It's starting to get busy around here so there won't be as frequent of posts.
Today I'd like to touch on something that has been bothering me for a while now. This year is going to mark the 3rd year anniversary of my good friends death. She passed away in 2006 after her truck had a blowout and struck a guardrail losing control with their horse trailer in tow. Her 9th grade daughters best friend that was in the truck with her also passed away. They were on their way to a barrel competition, something that they did frequently.
Last October there was another wreck near me involving a truck and horse trailer, both the driver of the truck and the horse died.
I don't have time to write out my tips, but I would like for you to share what your safety measures are when you are out on the road with your horses.
Fugly Wench of the Day
- The Wenchster
- This is a philosophical blog about.....oh, screw it!!! This blog is dedicated to calling Cathy, the FHotD writer, out on her bull sh*t!
35 comments:
Good to see you back, Wench! *HUGS*
Now, I haven't driven a trailer yet, but my best friend has had one for the past four'ish, maybe five years. She's still learning and she's more confident now, of course, than when she started. We ride together a lot when she pulls and one of her biggest concerns is people tail gaiting her. She never tailgates because she knows she can't stop in time if someone suddenly throws breaks, and she travels a bit under the speed limit because of the worry of sudden stops.
Now, the horse I may end up getting was in a trailer wreck and pinned in, he won't get into in a small closed in trailer.
welcome back, Wench.
So sorry to hear about your friend and your daughter's friend, as well. Anniversaries of our losses hit hard. I just went through my dad's.
Sending good thoughts your way.
I've never pulled a trailer, so can't help here, but I do know that when I'm behind one, I give it extra, extra room. Precious cargo both in that trailer, and in the vehicle pulling it as well.
Hope you are having happy foaling times at your place.
Wench, good to hear from you. Good luck with all of your endeavors.
My husband is in charge of hauling and he is a very defensive driver. Unfortunately, there are so many idiots out there that do not understand what it is like to pull a loaded trailer. All you can do is your best to be vigilant and careful.
It is important to make sure that your truck and trailer are in perfect working order, they need to be checked each and every time you haul. Also, make sure to have a good spare tire or two and a really good tool kit. I always make sure to have extra halters, plenty of water and hay in case we are stranded (not happened yet, but you never know).
Wench, so sorry about your friends.
We went to a show today. A friend of mine hauled the horses and I have to say, I was more than a bit scared of her driving. I've gone with her for years to shows and she's always been a good driver but today, she just had me freaked out. I was so glad to get home and put the horses back in their pastures safe. I think we'll be hauling our own from now on!
My main tips for towing:
1) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check your tires on trailer and vehicle EVERY SINGLE TIME you haul. (This has saved me a couple of times - yes, missed the show, didnt lose the horse.)
2) Drive defensively but not paranoidly so - does it really matter if you are 5 minutes later getting to the show grounds or the trail head? But dont hold traffic up and p*ss people behind you off - if the cycles are passing you you are going too slow.
3) Take every corner 10-15kph lower than the posted limit.
4) NO sudden braking or accelerating - it upsets your horse, is when a lot of issues happen and is awful for your human passengers as well. (Okay, try for no as there will be idiots out of the blue that require you to go hard - but hold your wheel straight have a path out of the way!)
5) If you are a novice at towing a trailer, practice with an empty one in somewhere safe - practice soft nice driving as well as hard turning braking etc. Learn what your vehicles' are like in safe conditions before you have to do it for real. Use your trailer to pick up grain etc.
Yes, I have towed for about 25 years now.
Rae
Hiya Wench! Trailering, hate it. Double check everything, go slow, post signs on trailer to let other driver know this is actually a horse trailer, pull over and let other drivers pass whenever possible...but still stuff can happen. So sorry about your friend.
One big thing that happened here is that a couple died inside the trailer live in quarters due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Aside from basic trailer maintenance for hauling, also double check anything that effects the live in area along with anything else.
Also check electrical wiring. A vet told a story once about a horse that was shocked each time the brakes were applied because of some kind of break or short in the system, so she would arrive at shows with her hocks all scarred up because she kicked out every time she was shocked. Carry electrical tape for any quick fixes you can do yourself and the number of someone who can help if things get out of your hands.
