Do you travel your horse with trailer top door open?

Kazjaz surely that's the mentality of the people at fault not the actual cattle trailer. Mine has two partitions and is bigger than most horse trailers. Incidentally am also more qualified to transport animals than most people towing horses around in horse trailers and a large part of my employment involves safe transport of animals.

People may look down their nose at cattle trailers but it would be wise to consider the transport of cattle is heavily regulated, cattle which are distressed lose weight so no one wants them to travel badly. Our trailer is serviced twice a year and maintained by the dealer in between and replaced every three years with a brand new one...

I passed my b+e with no faults, regularly receive professional towing training and can reverse a trailer better than most men who do it for a living :p

You can get extra tall cattle trailers specifically to be dual purpose horse and cattle.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Kazjaz surely that's the mentality of the people at fault not the actual cattle trailer. Mine has two partitions and is bigger than most horse trailers. Incidentally am also more qualified to transport animals than most people towing horses around in horse trailers and a large part of my employment involves safe transport of animals.

People may look down their nose at cattle trailers but it would be wise to consider the transport of cattle is heavily regulated, cattle which are distressed lose weight so no one wants them to travel badly. Our trailer is serviced twice a year and maintained by the dealer in between and replaced every three years with a brand new one...

I passed my b+e with no faults, regularly receive professional towing training and can reverse a trailer better than most men who do it for a living :p

You can get extra tall cattle trailers specifically to be dual purpose horse and cattle.
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I agree it is the mentality of people, i dont have an issue with the cattle trailers when used correctly, it wouldnt matter what trailer it was, to me travelling two horses stood forward facing next to each other with no breast/bum bar or middle partition is an accident waiting to happen.

I dont know enough about them to comment on travelling larger horses but i can see the advantages for smaller ponies.
 
I have had trailers with mesh window guards when I lived and trained in countries where it gets very hot. They worked well but I would NEVER travel horses with an open top window as I see has become very much a fashion here (in Ireland, FGS, where it NEVER gets very hot, unfortunately). And I have seen 2 separate horses with injured eyes because of travelling with open top doors on an IW.

Oh, and cattle trailers are OK for transporting horses - not all horse trailer designs incorporate partitions and breastbars you know.......there are other ways of doing it and the horses arrive safe and sound.
 
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We have both livestock and horse trailers, I wouldn't CHOOSE to transport my horse in the former, however I have transported one of the ponies in it. Cross tied, bedded down and she travelled very nicely.
I don't believe it is illegal in any way to transport a horse this way - perhaps ROG will be along to help though?
 
I compete at endurance and this seems to be the fashion with a few people, I'm not sure if it happens with other disciplines but I'm sure it does. I was travelling at 55 mph along the motorway on Sunday when a trailer passed me with the front door open - the horse's mane was blowing in the wind. I'm sure horse's eyes aren't designed to have the wind in them at that speed and they must find it difficult to breathe - have you ever stuck your head out of the window when travelling at speed!
 
We have a lorry now but when we had an IW we never had the top front doors open, so dangerous! But I do agree that a lot of people seem to be doing it now? I can only think that they do it because they must think it benefits the horse (increased airflow / dodgy traveller??) and see other people doing it so think it's ok...
 
FfionWinnie said:
Kazjaz surely that's the mentality of the people at fault not the actual cattle trailer. Mine has two partitions and is bigger than most horse trailers. Incidentally am also more qualified to transport animals than most people towing horses around in horse trailers and a large part of my employment involves safe transport of animals.

People may look down their nose at cattle trailers but it would be wise to consider the transport of cattle is heavily regulated, cattle which are distressed lose weight so no one wants them to travel badly. Our trailer is serviced twice a year and maintained by the dealer in between and replaced every three years with a brand new one...

I passed my b+e with no faults, regularly receive professional towing training and can reverse a trailer better than most men who do it for a living :p

You can get extra tall cattle trailers specifically to be dual purpose horse and cattle.
Click to expand...

I know a couple of farmers who use a cattle trailer and horse box with aluminium floors so they can hose them out easily. They move alot of cattle, sheep about and I would never allow them to move my horse. I was a passenger in the box when they moved one of their horses (no shoes on) the poor horse struggled to stay on it's feet on that floor and yes alot more shaving/sawdust down than in your picture. I asked them why not put rubber flooring down? Answer the horses learn eventually to brace themselves:eek::eek: Like I say I would never let anyone with aluminum floors and no rubber down move my horse.
 
