Posted 26 April 2005 - 09:27 PM
Well, while we're waiting for Arda and Kevin to let us know they've made it home safe and sound, I thought I'd share some of my trailering nightmare stories with you, which may explain why I'm such a stickler when it comes to loading up and heading out for parts unknown.
Trailering Nightmare No. 1: It was a beautiful fall morning - blue sky, sun shining, cool, crisp air. I was headed to St. Johns for the registered auction. I had a Morgan mare I wanted to sell.
I was heading north down M-15 just outside of Ortonville. There was another rig ahead of me, looked like a 2-horse, straight load.
As we're driving along, I thought I saw smoke, or something, coming from the rig ahead of me. I kept watching, and it was actually dust from the shoulder, as the trailer began gently weaving from side to side. Soon, the trailer was beginning to sway faster and, before I knew it, the truck with trailer attached was doing a 360, spinning like a top, in the middle of the road, until the trailer fell over.
I pulled over, as did everyone else behind me. We all rushed up to see what happened. The back trailer door was jammed. We finally got it loose, and opened it up. What a sight: one horse standing, one pinned under the center divider.
We backed out the one horse, and there were some strong men there by now, who somehow got the divider off the poor horse on the bottom of the trailer. We were able to finally get that horse on solid ground again, too.
The horse that was pinned had a puncture wound in its neck, the other had ripped part of its hoof off in the melee.
The driver called a friend, who came with another trailer. Amazingly, both horses loaded onto the new trailer, and off they went.
What caused this accident? The locking mechanism on the ball of the hitch failed, and the trailer popped off the hitch. It was being carried along ONLY by its safety chains!!!!!
Trailering Nighmare No. 2 - It was fall, again, and I had taken my stallion to Toronto for the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association annual inspections of stallions, mares and foals. The Germans come over each year to inspect the breeding stock and give their approval and ratings for each horse.
At that time, I only had an aluminum two-horse, straight load trailer. Atlas is a big boy. He was only 3 at that time, but about 16 hands. Warmbloods grow until they are 7 years old. He's now 17.2 hands, 9 feet from nose to base of tail. My new trailer is 7'2" on the inside just to accommodate him.
At any rate, this trailer also had a manger (bad, bad, bad configuration). I had taken the divider out of this smaller trailer, to make room for him.
At any rate, we went to the approvals. He was licensed to breed 20 mares, and off we went back to the United States. That day, I was driving into a headwind of about 50 miles per hour. It was not the most restful excursion I've ever been on.
I'm driving down the 402 headed for Sarnia, when I happened to look in my rear view mirror. This trailer had a front window. At that moment, I saw a piece of the window exit stage right, and all I could see was Atlas' nostrils, and a front hoof!!!!!
Well, I freaked out, as obviously he had jumped up in the manger (must have been getting kind of claustraphobic at that point). Do I stop? Do I keep going? Do I just keep heading toward the Border? I opted for the latter.
When I got to the Border, you have to check in on the Canadian side first. I parked the rig. By that time, Atlas had about as much fun as he could stand. I put the emergency brake on. The entire trailer was rocking from side to side.
The look on my face must have said it all, because when I entered the building and went up to the counter, someone actually came up to help me immediately. I got my paperwork stamped, went back outside. The trailer was still rocking.
Off I went over the bridge. The U. S. checkpoint is 7 miles in from the Border. I made it there, and had to wait while an elderly lady with her poodles spoke with the vet. By that time a semi load of pigs had parked next to my rig. Horses detest pigs. Well, you can imagine. By the time the vet went to look at Atlas, he opened the side door, looked in, and said, "Boy, you got your monies worth there!"
Off we went, headed for home. We made it, but I parked the trailer in the indoor arena, closed all the gates, and hoped for the best. I got him out, and by that time he had settled down. I put him in his paddock outside, and he galloped off. That ride took about 10 years off my life.
So, I'm still crossing my fingers for Arda and Kevin. Hope to hear from you guys, soon.
Linda
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated ... I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.
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Never To Be Forgotten
SCD's Sugar Bear 06/18/2017
Shadow a/k/a Little Snoopy
SCD's Betty Boo
SCD's Grindle
Bart (1993-1998)
Gunnar (1986-1992)
Sigmund (1975-1985)
Greta Von Reiman (1972-1984)