Straight vs Slant load- where's the research?

[murphyluv]

So I'm having my horse shipped, again, and I was talking to a friend how I liked the company I picked b/c it's straight load. Then we got into the debate of straight vs. slant. I know that techinically, it's best to travel in a box stall where the horse can choose which position that's most comfortable, but realistically, I can't afford that.
I shipped him once slant load and he came back so incredibly sore I couldn't even ride him and he had an entire month off with bodywork and such- and I've heard many similar stories. He was much better when he was in a straight load. I know it depends on the driver, the road, air ride, etc, but where's the research that proves one is better over the other?? And who did it, who paid for it??
Just curious.

[bludejavu]

There is no research that I've ever seen that proves or disproves that horses travel better in either slant or straight loads. I've seen lots of qualified opinions, but that's all they are, just opinions. We've had both kinds of trailers and my personal preference is a straight load, but I think it all depends on your own personal experiences and what your horse seems to prefer. If your horse arrives safest from a straight load, then I would definitely stick with a straight load.

[lindasp62]

Just had a horse shipped...wanted straight load because of an injury (thought it best to have him have the support not avail in a box), but I insisted he travel BACKWARDS in the straight load. That way if there were a sudden stop or bump, he would basically just "sit down" instead of lurch forward and aggravating the front end injury. Plus, I think the haunches are stronger to deal with a sudden stop if traveling backwards than the other way around.

[lauriep]

Slant loads may be ok for smaller breeds, but big horses are unnecessarily squished into them, when they are fully loaded, as they aren't wide enough to accomodate a long WB body and neck. Not to mention the difficulty of trying to get to the front horse if there is a problem and you want to unload him. Straight loads only for us.

[goodhors]

From the farrier angle, husband sees quite a few shipped horses. Often sees the sore horse on right front. This is the leading hoof in all slants we see, hoof horse uses to hold himself in place. Every halt, slow down, turn, puts pressure and weight on that hoof, harder than any of the other hooves. The leg is always in use during slant hauling, gets no rest, does get muscle fatigued.

Depending on the commercial hauler or owner's hurry, some horses are dead lame for several days or more after the trip in slant load trailers. Methods of hauling, rest periods, can affect results.

This same stiffness/lameness problem is not happening on straight load horses, front or rear facing.

Slant stalls are measured diagonally for the most inches to quote to buyers. Stalls actually have many LESS USABLE inches for the horse. Stall is not a rectangle with slanted ends, so horse body doesn't fit well. My 16h-17h horses do not fit comfortably into slant trailers. We went and "tried some on" for size. Heads vertical, still can't close the stall dividers of a double stall. Sure not going to make them travel that way! We will stick with our older trailers, straight stalls that horses ride in comfortably. Not stiff or lame coming off, even on very long trips.

[Nezzy]

Equus recently( this year) stated that there was a study and that most horses who were trailered loose in a box stall, either faced front or faced back, but it was a very small amount or none that rode at a slant. most faced backward, if i remember correctly. but i don't know who did the study.

[Dalemma]

I was told........slant trailers are fine for short hauls but straight hauls are better for long hauls.

Dalemma

[Lilykoi]

I have a two horse GN straight load. I've set it up as a box stall and hauled horses loose
many times. I have a camera in it so I know exactly what they are doing. I agree that they ride forward or backward, but I've never seen one opt to ride on a slant. Funniest is hauling a mare and foal. The foal will lay down and sleep!
I think the slants were made to fit more horses in a smaller trailer. Most people think my oversized two horse is a three horse slant. Personally, I prefer a straight load. For lots of
reasons, but I mostly because the horses haul better in them. Slants are tough on the big guys.

[yellowbritches]

Equus recently( this year) stated that there was a study and that most horses who were trailered loose in a box stall, either faced front or faced back, but it was a very small amount or none that rode at a slant. most faced backward, if i remember correctly. but i don't know who did the study.
Nothing scientific on my part to back this up, but I would agree with this. We've hauled on occasion horses loose in the middle of our big head to head...whenever I peek in on them, they are facing the rear. Also, have a friend who does some small time commercial hauling. He has a trailer with two loose boxes. Anytime I see him on the road with his trailer, his passengers are facing the rear.

