Advice on horse pawing in the trailer - it's doing my head in.

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JCbruce

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Has anyone found any thing to stop a horse pawing in the trailer?

I have a lovely horse who travels amazing all the way to comps, calm at comps and great to travel back until the last 20 minutes when he knows there he is and just paws relentlessly. I put some rubber stable mat down and now it's not making enough noise he started to trying and paw further out and get the side of the trailer to make a noise. That last 10 minutes stretch home down country lanes is no where to stop and take him out so he doesn't expect to go home. When we park back at the yard he is super quiet. He never comes off sweaty or in a state.

My only options at this point is to either hobble him or move yards and get him a companion pony which I cannot overly afford.

Has anyone ever found a solution to this?
 
This will be controversial but i would gently brake check him. My horse used to be like Michael flatterly and dance a tap dance in anticipation so i would remind him feet are for standing on and just give him a little jolt and pull away again with another little jolt, he soon learnt. I would NEVER normally do this and it was very low speed, horses have to be confident travellers and the only way to do that is by driving considerately
 
Identityincrisis said:
This will be controversial but i would gently brake check him. My horse used to be like Michael flatterly and dance a tap dance in anticipation so i would remind him feet are for standing on and just give him a little jolt and pull away again with another little jolt, he soon learnt. I would NEVER normally do this and it was very low speed, horses have to be confident travellers and the only way to do that is by driving considerately
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Tried this, no difference if anything it just pisses him off and I dont want to make him not load.
 
Does he react well to vocal corrections? I can stop Dex from doing something immediately from the other end of the yard with an 'AH AH', which is super useful and if yours is the same then could you put a baby monitor in there with him and when you hear him tell him off through it
 
Can you attach some padding to the wall where he's pawing? Also, does he have hay/lage in the trailer? If not, giving him a net might help quiet him down.
 
I would try the baby monitor solution or put mats throughout the trailer s he doesn't get the satisfaction of being able to make a noise. If it could be because he needs to pee then plenty of bedding down too may help. One of ours hating peeing in the lorry but went as soon as he got back in his stable, we used to have a big skip ready to catch it as he hated peeing away from home so it was always a massive amount once home. Other than that my only suggestion would be to cover the trailer windows so he doesn't know when he is approaching home, however there may be familiar sounds and smells which will still let him know. The horse I mentioned wasn't one who pawed but had a horrid accident when there were roadworks with temporary traffic lights at the end of our drive, The traffic lights malfunctioned causing chaos and so we were stationary for several minutes, he could clearly see we were almost home and was moving about and, being a horse who liked to pick things up, grabbed his leadrope in his mouth, tossing his head about. He somehow then twisted his head and neck and pulled back breaking his jaw - a freak accident.
 
Could you try things like travelling him in different types of transport to see if he does it still? Maybe with and without partition? Try haylege rathe rthan hay as that might keep him more occupied if it's a treat.
 
In his head the pawing until he's home is self-rewarding. His logic is that the pawing means he's getting what he wants (arriving home) but we know it's a co-incidence as he'd be going home anyway. Could you do a short circular route so that you're back home before he has a chance to paw or so you can go round again if he starts and don't go home until he stops? Then repeat, repeat, repeat until he learns that pawing and arriving home aren't connected. It might take a bit of patience and earplugs for a week or so but could crack it?
 
My mare randomly bucks and kicks the back ramp occasionally for no obvious reason! She seems to do it when she’s in season…she’s done it twice and it’s annoying! I’ve always checked the back and made sure she’s not got a bee or fly or something in there but honestly can’t tell you why she did it. She does pee in the trailer quite happily so it’s not that. It’s very odd, 9/10 times she doesn’t do it at all x
 
Hobbles…do some training first putting them on in the stable. Then on in the lorry without moving. They’re not that scary. They can still move in them and keep their balance. But stops any high leg action needed to port.
I use them on my horse who literally ported the box to (nearly) pieces. Made the situation much better.
The webbing ones from Viovet are better than the ones with chain on.
 
My older pony is like this when he feels us leave the motorway and he knows we are almost home. I have been known to wind window down and shout at him to stop being a dick. (I am towing a float) Raises eyebrows of other motorists at times, but mumma's voice usually stops him......then he starts slamming the hay bag against the front window....makes less noise and doesn't damage the floor so preferable.
 
