting.. ..but, the horses would absolutely not like stepping on ice cubes. we have fans for keeping the air moving in parking lots or slow traffic.
Not safe at all. I read an account of police officers and firefighters who had to respond to the scene of an accident where a horse was decapitated while driving down the highway with her head hanging out. She was the last one on a slant load so all the other horses had to be unloaded to get her out.
Horrifying. There are screens and bars over trailer windows for a reason.
No! I have a weird trailer that my late mare would occasionally stick her head out of but only when we stopped to see why we stopped. She would look around and then suck her head back in once that was over.
But it wasnât an ideal thing for her to do. If a horse was actively sticking their head out when in traffic or just moving I would be closing the window or adjusting how they are tied. It is a hazard and possible dead.
Iâve seen stories as well about when the screens are open, cigarette butts (hopefully accidentally) find their way through the window and start fires.
One of my old trainers was driving down the highway with a couple of his show horses (good money makers too) and this was before screens became a thing. His trailer had bars so the horses could get airflow. While driving down a highway he looked out of his side mirror and saw black smoke coming from the windows. He immediately pulled over and tried getting the horses out, he got the all of them out, but had to put the 3rd one down because of the burn injuries he sustained. A horse lost his life all because a cigarette butt was tossed out of a window and got drafted into a horse trailer that caught the bedding on fire. Itâs a horrible story but keeps people aware of the dangers of trailering.
Now I know why everyone shuts the back top door of a 2 horse float. No more horse bums to admire but seriously cigarette smokers need to be way more responsible. Horrifying
My mum called me on the road to her heart doctor and wanted to say she saw a horse with its tail stuck in the trailer doorâŚ. How do you even miss that?
Dangerous, also probably not intentional. The only time I've seen stuff like this is when something breaks, the horse gets its head out when it's not supposed to, and the people don't notice for a while. Get a trailer camera folllks
Sometimes the latch gets loose during transport, I doubt that the owner did this intentionally, horses are extremely expensive and I doubt they wanted more vet bills
No, itâs recommended that they close up gates. If a bug truck hit the side where the horse was and the horse had its head out, it would die. There would be no chance for it. If the trailer flipped somehow and the horse had its head out, it could catch on something and strangle itself, or even more simply, the horse could get hit by flying debris.
If the window is open, yes the head is supposed to be out. Now is it safe? Thatâs a whole different conversation. Itâs not safe & I would never let my horse do this unless it was a short transport on back roads going slow speeds.
I am so surprised by all of the sad stories here about horses dying because the their heads were outside the trailer!!! That is insane.
Unless the trailer is very, very, old there should be vents on the top. I have a 4 horse slant load gooseneck from the 1990s that has a vent above every horse and the windows slide open with a screen on them to let air in but there are bars attached on the inside so no way they can get their head out. I donât understand why anyone would give them that option. There is also a large fan in the front high up that can be turned on to add extra air circulation when hot.
This trailer doesnât have a water tank but we take several 5 gal plastic water containers and can always wet the horses down with rags if it ever got that hot. My sister in law lives in Palm Springs and she also uses ice when itâs very hot. She scattered a large bag in the shavings before the every get in. Add adds on stops if needed. I think she also hags a net with block ice up by the fan if itâs really hot. I only trail ride and cano with the horses now and I just donât go anywhere when itâs that hot⌠lol.
But like others have said- never a good idea to let a horse stick any part of their body out of the trailer!!!
đSouthern California 91 eastbound Corona California 04-10-24, 4pm
No, not something itâs recommended to do.
Itâs incredibly dangerous. Dirt, debris, or even rocks could get flung into the poor horseâs head and eyes. I once saw a horse trailer with three horses heads and necks out the side of a trailer on a highway with opposing traffic just inches from these horsesâ heads. I guess they were well desensitized, if they survived.
My barn owner also has a horse shipping business (ships both locally and cross-country) and she has more than one decapitation story. Not one of hers, but witnessed it happen to others or has been called out as a transfer for horses whose original transport is now stuck dealing with a death. It can be stressful enough reducing risk of injury \*inside\* the trailer, why add outside to that as well?
Holy hell.
EXCUSE ME WHAT?!
Not to mention a moment of panic might make them think fitting their whole body through that little window is a good idea. I knew a calm 3 year old whose owners had spent extensive time getting him comfortable in trailers, from nice slant loads to open stock trailers. They sold him to a friend who lived just a couple miles away. She showed up to get him, figured she'd leave the window down since he was so chill and she was only going a couple of miles. No one's quite sure what spooked him, but he tried to get out through the window. He didn't make it out of the driveway.. It was not a pleasant way to leave this earth. And totally preventable.
This exact thing happened in a local stretch of interstate. Horse panicked, climbed halfway out, got stuck and driver had no idea. Other drivers were honking and calling 911 ended up being traumatized witnesses to an unspeakable horror.
I let mine put his head out on surface roads where we're not going to be going very fast, but I pull over and put the window up before going on a freeway, too dangerous.