Don't forget to check your hauling vehicle too! It takes two (truck + trailer), so even if you're a backwoods type with that mud-covered off-roader that can still haul, make sure you take good care of that baby so your REAL baby can get somewhere safely!
So fugly jumps the gun and yells steriods and you dont post about it??? Think you have lost most of your viewers already, the point of this blog was to out fugly. But you havent been doing that even when she makes it sooo easy, so no point in reading your blog. Has she converted you?
SNORK on that one.
So fugly jumps the gun and yells steriods and you dont post about it??? Think you have lost most of your viewers already, the point of this blog was to out fugly. But you havent been doing that even when she makes it sooo easy, so no point in reading your blog. Has she converted you?
Agreed
Well, considering just about everyone else I talked to at the time including someone in contact with a polo player down there, steroids were in general being wondered about as the cause. Several folks on Fugs mentioned other possibilities and mentioned steroids wouldn't be useful as a quick boost. A couple of others proposed injectable options that are suspected to be the cause.
Fugly posted about one of the posts which had proposed selenium which is still the most likely cause and drew attention to the fact that this was probably correct and her initial thought was wrong. Her rant about steroids in training and abuse of polo ponies and others is still applicable and since I read it as a rant in general and did not presume that Fugly had any more idea about what killed the polo ponies than I did I don't think I was irreperably damaged by that outburst.
I mean yeesh, does people do have brains to process information. Once I get over my own ranting and emotion I sit back and think and evaluate things. I think the majority of people who read do. That's why the whole ranting and spewing idea works so well- people get it out of their system and move on.
huh
Oh good grief Anonymous person, does it never occur to you that she may just happen to have a life actually OFF the interwebs ?
So Fugs is screaming about steroids - well whoopsie fecking doo she wasn't the first at that either.
Read the point of this blog as declared by the author. It doesnt say "this blog is to discuss road safety traveling with or on horses". If I want to read that, there are plenty of other blogs that post that sort of thing.
"Read the point of this blog as declared by the author. It doesnt say "this blog is to discuss road safety traveling with or on horses". If I want to read that, there are plenty of other blogs that post that sort of thing."
AGREE
GoLightly.... what are you TALKING about?
I like this blog but do think it would serve a better purpose if it focused on taking fugly to task...from her presentation of "facts", to her approach, downright mistakes, etc. Some people like myself read here because we think there is a better way to educate and bring certain topics to light. Kind of a rebuttal place if you will. I might agree with what she says but I rarely agree with how she says it. Of course this is Wench's blog to do with what she wants, but it is a great opportunity to out the ugliness that can take hold over there. It would be interesting to take her topics and debate them, because heaven knows there is a better way. Just my humble opinion, of course :-)
Go Lightly said "ComingCleanDYRNFH? Maybe e-mail me, if you think you "have" something.
I have the link for reporting discrepancies re 5013c whatever.
I'm canadian. The states won't listen to me. Don't ask me how I know."
I do not know anything about Champ's finances. I ONLY provided him a place to stay.
Can anyone here tell me why you people are so concerned about what Wench posts or does not post? If you want to read, then read, if not, then go away, very simple, not rocket science.
CCC said: "Can anyone here tell me why you people are so concerned about what Wench posts or does not post?"
I'm not at all concerned...just gave my opinion about things here. What in the world is the harm in that? Please tell me how what I said was offensive to you? It isn't your blog! ~Anon 3:20
Anon 3:20
Not offended at all, just asking a question. I have as much right to ask my question as you have to state your opinion.
And yes, this is not my blog, it isn't yours either, what's your point?
CCC: My point is that you have no right to tell me what to do (go away), being that the comment I made wasn't 1) directed towards you and 2) was not at all offensive or rude - to anyone. My point is also that since this isn't your blog, if you don't like my polite comment about something, follow your own advice and don't read it, as you do not dictate what goes on here. ~anon 8:57
Anon 3:20
I reread the comments to make sure that I wasn't out of line. I really wasn't referring to you when I made that comment. It was directed to earlier posters on this topic as well as other topics where they say the same thing. Anon posting does have some down sides to it in my opinion.