"ha ha" if you read my replies in full you would see we were not going anywhere when I took that picture.

I PURELY put it on to demonstrate the open front NOTHING ELSE.
 
I must admit I am horrified at all the stories of this practice going on all the time. It seems the vast majority of those that have answered here are also appalled and alarmed. Hopefully those that do put their horses eyes at risk will realise the dangers and reverse the trend - that's what I think it is, a trend that some people have followed without thinking about the risks.

I meant the travelling with the top door open btw :o(
 
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I'd like to put the driver in the passenger seat of their vehicle - stick their head out of the window & drive them along the same roads at the same speed - they'd soon change their mind about leaving their precious horse/pony with its head unprotected with a door open :mad:

Anyone who has ridden motorbikes even slowly will tell you how dangerous it is when stones fly up, insects hit etc.............
 
I'm really pleased reading through these posts that every one is against it. I seem to see lots of people with the front window open and just can't understand it. Not safe at all. BUT.......I see more people who seem to think it is OK for their dogs to travel along with their heads sticking out of the car window. If you had seen the injuries caused to their eyes you would not do it! :eek:
 
Re dogs I know of several that have gone out the window and died or smashed into the windscreen and died or even worse become a fast moving object from the rear in a crash and killed the driver... Dogs need to be behind a dog guard for their own safety and everyone else's.
 
an idiot left our yard (thankfully) with his horse in a trailer with no front or rear bars, or partition and with the top front door open. I said to him, that it wasn't safe to travel like that and he answered, 'we're gypsys, we don't worry about stuff like that'. The last image i have is the 17h horse with his head and most of his neck out of the window to go down narrow country roads. twonks!
 
FfionWinnie said:
Re dogs I know of several that have gone out the window and died or smashed into the windscreen and died or even worse become a fast moving object from the rear in a crash and killed the driver... Dogs need to be behind a dog guard for their own safety and everyone else's.
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Not to mention you can get three points and a fine for travelling a dog unrestricted in the main body of a car, for the above reasons....drives me nuts seeing dogs bouncing around in the back or front seats of cars.
 
I have a horse box i travel with jockey door open.(between horse and chassis) not to the outside

But If I did tow a trailer no I would not leave the window open.
Here are my views of what could happen:

  1. On a motorway a HGV truck passing makes allot of noise and is very close to horses head, horse could panic etc.
  2. If a fire engine/ police car shot pass blues and twos doing could petrify the horse.
  3. If one of the noisy motor bikes fly fast rumbling etc could also petrify horse
  4. when wet spray of the road could spray into horses face
  5. any oil on the rd on a damp day would also spray in horses face
  6. any debris on rd could hit horses face
  7. debris could fly into the trailer and bang against side also scaring horse
  8. although doesn't happen but things like pheasants who fly up last minute on the rd could potentially fly up and either hit horse/ bounce of car roof then into horse or the trailer
  9. plastic bags crisps packets outside blow around on windy days etc
  10. its more noisy for the horse and he prob wont settle
  11. dust from his hay blowing about could fly into his eyes
  12. smoke from passing bonfires could get into his eyes
  13. passing branches could whack his face
  14. door could come un hinged and flap about
  15. insects into horses face
 
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irish_only said:
Well, I have to confess that I must be all of the above. My big lad loves travelling with the top open on an IW', so if it is a VERY hot day, and I am not going far or too fast, I leave it open for him. BUT - I have bought him a full face fly mask to protect his eyes and head. I really don't know why IW don't come up with some sort of mesh design to fit over the top door so that you have a choice about this. Before I get gunned down - don't some countries have open-topped trailers for transporting?
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I have an 18.2 and he really doesn't like being in a trailer, he becomes a giraffe and lifts his head higher than the trailer roof...I've had to do a few practice load and drive round the yard ...so I leave the front top door open, he has a good look round but I'd be worried on main rds incase his head got hit by passing vehicles...but as soon as I shut it he boots the back door and stresses...I thk he feels too closed in...a taller trailer might help him..he's in a IW 511.and it's not as high as I'd like ...
 
I’m always bemused when I see this - and I see it quite often!!! There are roof vents and little front windows to open so can’t see the sense 🤷‍♀️ not something I would ever do on purpose - maybe as suggested above it’s been forgotten - and thats something I might do 😁
 
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