What do you think about leaving horses tied up to lorries / trailers?

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happihorse

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When we were out competing today a lady left her horse tied up to a trailer while she went of and got a burger, about 200 yards away and out of the sight of the trailer. The horse pulled back, broke the baling twine and ran off. Luckily someone caught him quickly and tied him back up. The lady came back and didn't know anything had happened!

Personally, I don't leave my horse tied up unless I am within a few feet of him.

I realise that if the horses have had a long journey to an event, it's better for them to be out of the lorry / trailer for a break, but would you leave you horse(s) tied up unattended?
 
no I never leave my horses tied to the trailer Ive seen so many horses get lose and cause havoc at shows one i remember got lose and managed to get onto the road were a van missed him by a fag paper. i know these things happen even when your near sometimes,the closer you are the better I think.
 
I dont think it should be allowed, then again most centres/organisers state that horses must not be left unattended, but still owners do it.....

I saw a mare once tied to a trailer, reared up, slipped, went underneath the trailer and ripped all her shoulder on the tail lights as she went to get up.,..... Bet her owners never tied anything to a trailer again and left it unsupervised!
 
I think it can be difficult, if you are alone with no help. There is bound to be some point when you need food/the toilet etc and have to leave the horse in that instance. Personally I would always leave the horse inside the trailer/box in that situation and I would not be happy to leave the horse unattended for long.
 
well having seen a horse kick its way out of a lorry, destroying its legs, the partition, its companions legs, the side of the lorry and an ambulance. i think id rather tie mine to the side. they are both aincient and the worst they are likely to do is stick thier heads down and graze.
had one get his leg over his rope when tied to the lorry (i was in the lorry makeing bacon butties), he just stood there with his leg in the air until some one noticed, no fuss no creating, just stood.
 
That was your horse in that situation but having had to cut several horses out of similar situations, one fell under the lorry and we had to sedate it to get it out, thankfully a vet was on hand. On other occations loose horses have caused injury to others by galloping around.
In all the years of travelling of working with young and entire horses i have never had a problem with horses on the box. If i am likely to have a problem horse then i book day stabling and alter my competition plans accordingly.
Also on hot days it is much better for the horse to be in the box out of dirrect sun light and that information was given to me by a vet.
So no i really dont think that it should happen for many reasons.
 
i dont feel comfortable walking away and leaving them tied up, my boy broke away on a windy day when a bucket flew up from underneath the box and whacked him in the face - he headed straight for the gymkhana ring, but luckily enough after shouting at him he turned round neighed and came pelting back to me. lol
 
i used to leave Bloss tied up by the lorry with a haynet, she was as good as gold and we never had a problem in 3 yrs competing her. if we put her in the lorry she'd bang it to pieces and get herself really worked up. It was much easier for us and her to just tie her up.

However id never leave Archie tied to the lorry, without us being there, and hes actually happy to stand quietly in the lorry anyways which is so much easier as we can just leave him standing in there.
 
Depends on the horse! I don't believe in leaving them for any lengthy period of time unattended in or out of the box and personally always leave my mare in the box, but that is because she is perfectly happy and relaxed on the box, whereas tie her up outside and the slighest thing upsets her and she would do serious damage to herself/box to get free. Suppose she just feels safer in her own space.

However, friends horse is better tied up outside with haynet as he stresses on the box.

Horses for courses, although I do hate it when people just leave horses that are obviously distressed in a box. Was warming up for dressage once and the lorries/trailers were parked right up to the school fence line. Suddenly all hell broke loose as a horse in a trailer on its own just flipped out and tried to smash itself out - got half out, hit its head, but was OK (goodness knows how!). It was just awful to watch and not be able to do anything (I was on and trying to control my mare at the time).

As with everything, a healthy dose of knowing your horse and common sense must apply and end of the day, unfortunately accidents will happen occasionally no matter what we do - that's just horses (or life!)
 
Rosie's (slightly batty) bay mare broke free when tied up outside at a show the other day and as they rushed to catch her she walked straight up the ramp into the lorry - I guess she was trying to tell them something!
 
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