While driving behind one of those horse carriers yesterday, I got to wondering: Why do the horses face forward with no view?
If the horse could see would it “freak out”? Would it matter if the horse was facing backwards but still had no view?
I should think it’s a matter of getting the horse in and out of the carrier. It’s easier to get down backwards.
They don’t freak out. In fact we sometimes haul horses in a slant trailer with the front hatches open (for short, lower-speed trips). Most of the time we keep it closed because of weather. But the view does not freak them out one bit.
BTW: It’s been studied that horses have the best balance and comfort travelling facing forward at a slight slant (probably about 20 to 30 degrees). That’s why a lot of the newer trailers contain the horses in a slanted orientation.
Mainly its for ease of loading, from flat ground there is a eight to twelve inch step into the trailer. It is much eaisier to make a horse step up when it can see what its doing. Horses can be trained to step up while backing into a trailer but your aveage horse will lack that skill.
Thanks! Fighting ignorance continues…