All Alone in a Double Trailer?? Advice please

Happy Hunter

Happy Hunter

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Hi All - Hope the grass is green and the sun is shining for you!

So my big 17hh chunky monkey Cleveland Bay is finally broken and going well, now i want to take her out and show her off!

Trouble is - she has decided the skeleton partition in my Rice trailer leaves her with no room - BUt she is happy as a bunny walking in and travelling (only 3 miles tried so far) With a big long breast bar with no partition in.

I have heard this is not completely uncommon to allow some horses more room. - My question is ,,, Has anyone else done it?
How do i manage breaching straps? (Rice trailer currently has the blue fabric style strap ones.)
I have been tieing up one rope each side of leather headcollar, but how tight should i have it??

She seems fairly stable once we set off - initially stomping about to get her feet planted (Confirmed with short term loan of a cctv)

ALSO - - How am i going to manage this on my own, currently mum is helpfully on standby to whip up the ramp on my command, im just hoping she doesnt bugger off out the back of the ramp when i have to run around on my own>!

Hints and tips please!!!! :)
 
I have a rising 4 yo KWPNXTB who is nearly 17,2hh and I have an Ifor Williams 510, from a baby he has always travelled with a single breast bar in front and behind as he doesn't like the partition as so big and he feels too restricted.

I always cross tie to the headcollar, fairly tight so he can't turn around but so he can munch on his net. However I always need an extra pair of hands to put up the back bar. (but you would need that anyway if they run the risk of coming off backwards. Mine can be a devil to load and sticks his fingers in his ears singing lah lah lah I can't hear you and it is far more fun to look around than walk in the trailer.

A little flick of water on the bum and he goes straight up like a lamb, no hassle, no stress and stands and has a mint with me whilst the team do the back up etc.

Downside is he will have to go to shows on his own, but I am much happier as he is stable and happy.
 
I travel my 17.2 without the central partition and he likes to stand diagonally (he is very long). I tie him short, so he can eat his haynet comfortably but nothing else. He travels fine on his own in the bigger space.

I'm afraid I can't help with advice on how to load/unload alone in a traditional type trailer. That is the main reason I got an equitrek because it's much easier to do single handed if you've got an excited beast that's trying to get out!
 
I travel my little cob in my small trailer without a partition. I have a solid rear bar for the back.

He is cross tied, I do it just tight enough so he can't turn but has plenty of room to use his head and neck for balance if he wants to.

From a very young age - 18 months, I have taught me to go and stand whilst I do his ropes up and never to attempt to back up.

I then go and put up the rear bar and ramp up once he is tied.

On unloading, again I undo the ramp and bar, then untie and he is given the command to back up, again this takes time and training, but he knows better than to attempt to move until told.

This training means I can go anywhere by myself and load and unload with no problems. Initially I had help but within a month, he knew the routine and commands. He always gets a small treat on loading and standing, and again once he has come off, but never if he moves even one step before being told to.
 
I travel my boy without the partition and he was initially cross tied but it made him stand staright in the trailer and he hated it so he is just tied up one side now. I load him on my own, tie him up to the leadrope inside and walk down the front ramp and put the back ramp up. He was an awful loader and is a temperamental traveller but he is fine just standing there while I run around putting ramps up. The fun starts when the front ramp is closed.
 
I travel my boy in my Ifor with no partition, he is 17.1hh. I have a single bar across the front and I use a stall chain for the back. I have a bucket of nuts attached inside at the front so that when I load him, he eats the nuts which gives me time to nip back out back of trailer, put stall chain across then do the ramp.
 
I have recently had to do this with my mare as the partitions were coming down if there was another horse in the trailer, (thats another story)
I came on here asking the same questions as you,

I now leave two leadropes ready tied up at the required length in the trailer so once on box all I have to do is clip them on to sides of headcollar, I walk through the box (as my horse knows I havent left her so does not try and back out)
I then put the chain across ( I found a bar too fiddly when on your own) I then hop off and get ramp up asap,

Mine is not the easiest to load but she does stand quiet once on there, I was dreading taking her out first time with no partitions so only took her on a small journey first,
I will travel like this from now on.
 
I have a short chain covered in plastic (horse one) so I can walk mine in and tie him up but have to admit that I do get someone to put the bars/ramp up quickly behind him as mine isn't the most patient when loading to go out from the yard. I load last thing so we load and go! I bought a trailer which would allow me to unload from the front to prevent him learning to go out backwards but have no problems when going home if I am solo - he is tired and wants to go so is perfectly behaved!
 
I travel my 17hh shire TB x in an Ifor 510 with a single breast and breech bar. She is cross tied to stop here trying to turn round and travels diagonally across the box. I would be cautious about travelling without the breech bar as she has been known to sit on the ramp for support and I wouldn't trust the two pins that hold the ramp up on their own.
 
I always travel my horse and the little pony without a partition (not at the same time though!) and I know a fair few folks who do the same. I don't cross tie or bother with a breeching strap, but mine arn't youngsters.
 
Charlie travels very happily without the partition and only using single breast and breech bars. He likes to travel either diagonially or to the left. I see and feel no need to cross tie hime. Once loaded and tied up he never tries to get back out backwards, so I think that i could manage him by myself.
 
Thank you so much guys!
You have given me loads of hints and tips! - I do have a front ramp, so ill use that.
And the bucket of Nuts will go down a treat!!!
She does lean on the ramp quite heavily, so a metal chain covered in rubber sounds like a good plan - i have seen them in the tack shop - so another expensive month! ;)


Thanks again!
Happy Riding! :D
 
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You Have a Cleveland bay??? Where's the photos? you can't possibly take her out in public without our approval!! ;o)

But re the trailer thing... could you get another breast bar to use at the back? Ifors breast / breacking bars are the same length...
 
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