That's what I was thinking, but I imagine JCbruce would have tried that. Lots of good tips to try above. However, I don't like the idea of hobbles. Does he always travel alone? Would it be worth putting an experienced traveller in with him to see if that has any effect?
 
A tb I had was an horrendous traveller in a trailer. I picked him up and by the time I got home he had dug a hole straight through the rubber matting. Unfortunately it wasn't just on the way home it was whole journeys there and back. It was quite scary for a while but he did become a good traveller. I found closing one top door at the rear helped massively. Hope you can find a resolution.
 
Trot_on said:
Could you try things like travelling him in different types of transport to see if he does it still? Maybe with and without partition? Try haylege rathe rthan hay as that might keep him
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Dust Bunny said:
That's what I was thinking, but I imagine JCbruce would have tried that. Lots of good tips to try above. However, I don't like the idea of hobbles. Does he always travel alone? Would it be worth putting an experienced traveller in with him to see if that has any effect?
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No other way home. He travels with others doesn't do it. I can't afford another to get him a companion. He is literally perfect in every other way he just knows where he is the last ten mins and he wants to make the noise. I may have to try hobbling him a few times I can't see any other resolution. It's a very distinctive road home with no other routes in.
 
JCbruce said:
Has anyone found any thing to stop a horse pawing in the trailer?

I have a lovely horse who travels amazing all the way to comps, calm at comps and great to travel back until the last 20 minutes when he knows there he is and just paws relentlessly. I put some rubber stable mat down and now it's not making enough noise he started to trying and paw further out and get the side of the trailer to make a noise. That last 10 minutes stretch home down country lanes is no where to stop and take him out so he doesn't expect to go home. When we park back at the yard he is super quiet. He never comes off sweaty or in a state.

My only options at this point is to either hobble him or move yards and get him a companion pony which I cannot overly afford.

Has anyone ever found a solution to this?
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Yes, hobbles. Accustom first in the stable, put them on once in the box before return trip, and remember to remove before unloading!
Assuming you do travel him in either a single trailer, or at least have the partition in? If not, hobbles probably aren’t suitable to travel in a much wider space.
 
JCbruce said:
No other way home. He travels with others doesn't do it. I can't afford another to get him a companion. He is literally perfect in every other way he just knows where he is the last ten mins and he wants to make the noise. I may have to try hobbling him a few times I can't see any other resolution. It's a very distinctive road home with no other routes in.
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Would a trailer mirror help?
 
How is it a distinctive road home? What I mean is, is he comfortable on open flowing roads but then you switch onto more minor roads near home that are more twisty/bumpy/hilly? Are they narrow so you brush against hedges or trees more? Or narrow so you are more on a slightly more unmade edge or strange camber.

We assume it’s impatience but what if it’s something in the roads that means the ride he gets isn’t as smooth and so it’s either slightly stressful or even uncomfortable for him.

If it was legal I’d suggest you ride in the rear (without horse) and see if there is a change in how the ride feels as you approach home.
 
I had a mare do the same and hobbles were suggested. I was horrified. Ultimately in desperation I tried them and it revolutionised the situation and the horse did not panic/lose its balance/rear etc. Just peace and quiet!
 
JCbruce said:
No other way home. He travels with others doesn't do it. I can't afford another to get him a companion. He is literally perfect in every other way he just knows where he is the last ten mins and he wants to make the noise. I may have to try hobbling him a few times I can't see any other resolution. It's a very distinctive road home with no other routes in.
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Is it possible to stop when he starts?.
Moment he stops you move
Repeat ..

Totally understand if the road home may not be suitable.
 
sport horse said:
I had a mare do the same and hobbles were suggested. I was horrified. Ultimately in desperation I tried them and it revolutionised the situation and the horse did not panic/lose its balance/rear etc. Just peace and quiet!
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Sounds about right, but please tell us why you were horrified at the mere suggestion of hobbles? Is it just the word with overtones of human penal systems, or had you ever seen them used? Seems to be a common reaction, but unclear why, yet it usually stops this problem dead in its tracks.
 
My horse does little bunny hop rears and I would like to stop those before they turn into big rears.
Would hobbles stop that, or just make them more dangerous - ie could the horse get its feet over the breast bar with hobbles?
 
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