Crazy trailering question

[Sunshine2Me]

I'm supposed to go and pick up a mini for my daughter this weekend. It's kind of last minute thing, and it needs to be done this weekend. The mini is 2 hours away. It's going to be 3 degrees here, with windchills below zero. I have borrowed a small cotton sheet for the mini. It's all I could find as that size is not readily available in stores.

My trailer is a two horse slant load with slats. (Not sure why the photo loads sideways, but you get the idea!)

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I could try and board up the slats for the ride. My other thought was to put her in the tack room. It's quite large, and I think her body heat would warm up the area more than the stall portion. Is this a crazy and idiotic idea? For those with lots of trailering experience, do you have any other ideas or suggestions?

[boots-aregard]

Tie a wool saddle blanket around her barrel, she'll be fine. Those slats are too high up to make much of a difference to her in the trailer. IMHO

[Canyon]

I would worry, that even though she's a mini, if she gave a mighty heave-ho to the tack room door, it might pop open. I don't want to think of the consequences of that! How about buckling her in, in your passenger seat?

What speed will you be driving? I don't know if driving 60 mph means she will be somewhat exposed to a 60 mph wind chill or not. I'd consider boarding up the slats. Or heavy plastic and lots of duct tape (over the slats, not the mini) . Then I think she'll be fine with a sheet on, (boots' idea is a good one!) if she has a normal winter coat.

Pictures of the mini mare are required, pretty please.

[Sunshine2Me]

The obligatory photo!

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She has plenty of padding to keep her warm! I've asked my daughter to check and see if she might be pregnant because, well, just look at her!

[Tabby]

She will be fine. She appears to have lots of insulation and those slats are way, way above her head so she won't be in any direct wind. She'll likely be even more sheltered than she would outside in a field. They ship horses all over in Canada at those temperatures without dressing them in any special way for the trailer. If she's used to being naked outside, she'll have no problem in the trailer.

She's awfully cute !

[PaulaO]

Cute overload! What is her name?

[Sunshine2Me]

Cute overload! What is her name?

Thanks! She doesn't have a name yet. I'll update here when she does!

[Koolkat]

I think she would be better off without the sheet. The sheet is not enough to keep her warm and may impede her natural ability to fluff for warmth. I suspect she will be OK, I would say make sure she has enough to eat, but. . . . it looks like she already has!

[Sunshine2Me]

How about buckling her in, in your passenger seat?

I considered taking an SUV and folding the seats down to put her in the back!

[Srhorselady]

Minis have LOTS of coat (ask me how I know when I clip mine each March) unless she is ill or immuno compromised I wouldn't worry about her...especially if she's been outside. BTW if in the future your daughter thinks she needs a sheet/blanket I've been very happy with mine from Schneiders. My mini is 25, has Cushings and COPD and I started putting an unlined sheet on him when it gets in the 30s and he hates it!

[Quelah]

She'll be fine naked and with slats open, they're not that big and she's got a lot of hair and fat.

Re your previous question about dividers, when I had to do emergency hauls for small ponies or minis, if they were small ponies that couldnt easily pass under the dividers but the dividers were too high to be effective, I'd take th out and haul loose. If they were mini minis that could easily pass under the dividers, I'd leave dividers in and haul them loose. They all survived, every single one, even the teeny tiny mini that had to have colic surgery for teeny tiny entetoliths