Yes, you are right, I do not direct this blog, but I do have the right to express myself too, just as you and everyone else does.
How about a truce?
CCC: This page was open on my desktop while I was getting ready for work, thus checking it out one last time - yes, this isn't the place for me. By the way, out of curiosity, I looked at your profile / blog and I just have to say that your place is stunning - in my next life I can only hope for something half as beautiful! Truly what I would call heaven on earth. Ok, on to more thought provoking reads :-) ~Anon 3:20 / 8:57 / 7:23
Anon:
If you do check back in, thanks. I love my place and feel fortunate everyday that my hubby and I were able to buy it.
I wish you the same luck.
There's interesting information on Golightly's blog. Fugs asked for donations and said that she would provide records of the expenses to the donors. When asked for records, fugs wrote GL an abusive letter telling her, roughly, it's none of her business how the money was spent.
In light of this, it's interesting how fugs uses her blog for her personal fundraising. It turns out that she uses the money to take a day off work. How is this rescuing or helping horses?
It turns out that she uses the money to take a day off work.Now how on earth can you know that?
GoLightly, no offense - but a lot of the drama you have been swirling in is self-made. And I do not see anything "abusive" about what Fugly emailed you. Didn't you say you saw a copy of the vet bill or something? So then wouldn't your donation have gone towards that? There would not necessarily be a receipt detailing exactly what your specific funds went for. I have received similar documentation from rescues in the past and it did not bother me at all. It was also not worth all this drama. I can tell you are hurting from it - but it is so not worth it. Just my opinion - you can tell yourself that you helped him as best you could in Tad Plaid's memory and leave it at that. I am sure he was grateful.
If you donated through one of the GIVE ME MONEY OR HORSES WILL DIE!! threads at ABR - you would not get a receipt or copy of a bill of any kind. So I discovered.
Sorry to be anonymous (and no I am not Cathy) but the way Dena has been posting at FHOTD and carrying on I would rather NOT give her a link to my blog. And I am sure she is lurking all over the place.
I forgot to ask why you said this to Cathy:
***
Please name a reputable rescue in Toronto area. I've been looking, not finding. I've asked this question, in the comments.
If this is still incomprehensible to you, I will have no choice but to send an inquiry about your finances to your local government.
***
HUH? I do not understand that. It actually sounds like blackmail. Give me a rescue name or ELSE?
I am sorry but that does not make sense.
Lynn:
Actually, Cathy herself said that donations would allow her to take off work to do rescue work.
Anon:
The "abusive" part was where fugly told Golighly that she wouldn't "inflict" her on a rescue
that she liked. This all came about because fugly made that ridiculous riding challenge to Golightly. She said she would be able to use a horse at a local rescue in GL's area to do the ride off. Well, GL has been trying to find a local rescue to volunteer at and hasn't found one, hence the question.
Anon,
First of all, that letter was one of many abusive comments that Fugs has said in regards to this issue and is, in fact, a very rude letter. Fugs, has said from the beginning that anyone fundraising has to provide financial records and that is why she will show her donors records. When asked for those records fugs refused with a rude letter.
As an administrator of non-profits, I can say that yes, anyone fundraising has to have financial records available for viewing. People who have solicited funds in the way that fugs has have ended up in court. You may wish to cut fugs some legal slack, but don't expect the rest of the world to feel the same way. Personally, I don't understand why people go to the length that they do to justify fug's slimey behavior.
Secondly, fugs solicited funds from a number of her readers for her "horse rescue" projects. She later wrote to us that she is using the money to take a day off work. Those are her words not mine. GL is only one of fugly's former readers that have experienced the same con from fugs.
Finally, under no circumstances would I condone sending any of our donors a rude letter.
Link to where she said she was using rescue funds to take a day off work - that had nothing to do with rescue - please. If you are going to say things like that you need to back them up. Link?
Post a Comment