Trailer question. Unhitching at a show?!

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lucky7

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Quick question!
Would it be frowned upon If we took the trailer to the show, unhitched it and made sure it could noy roll etc and secure it then partner could take car for the day then pick us back up again when needed?
Obviously wouldn't put the horse in there but would like to tie him to it and put my bits and bobs in the trailer.
Partner needs the car too and only have the one between us at present
 
Have seen a horse tied to a trailer ,quietly tow it away across the parking at Tweseldown. Apparently the grass was better.
 
Tie mine to unhitched trailers all the time at home with absolutely no problem so can't see it being an issue with a well trained horse, personally!
 
I would never tie a horse to an unhitched float. It's a massive No-No here in Aus, if you did this at a competition, you'd be asked to tie elsewhere. Horses can pull trailers over pretty easily. No issue with the unhitching and using as storage, but I'd tie to a tree or solid fence post.
 
Lyle said:
I would never tie a horse to an unhitched float. It's a massive No-No here in Aus, if you did this at a competition, you'd be asked to tie elsewhere. Horses can pull trailers over pretty easily. No issue with the unhitching and using as storage, but I'd tie to a tree or solid fence post.
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Absolutely this, very dangerous thing to do, total no no in New Zealand also
 
I've done it, when horse wouldn't load I would take trailer to venue with all the stuff, unhitch the trailer, drive home & ride the horse there. Tied quite happily but never unsupervised, then rode home & returned with L/R to collect the trailer.
After doing that a few times & not being able to go anywhere else as it was too far to ride I bought a different trailer!
 
I wouldn't dream of ever tying my horse to the outside of any horse lorry/trailer unhitched or not. Mine stand in the box when i am between classes or someone holds them. Lots of the venues i go to don't allow it anyway.

BUT if the trailer is properly secured, and you don't mind tying up, then i can't see an issue with it being unhitched :)
 
Yes we have done this, many moons ago when my daughter was younger. We qualified for a Championship and was in the second class. Daughter was very excited and persuaded her Dad to come and watch. She unexpectedly did a beautiful show and won her class to go forward to the Best in show Championship. This was after the last class. I decided to stay until the end but Dad needed to get home, so we secured the trailer with clamps and unhitched. We didn't leave him unattended and we eventually got home at about 9 pm, so a very long day. The hardest part was keeping the pony from scoffing the rich grass as he had to be kept on restricted grazing!
 
There were at least half a dozen unhitched trailers parked in the stables lorry park at Aintree last weekend. Perfectly reasonable to unhitch but I wouldn't tie him to it as too dangerous - horses tend to do exactly what you don't want them to the very second your back is turned, mine scraped his teeth down the lorry paintwork while tied up last Sunday in the 60 secs it took me to put my jacket on in the living :(
 
Having seen a horse nearly take the side of my lorry off (solid 7.5 tonne), simply by having the urge to walk to another patch of grass (what was wrong with the hay net right by his head I ask?!), then I wouldn't do it. As others have said, tie to thinned baling on a tree.
 
Not a problem with doing it with the horse supervised but I personally would take any wheel locks/clamps as security as you don't want to return to find your trailer gone.
 
Sorry, I wouldn't either, you never know what might happen, anything could spook your horse and they are so strong.
 
I'd tie up with one of those Equi Pings, they really don't hold a horse that wants to go, but will resist a gentler tug. When we first started taking the mare out we used almost all of my daughter's entire stash of lead ropes she'd won over the years on her pony (probably 12-15 or so), as she used to hate any lorries especially moving around her. We got the Equi-Ping and she still has the same lead rope. When she broke free it was only because she was scared of the other vehicles moving around, she wasn't interested in the grass, and she never went far and was easily caught. Two years on she is much more used to it all, bored even, by going out, so she stand really well in the trailer or tied up and doesn't even snap the EquiPing open.
 
lucky7 said:
Quick question!
Would it be frowned upon If we took the trailer to the show, unhitched it and made sure it could noy roll etc and secure it then partner could take car for the day then pick us back up again when needed?
Obviously wouldn't put the horse in there but would like to tie him to it and put my bits and bobs in the trailer.
Partner needs the car too and only have the one between us at present
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Perfectly normal, I don't see any issue at all as long as it is secured well.
 
I used to do this all the time as a teenager when my Dad used to drop me at shows and then go to work. It was a good few years ago! Once when we had a fall my pony was loaded into unhitched trailer while I sat on the wheel arch in a daze! Dad arrived and hitched up then dropped me at A&E before taking pony home! Never had any issues with the pony tied to the unhitched trailer. Might be a different story with a big horse.
 
Thank you - he's really good at being tied up and will be happy to stand with a net. I only use 3 strands of bailing twine anyway to tie too as its so strong - my big cob mare pulled back when tied at home having her feet done by the farrier) to a post and the lead rope snapped before the twine did!! On no terms will i be leaving him unattended! our classes are all pretty early - 10am - 1pm so hopefully we won't be there too long anyway. Won't be unloading him or unhitching until i have visited the secretary tent and paid for my classes, then will unload him, secure the trailer than my partner can lave me there till its time to go home, if i need a wee he will come with me, plus my daughter will be on hand to hold him for me too :)
Yes will take the wheel clamp too! good thinking :)
 
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