Advice on a horse that kicks when travelling

Bernster

Bernster

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Any advice/tips please?

It's my lorry but not my horse. Friend's horse travels with mine. I do like to go out in company, but her horse hasn't travelled that well. We've been out twice so far. He loads fine but whilst en route he lashes out with his back feet. Seems to give it a fairly hefty whack as it damaged the rubber on the wall. The first time it was pretty bad, to the point where we stopped to check them and found that my boy had got loose, so was probably annoying him by getting in his face. Tied him back up but the damage was done and he was upset so didn't stop. Return trip slightly better but still pretty horrid. Second short trip was better but we did have a fair few whacks there and back - they are so loud they make my ears pop, and it's right behind my head which is stressful to say the least! He does it in his stable too. I do worry about him hurting himself.

Would a calmer help? Is there anything I can use to muffle the noise? I could invest in a partition (one which blocks off their heads) but this is the only horse I've had this issue with, and it's not my horse so I don't want to do that unless the cost is covered.

I realise that the easy answer is not to take him again (and my boy travels nicely alone or in company) but I'd like to see if we can improve things before I give up.
 
I'm not that familiar with hobbling (although in principle I understand what it means). What do you use and how tight is it? I'm a bit 'eeek' about the notion and my friend may baulk at the suggestion, but am open to ideas as it's really not pleasant. And if it's that or he doesn't get to play, then she might be as well ! BTW he seems to travel ok in a trailer with someone else, although it might just be that you can't hear/feel it in the same way you do in a 3.5t.

So has this fixed it for Fig and he's ok with it?
 
Our mare is much better travelled without back boots, it reduces the kicking massively. Not sure if this is relevant to your situation but maybe worth a try.
 
That's tricky (and you don't want your rubber or lorry damaged).

My old horse did the same for quite a while - I still don't really know if there was a reason, although he did it when I got a 3.5 tonne lorry and had never done it when i had a larger box. Eventually he just stopped. He's an opinionated creature and never likes a new lorry for a while, so I think he was just protesting.

All I can think is that you pad his shoes (hoof boots?) or the wall (carpet?) to prevent damage until he works out it doesn't help him at all. I wouldn't do a calmer, especially on the outbound journey, as i assume you want him alert for whatever it is you're doing.
 
Abacus said:
That's tricky (and you don't want your rubber or lorry damaged).

My old horse did the same for quite a while - I still don't really know if there was a reason, although he did it when I got a 3.5 tonne lorry and had never done it when i had a larger box. Eventually he just stopped. He's an opinionated creature and never likes a new lorry for a while, so I think he was just protesting.

All I can think is that you pad his shoes (hoof boots?) or the wall (carpet?) to prevent damage until he works out it doesn't help him at all. I wouldn't do a calmer, especially on the outbound journey, as i assume you want him alert for whatever it is you're doing.
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You're right that we could really do with knowing why he does it and then we're better able to fix it. I think he's a bit territorial as he does it in his stable, directed towards his neighbour. Can you put hoof boots on a shod horse? That might give us a quick short term fix at least.
 
Yes you can - I had Old Mac boots which I used to pop on when my horse was nearly losing a shoe (it happened often), it used to save the shoe until the farrier could come.
 
My mare would only travel under heavy sedation and even then would kick seven bells out of the sides of the wagon going to and from horspital. She managed to peel back the metal lining of the walls like a sardine tin, and reduced the wooden interior "gate" behind her to matchsticks. It was her way of protesting which was odd as under normal situations, even under stress she would never kick, it just wasn't in her nature.
 
There's different types of hobbles
The most normally used for travelling are pairs so in this case one on each back foot you can also hobble front only all four hobbled and diagonal hobbles which looks scary to me .
I have never used them for kicking but have for a horse that climbed on the tack locker .
We introduced them on the stable and then for standing on the yard .
It takes a bit of trial and error the get the length between correct too loose and the horse will attempt the behaviour too tight and it will affect the ability to balance.
The horse I used them on never panicked I suspect he might have worn them before he reared and at first they worked great then he leaned to rear with them on .
In the end I discovered the best thing for mine was some punchy braking but you can't do that with another horse in .
Do remove any boots and bandages if the horse is wearing any that's completely cured two bad travellers I bought over the years.
You need two people to hobble a horse on a truck it will be tricky to safely put on rear ones alone in a safe way .
 
Mudfukkle said:
I would worry about a horse becoming unbalanced trying to travel in hobbles.
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Fig is fine :) He loads and unloads fine and his kicking is pure impatience.

Goldenstar said:
You need two people to hobble a horse on a truck it will be tricky to safely put on rear ones alone in a safe way .
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I put them on by myself and I sit under his belly on the lorry whilst I do so! The buckles are easy to do even on a fidgety horse.