[equinelaw]

There are some research papers showing in which positition horses are least stressed. They said it was facing backwards in a straight load. They came out in the early 1990s.

Somehow this got bastardized into slant loads becuase either someone couldn't read the results or slant seemed more like backwards then just forwards in a straight. Nothing supported slant as better.

The research came out and in the next few years there were slant loads all over. I don't know if the slant loads were designed based on the research, but the confusionis still dying down. The timing fits and I do know some ads refered to the studies.

The studies were not funded by anyone. Grad students have to come up with things to test and write about that cost very little and have a signifigant impact on something useful. Testing stress levels and finding a few trailers and horses is affordable and doesn't require funding. It was a really good project that got lost in the shuffle.

Backwards is best, but halldy anyone does that and is it safe? I don't see why not, but its new and scary:eek:

The papers should be googlable. I know they exist but I can't remember the authors names. Most likely done at Rutgers, Texas A&M or Colorado.

[bludejavu]

When we use our head to head trailer and only haul a few horses, we always put them where they will face backwards. When you think about how a horse stops it's forward motion, it's to plant their back legs under them and the front legs are only used as a brace so perhaps it works the same in the trailer - they sit back the same way and balance better during stops and starts.

We've hauled lots of mares and foals in loose stalls and the foals (if they're without their moms) tend to brace against a wall with their butts. The mares always face backwards unless their babies lay where they can't. Even when we stop to get gas or food, the mares don't turn to face forward usually.

[Daydream Believer]

I've done a lot of hauling over the years in both slants and straight loads and a few in open boxes. Those who were lose usually stood at a slant..at least in my trailer. I literally put 10,000 miles on my 4H slant trailer last year with my stallion on board in a slant stall. He was never sore or lame. A couple of those hauls were over multiple days...one from VA to WY and back again and coming home I had 4 horses on board in that slant trailer and no one was stressed or sore.

I think it depends a lot on the horse like anything else. If big horses are more comfortable in straight loads than by all means use one. My little horses do fine in the slant. When I've hauled in a loose box, they always seem to face forward and sideways.

[Miss-O]

In an advertising section of the most recent practical horseman they quoted the research that said horses preferred forward or backwards riding in horse trailers. I've often hauled using stock trailers and can't say I've ever seen a horse standing slanted.

My tiny little 14.3 hh Morgan was smooshed the one time she rode in a slant. Even though she was slim and in shape she only had about an inch to spare on either side of her. I don't know how anything but pony's fit in those things.

[Sugarbrook]

So, does this mean that when you load your pony onto a huge "18 wheeler" the ones facing backward will make the trip better? Makes no sense to me. If that was so, why do so many of the huge, very very expensive horses travel in that way. And do the owners go on the van (or the barn managers) and decide which way they will face??
Not that I have even known.

[equinelaw]

Becuase most people do not read equine research themselves?


Its is said to be less stressful, as measured by physiological samples, for exactly the reasons many posters have figured out for themselves.

In reality, for all we know, the horses dont like people looking at their butts:)

Slantloads are a halfassed way to be assbackwards?

[Foxtrot's]

I was under the impression, when slantloads first came in, that they were a way to make a three horse trailer for those who wanted more than a two, but a four was too long.

The RCMP did a study on how horses travel as they travel thousands of km a year in the large transporters. They tested forwards, backwards, but probably not slant, with heart rate monitors and temperature measurements and also urine. The overall result was backwards was easiest.

I have travelled a few times with a loose horse - each time my horses were on a slant.

[Liberty]

Here's some research that I found interesting:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-AN/INF-AN_HORSTRANSPT.HTML

[Daydream Believer]

The RCMP did a study on how horses travel as they travel thousands of km a year in the large transporters. They tested forwards, backwards, but probably not slant, with heart rate monitors and temperature measurements and also urine. The overall result was backwards was easiest.