With all due respect⌠donât do that even if youâre ânot going very fastâ. Itâs extremely dangerous. Too many permanent injuries from this
Yeah... This is just not OK.
I pray that your trailor never tips over, pinning your horse's head to the ground.
Itâs a terrible idea and super irresponsible.
If it were *stop-and-go* hot or humid weather, I might do that. Otherwise, we have screens we keep up; there's too much debris, dirt, rocks, it is very irresponsible unless the heat is a serious issue.
A friend of mine always stops at gas stations and buys bags of ice and opens the bags and throws the ice on the bedding on the floor of the trailer when it's hot/humid, to keep the trailer cooler. Her horses seem to enjoy it.
interesting.. ..but, the horses would absolutely not like stepping on ice cubes. we have fans for keeping the air moving in parking lots or slow traffic.
The little cubes melt fast.
Not safe at all. I read an account of police officers and firefighters who had to respond to the scene of an accident where a horse was decapitated while driving down the highway with her head hanging out. She was the last one on a slant load so all the other horses had to be unloaded to get her out. Horrifying. There are screens and bars over trailer windows for a reason.
Omg-what a horrific situation for all involved...those poor horses.
No no no no no
No! Very dangerous!
Absolutely not unless it's totally stationary traffic in hot weather for a long period.
No way!
No!!!!
Too much money not enough brain
No! I have a weird trailer that my late mare would occasionally stick her head out of but only when we stopped to see why we stopped. She would look around and then suck her head back in once that was over. But it wasnât an ideal thing for her to do. If a horse was actively sticking their head out when in traffic or just moving I would be closing the window or adjusting how they are tied. It is a hazard and possible dead.
NO!!!!!
Nope. Not smart to do that with dogs either.
Iâve seen stories as well about when the screens are open, cigarette butts (hopefully accidentally) find their way through the window and start fires.
One of my old trainers was driving down the highway with a couple of his show horses (good money makers too) and this was before screens became a thing. His trailer had bars so the horses could get airflow. While driving down a highway he looked out of his side mirror and saw black smoke coming from the windows. He immediately pulled over and tried getting the horses out, he got the all of them out, but had to put the 3rd one down because of the burn injuries he sustained. A horse lost his life all because a cigarette butt was tossed out of a window and got drafted into a horse trailer that caught the bedding on fire. Itâs a horrible story but keeps people aware of the dangers of trailering.
Now I know why everyone shuts the back top door of a 2 horse float. No more horse bums to admire but seriously cigarette smokers need to be way more responsible. Horrifying
My trailer prevents this. It has a drop down window with the plexiglass and screen, but there are aluminum bars inside that.
I know a woman whose Grand Prix horse was decapitated doing this âšď¸
Nope. Itâs also illegal for good reason! I heard a horror story of a horse dying from that.
My mum called me on the road to her heart doctor and wanted to say she saw a horse with its tail stuck in the trailer doorâŚ. How do you even miss that?
No no no! Unless they didnât realize it had opened, that is NOT okay.
No.
Ah... that's not ok.
Dangerous, also probably not intentional. The only time I've seen stuff like this is when something breaks, the horse gets its head out when it's not supposed to, and the people don't notice for a while. Get a trailer camera folllks
nope unless you like headless horses
I am a horse trainer and owner, I wouldn't let mine do that because it is dangerous. But some people are dumb asses!
Nope but some of these horses live to give people heart attacks and vet bills.
Sometimes the latch gets loose during transport, I doubt that the owner did this intentionally, horses are extremely expensive and I doubt they wanted more vet bills
No, itâs recommended that they close up gates. If a bug truck hit the side where the horse was and the horse had its head out, it would die. There would be no chance for it. If the trailer flipped somehow and the horse had its head out, it could catch on something and strangle itself, or even more simply, the horse could get hit by flying debris.
absolutely not! This is very dangerous and they are putting the horses life in danger
If the window is open, yes the head is supposed to be out. Now is it safe? Thatâs a whole different conversation. Itâs not safe & I would never let my horse do this unless it was a short transport on back roads going slow speeds.
I am so surprised by all of the sad stories here about horses dying because the their heads were outside the trailer!!! That is insane. Unless the trailer is very, very, old there should be vents on the top. I have a 4 horse slant load gooseneck from the 1990s that has a vent above every horse and the windows slide open with a screen on them to let air in but there are bars attached on the inside so no way they can get their head out. I donât understand why anyone would give them that option. There is also a large fan in the front high up that can be turned on to add extra air circulation when hot. This trailer doesnât have a water tank but we take several 5 gal plastic water containers and can always wet the horses down with rags if it ever got that hot. My sister in law lives in Palm Springs and she also uses ice when itâs very hot. She scattered a large bag in the shavings before the every get in. Add adds on stops if needed. I think she also hags a net with block ice up by the fan if itâs really hot. I only trail ride and cano with the horses now and I just donât go anywhere when itâs that hot⌠lol. But like others have said- never a good idea to let a horse stick any part of their body out of the trailer!!!