[drivingpairs] Vehicles In Truck

We always hauled the carriage in the truck bed, when
we had our smaller horses.  We only had a two horse
trailer, so we worked it out.  The one vehicle was a
lightweight, antique trap.  Very large wheels, short
body.  Truck was long, 8ft bed.  Wheels fit on both
sides of wheel wells nicely.  The other vehicle we
used was an old Harewood marathon vehicle.  HEAVY!!  I
got a winch for my Mothers Day gift.  What a
lifesaver!  Mounted winch in front of truck bed and
just pushed the button, steered the front wheels.  We
load ours in rear-end first, just seem to work better.
 Easier to steer vehicle in and out of truck bed. 
Both vehicles went right in, a little help over the
wheel wells.  We never did the blocks to raise wheels.
 We didn't really see unloading horses and unhooking
trailer as a problem.  Just added a couple extra
minutes to whole deal.  At that time, 2-horse trailer
was all we had, we needed to work with it.   Pole was
the big problem, we had to tie it on the side of
truck(marathon) or run it under carriage, sticking out
the back of truckbed (drop pole) a little.

ALWAYS TIE YOUR VEHICLE DOWN SECURELY!!!  Channel and
just the truck bed walls, is not going to hold your
carriage stable during a drive.  I don't care how
heavy they are, carriages MUST be tied down to prevent
problems from happening.  On the CD-L list, more than
several, folks have related accidents from vehicles
coming out of their trucks, both carts and 4-wheelers.
 One flew out and hit a Semi!!
I do not consider a bungee as a tie-down, hooks
straighten, cord breaks easily.  Could be an aid to
tying down, but not the only piece used.  Same with
the rubber straps with S hooks, poor choice.  Rachet
straps are very good, to firm anchors.  Use several. 
Replace when worn or frayed!  Rope is good.  Read the
weight limits on ropes and straps.  Some of that big,
thick rope used on lead ropes, is only rated 200#! I
was shocked.  'Looks' really solid, for soft rope,
over 3/4" thick. There are pull rating, and jerk
ratings, know what you are working with, before tieing
stuff down. Carriages will often move around in
transit.  The springs, unless compressed, will bounce
the vehicle on rough roads.

For the stock trailer, how wide is it?  Some of the
very wide ones, 8ft, you can turn a vehicle sideways. 
I haven't seen sideways work well on narrower
trailers.  Carriage being hauled, needs a wheel under
each corner, so front end has to be turned back
straight, not like going around a corner.  Could
smaller animals be loaded sideways or slanted, to gain
a couple feet for straight in carriage?  We also have
a stock trailer, gooseneck with 18ft on the ground. 
Horses heads go into gooseneck area, 8 ft front for
our large horse bodies.  Divider gate leaves 10ft for
carriage.  Trailer is 6ft + couple inches, wide. 
Antiques have flat front with splinter bar.  Marathon
vehicle will add a couple feet with receiver socket
for pole.  Receiver can be removed, but don't usually
need to.   10ft space is usually fine.  We have spring
loaded bars to block rolling, and rings in the floor
for rachet straps to compress springs.  Vehicles will
still move side to side a little.  Our trailer is
rubber lined up to about 30" from the floor.  Aids in
not rubbing holes in carriages, or horses bumping into
walls with feet.  We have found the horses to ride
better in the front, suspended between the axles,
carriage in back.  No side load, we have to take
carriage out to get horses out.  Could get horses out
side person-door for emergency.  

If you want to invest in new trailer and carriage,
there are lots of things out there.  If you can't or
don't want to, we have LOTS of ideas.  Nothing wrong
with hauling a carriage in the back of truck, just
slightly less convenient than all in trailer.  

Lots of the pony pullers around here, carry ponies in
back of the truck, hitch the rubber-tire wagon on
behind.  Merhow used to make a box that fit on truck
bed to load horses into, had a ramp too.  I know a
woman who hauled her Cleveland Bay stallion in one,
went everywhere.  One ton truck for BIG horse!  I have
hauled horses in the back of my pickup, works fine. 
Truck does have to be up to the weight of load. 
Taking horses in the back of the pickup beats riding
them to the show.  Trailer is a step above open pickup
bed for hauling.  Guess it depends on how bad you want
to go places with your horse, what you will resort to!
 Staying home was not an option!!

Kathy Robertson



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