OP, I use the Shires ones, cheap on ebay (make sure you boil them to get the blue dye out before using!!!!!).

I didn't spend any time introducing them as he has traveled internationally so I felt 100% certain he is just impatient (he was also stationary and had done 2 tests when he put his feet through into the cab).

Would suggest leaving them on as bracelets in stable then loading/unloading and then gradually shortening the length when you do connect them.

I have him stand relaxed but square and use that as a guide. If they are still kicking daylights out lorry tighten it a little.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
hobble him!

Fig is hobbled to travel as he has managed to kick through in to the cab before now (3.5ton). hobbled he travels like a pro and is not distressed by it at all.
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My friend used to do this to stop it kicking. Only one day as she was unloading she forgot to unhobble it (if that's a word) and it panicked and smacked its head off the top of the lorry, then fell onto the carpark where it was almost K.O 'd with the impact.

I guess hobblings ok, but don't forget to undo it before unloading. I know it sounds obvious, but I can imagine after a long journey it might be easy to forget.
 
Thanks all. Have to confess am still a bit freaked at the idea of hobbling and not sure friend would go for it either. Interesting that taking boots off can help, that's an easier one to suggest and less controversial I suspect. I think she has used rescue remedy on horse previously with some success (although not aimed at the kicking thing).
 
Bernster said:
Thanks all. Have to confess am still a bit freaked at the idea of hobbling and not sure friend would go for it either. Interesting that taking boots off can help, that's an easier one to suggest and less controversial I suspect. I think she has used rescue remedy on horse previously with some success (although not aimed at the kicking thing).
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It's your lorry. If the horse can't travel nicely and is damaging the lorry then I would refuse to take said horse.

You could try a thick piece of foam taped into the back.
 
following with interest as I had a slightly similar problem (friends horse in my lorry) but it was pawing with the front feet, which dug up my rubber flooring a bit. No boots (or, thankfully, shoes!) on that occasion. Haven't gone out again since, a bit nervous about what may happen!
 
you can hobble in front too...............

NMT has answered all the relevant Q so all i can add really is that a horse seriously booting the lorry is at some point going to hurt its self badly.

i know a lot of pros that hobble horses without a second thought and have had no horror stories relayed back.
 
Tobiano said:
following with interest as I had a slightly similar problem (friends horse in my lorry) but it was pawing with the front feet, which dug up my rubber flooring a bit. No boots (or, thankfully, shoes!) on that occasion. Haven't gone out again since, a bit nervous about what may happen!
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I've had that too, but it bothers me a bit less as it's not in the back of my head and although it has buckled the groom's door it's not such obvious damage. Still not pleasant though and a serial offender would stress me out too so you have my sympathy!
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
you can hobble in front too...............

NMT has answered all the relevant Q so all i can add really is that a horse seriously booting the lorry is at some point going to hurt its self badly.

i know a lot of pros that hobble horses without a second thought and have had no horror stories relayed back.
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Thanks, I know, it must do some wear and tear on the horse, let alone the lorry! If it can damage the matting right through to the bulkhead, that's pretty heavy thumping. I'll chat with my friend and see how we go on our third trip out this Sunday but don't think my nerves will take much and I am worrying about it :-(
 
Another one here who suggests removing boots. My gelding will kick kick kick in any sort of boots - travel boots he kicks with even if not loaded and when I tried brushing boots and/or over-reach boots he kicked but on a whim I decided to leave them off on the return journey and he was much better. To be fair to him he wasn't used to wearing boots at all anyway and hadn't had chance to try and get him used to them before having to travel him 3 hours to Newmarket.
 
My chap with travelling boots on will kick back of trailer or box, without he is absolutely fine. A lot of horsebox recovery operators will NOT travel a horse with boots on as they say it is dangerous and most horses cause more damage by treading on them and getting in a state than not having them on at all. Have to say I travel with bandages on 1-4 hour journeys, if under an hour don't bother. Travels fine now.
 
Friends horse does this in her 3.5t, interestingly he is also territorial in his stable particularly at feed time when it often seems more like a reflex reaction.

She has had the bulkhead on the side he travels super reinforced and thicker rubber put up etc, he does it less if he is travelled in company and does it more if he thinks she has turned a corner too quickly/one that he wasn't ready for.

My lad is a fab traveller in big lorries and trailer but has been in a couple of reverse facing 3.5t recently and although he is quiet- and one has a camera and he doesn't seem to be struggling he has come out very hot. I think for him, as a short arse he is used to having a breech and breast bar not as far away from him as they are fixed in the lorries (one has no breast).
 
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