As if there aren’t enough dangers when you’re hauling horses! Now comes a news story that surpasses fears of flat tires on the freeway and driving through a sudden hailstorm. On the afternoon of May 15, Martha Goss was hauling her two American Quarter Horses on the 210 freeway through Fontana, Calif., just east of Los Angeles. The trip was uneventful until a driver fell asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck. His vehicle careened into Goss’ SUV that was pulling the two-horse trailer. Both vehicles rolled over. Thanks to training from the city and emergency horse handling classes from the local Alta Loma Riding Club, on-site law enforcement officials were able to help extricate the injured horses without incident.
Neither driver was seriously injured, but both horses are still under veterinary care. The older horse, a 20-year-old gelding, suffered a severe concussion. The other horse, a competitive reining mare, sustained a major laceration to one leg which may ultimately relegate her to broodmare status.
Hauling horses, especially on a busy freeway, is always fraught with possible dangers. It’s understandable why drivers get a bit edgy when forced to traverse clogged thoroughfares while pulling a trailer.
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