Baby Sandwich

Hauling young horses for the first time makes me have ulcers. Horses weren’t meant to be in small, confined areas that move them away from home and friends. Young horses make poor choices because they don’t have life experience.

I needed to brand the yearlings. A vet appointment was necessary. Quinn was hauled from Texas to Tennessee as a foal and from Tennessee back to Texas when we bought him. He’s been on trailers but they always took him away and never brought him back. It’s traumatic and sad. Grace has never had to be hauled. Today was her first day.

When I haul babies, I make a baby sandwich. I put a seasoned hauler in first. Then the babies. Then another seasoned hauler. Someone always needs a coggins or maintenance. I have a lot of horses to choose from. I chose Sis (formerly Sage. We already have a Sage). She’s been hauled extensively as a rope horse. I purchased her to rehab her and sell. She needed to be vetted and was a good choice. I also took Sequoia. She was a wild card. She’s been hauled once when we ran her on the trailer as a yearling. However, I ride her, rode her sire, rode her dam, rode and raised her grandsire and great granddam and grandsire. They are all pretty solid horses so I hedged my bet. She needed a coggins.

I have been working the yearlings in hand for over a month. Obstacles, tying, basic life skills in preparation for today. I left myself an hour to load. Stuffed the hay bags and prayed for the best.

I put Sis on first. She’s easy peasy. Quinn was next. He walked right on but had a little tantrum when I closed the divider. I suspect it’s the first time he’s been confined in a space that small. He had the whole trailer coming home from Tennessee. After some vigorous pawing he settled. Grace was next. She hesitated for about ten seconds and walked on. She resisted the divider but also hasn’t been confined to a space that small. Sequoia was the last on the sandwich. She walked right on.

They all rode well. No flailing legs out windows (yes, I’ve had it happen. Horses make poor life choices).

At the vet I unloaded and tied them in the same baby sandwich with their hay bags.

Everyone stood quietly for over 3 hours. Grace and Quinn walked into the treatment room and stocks like they had been there everyday. They didn’t love the confines of the stocks but they got drugs pretty quickly so no issues.

By the time we were ready to head home it had started raining. Sis and Quinn walked straight in. Quinn had his brief pawing fit. Grace was reluctant thankfully I had Terry to help. It took less than ten minutes to get her to walk on. She needed to have her opinion known before she made the decision to get on. Sequoia hesitated for less than two minutes and we were loaded and ready to go. I was thankful for the second set of hands. I never worry about loading. I know I’ll get them on. With it being wet and later in the day it was nice to have help.

Everyone unloaded well at home. The baby sandwich was a success and hopefully the next time they will remember this positive experience.