I first started traveling with horses 5 years ago in Kansas. My tow vehicle was a 1988 Plymouth Grand Voyager mini-van. All right, quit laughing so hard, it actually pulled my 850# Arab without any trouble. I bought an old Wilson 2-horse bumper pull trailer after owning my first horse for only a year and a half. Look out world I was mobile!

All I knew about trailering a horse was you hooked up the trailer, made sure the lights worked, put the horse in and took off. Oh, and don't forget your bridle and saddle! Well, my education was lacking a little bit, to say the least, but I was game to expand the envelope. First thing I learned was that Northeast Kansas is not flat! After a few trips from Emmett to Tuttle Creek Reservoir north of Manhattan I had a healthy respect for hills and winding two-lane roads. I think I had a few drivers a little mad at how slow I was going but we all lived through it and after all that is the important thing. Next thing I learned was that I absolutely loved trail riding and camping with horses!

I met a wonderful lady who mentored me and got me into Competitive Trail Riding (CTR). My first ride was at Rock Creek Station, Nebraska horse camp. Nebraska isn't flat either! That was a 3-hour drive from where I lived in Emmett, Kansas and I was camping for the whole weekend. The CTR rules at that time said that you had to tie the horses to the trailer and you were judged as to the safety and cleanliness of your camp. It was very intensive for me being a rookie horseperson and a 47-year old grandmother! Did you know that horses make all kinds of noises during the night that is perfectly normal! Sally, my little old sway-backed Arab, had a good nights sleep but I can't say that for me.

Eight months after my first CTR ride I was moving back to Port Angeles, Washington. I had 4 horses at that time but could only bring 2 with me. That was sad because my first horse, Cinnamon, had to find a new owner and stay in Kansas. Sugar had to find a new owner also and that was a harder project. Sugar taught me how stubborn a 1300-pound horse that has decided that she is definitely not going to get into ANY trailer can be. That was a nightmare I hope I don't ever have to deal with again. It was before I learned more about teaching horses to load in the trailer.

I brought Cinnamon's 16-month old son, Kelly and old Sally with me. We were on the road for 3 days and would sleep for 6 hours at the rest areas before we got to my parents place in eastern Oregon. We took a two-day break there and got some rest. The last two days of travel were taken in smaller chunks. The horses can sleep in the trailer if need be and they had to the first 3 nights. At lunch we stopped at rest stops for about an hour or two and I got the horses out for a walk in the pet section. My pets were on their leashes! I did clean up any manure that happened to fall out of the trailer when unloading and when walking the horses. I know Sally thought I was in great need of those guys with the straight jackets because every time I would ask her to get back in the trailer she gave me a look that said exactly what she thought of me but she did get back in! And I thanked God! Kelly was too young to know any different he just walked right in.

When we got to my parents place Sally was pretty stressed. She wouldn't eat or drink and I finally decided that she needed some exercise. There was about 10 acres of sand dunes right next to my parents place and they got permission for me to ride out there. Kelly just followed us and we had a lot of fun playing for about an hour. Sally was so happy to be out and about that she didn't want to come back to the trailer. That was a first! She settled right down after that ride and started eating and drinking.

Before I left, Dr. Terry Jackson, my wonderful veterinarian, told me how to prevent colic by feeding beet pulp and wheat bran. Use beet pulp and/or wheat bran in the feed. Start mixing it in at least a week before you begin the trip and increase until it is a 50-50 mixture by the time you leave. That is, you keep their regular feed at the same amount and add the beet pulp/wheat bran. Continue feeding this mixture until you get home then take about a week to reduce the mixture back to the normal feed. Dr. Jackson also got my Health Certificates, vaccinations and coggins tests taken care of. Just as I was getting ready to leave, he showed up in a panic. He had checked my route of travel and discovered that Washington State required a coggins every 6 months instead of every year like Kansas does. It had been 8 months so I had to unload the horses and get the blood samples drawn. Dr. Jackson gave me all his numbers so that if needed I could call and get the results while on the road. What a great guy!

I had no other problems on my trip out and I was very thankful to my guardian angel. I have since learned a lot more about traveling with horses and that old saying "Ignorance is Bliss" sure applies to that trip!

Happy trails to you!
Written by: Trail Riding Sweetheart