I read somewhere that the most stressful position was facing forwards like a typical straight load.
I thought I also read that a rear facing slant was preferred by horses but few of us have those. I could probably turn my horses around in mine and let them stand that way but the trailer is designed for the heaviest side to be the high side of the road.

I did switch from years of owning a straight load to a slant last year and can say that my horses load and ride better in the slant. I never feel them moving around or lurching...in the straight load, you'd feel them adjust their balance frequently. As for big horses not fitting....you can get slants made with a different "offset" to make the stalls longer for big horses.

[Foxtrot's]

Daydream - ditto - mine travel much better slant. They can use the divider to lean against and I never hear movement. They are in a custom made trailer and fit fine.

However, if ever I was unfortunate enough to be in an accident, there is no chest bar to lean against.

Overall, I like the slant, and frequently travel 6+ hour journeys, often up the twisty and hilly Fraser Canyon.

[tabula rashah]

My horses and I much prefer the slant load. Every horse I've ever trailered in it has trailered beautifully. I've hauled all over the country and never had a soreness issue what-so-ever.

I also have a 17.2 hand WB who fits just fine in my slant load (have also hauled drafts and they fit fine too). It all depends on how your slant load is set up.

[4Martini]

I have a 2H slant (extra tall and wide) that I use as a box stall for my 16.1h OTTB. He always rides just like he would if I closed the divider - on a slant. You can usually see either the moving hay he's chewing on or the corner of his nose through the bars on the front window. Of course he will freak out if you try and close the divider on him and I think loading him in a straight load would be a complete nightmare... But he seems just fine with his box stall on wheels (my husband calls it the world's most expensive one horse trailer - but the freedom of going where we want is awesome!)

So my horse likes the slant.

[RunForIt]

I have a 2H slant (extra tall and wide) that I use as a box stall for my 16.1h OTTB. He always rides just like he would if I closed the divider - on a slant. You can usually see either the moving hay he's chewing on or the corner of his nose through the bars on the front window. Of course he will freak out if you try and close the divider on him and I think loading him in a straight load would be a complete nightmare... But he seems just fine with his box stall on wheels (my husband calls it the world's most expensive one horse trailer - but the freedom of going where we want is awesome!)

So my horse likes the slant.

my 15.1 h OTTB rides just the same...arrives sound, sane (well, almost), but very happy! the advanced rider I bought him from looked inside as we loaded him to come home and said "I like this...I really like this"...Rasta agrees. :cool:

[murphyluv]

Ok, so is there any research that proves one is less stressful for horses than the other? I saw the research on front vs. backwards... but what about slant? I was told that there was "research" and google searches don't seem to show much- I'm not that good at internet research anyway.
It'd be interesting to do a poll- if I could ever figure that out.

[Rachel L]

I really think the type of suspension on the trailer and how carefully you drive have a far greater impact on the horse than his standing position.

[equinelaw]

I have never seen research on slant loads. Someone else already dug up the reearch on the other ones, but if you read it you might be able to figure out if a slant is more like a front or a backwards ride?

What factors make one better then the other and how do those factors apply to slant?

[Simkie]

I really think the type of suspension on the trailer and how carefully you drive have a far greater impact on the horse than his standing position.

I have had the same horse in the same trailer with the same driver--only difference was all dividers open and horse allowed to ride loose or horse locked in a slant stall.

Loose? Turned around, rode backwards with his body straight and was quiet.

Locked in a slant stall? Kicked non-stop.

For that horse at least, riding in a slant position was not good.

[hayabusagirl]

I just sold a QH that would only ride in a slant or open stock trailer. The times I put him on a straight load I think he got claustrophobic and destroyed one partition and almost killed me the other time. I guess he was obvious in his opinion. I own a nice airy 2H straight and my TBs are fine on it.(more sane than the QH was). The only thing I do not like about the ramp load is that if it is humid out it can get slippery even w/ shavings on it....it can get hairy.