How do we manage to get into these situations? Collected another "Slightly Damaged Stray"...

I am so glad he is coming home! I can not wait to read all the adventures you and him will go on! Can wait to see lots and lots of pictures!

X2

road trip time for Gus!

wee.gif
 
he is gorgeous! I know that's a lot of money but things always seem to find a way to work out, plus you named him. I have spent thousands on my animals and its been well worth it :) Looks like things are working out for the best :)
 
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If I remember right, you have a 12-hr trailer ride back to Florida. I would recommend NOT UNLOADING Gus during the trip. I think you might encounter problems if you unload him to rest in a strange place. He might get nervous and be hard to handle, he might refuse to re-load....

My suggestion would be to have 2 drivers, in case one gets tired. Having a few short breaks here and there for re-fueling and people potty breaks will help Gus rest in the trailer. Offer him water at every stop, but be sure you can SAFELY do so. Don't open any doors unless you KNOW he isn't going to try to bolt out them, even if he is tied, he might try and even if you have a butt-bar or chain. (I'm not sure what kind of trailer you have... some are easier to deal with than others) If you have an open stock trailer, you might consider hanging a bucket in the trailer before you load Gus, and then just reaching in with a hose to fill it when needed. You also might want to bring 5 or 10 gallons of water from the trainer's place. It will be familiar to him, and he is more likely to drink it.

Make sure he has hay to nibble on. Look into a "slow-feed' hay bag, it does what it says - it slows him down and he wastes less.

Make sure he is tied in a manner where he can get his head down to clear his nasal passages. Or don't tie him at all if you have the right kind of trailer. But if he is tied, you don't want him to have so much slack that he can turn around and get tangled.

I am assuming you will stop to eat? Make one of those stops a LONG stop - maybe an hour or two if you can. That will give Gus plenty of time to rest. If possible, find a quiet place to park. I know parking in the "big rig" areas is usually a lot easier, but they can often be noisy and hot. If you can handle maneuvering your rig in the passenger vehicle parking area, it will be quieter, and often has more areas to park in shade.

If something happens and you do need to unload him, do so in the safest, quietest, most enclosed area possible. Preferably NOT on the side of the road, or in a rest area.

I highly recommend an "insurance" and road-side assistance company called US Rider. They will assist you with anything, while most roadside assistance will leave you high and dry when they find out you are hauling a horse. Cost is $119/yr with a small additional activation fee. http://www.usrider.org/index2.html It applys to the driver, and is good on ANY vehicle that the driver is in.
 
Hi All,

Em has asked me to update you on Gus. Not the best of news...

"Got Gus home. He's starved nearly to death. So is Lillian's pony. I did ride Gus for a few minutes, but he isn't "trained." I'm talking to an old friend of Terry's who has retired, but sorta took pity on me, and is going to transport him to his son for actual training. right now I'm just stunned. Completely stunned. In every picture I thought he looked thin, and everyone kept telling me he looked great... he doesn't look great. He looks as bad as when I brought him home to begin with, and it's my fault because I sent him there."
 
Hi Wisher,

From what Em said to me, the trainer was not feeding either horse enough. Don't know much else except that she has Gus back and she is really upset.
 

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