Any advice on whether a rear facing or herribone lorry/trailer would be best for a tricky travelling horse?

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sparky1981

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So we have a lovely new boy. He really isn’t happy in our 505 trailer. He will load now if you hold the partition sideways. But when travelling he leans right back and to the outside of the trailer. Causing himself rubs and wounds. And to come off sweaty at the other end. We are looking to buy a bigger trailer or lorry but just aren’t sure which would be best for him. Has anyone had any experience if this?would he be better rear facing or herribone?thanks for any help at the moment he’s so raw on his bum/tail that we can’t travel at all.
 
Have you tried taking the partition out and using full length breast and breech bars? They seem to travel much better with more room to spread their legs so they can balance. It would be a lot cheaper than buying something else if it works
 
It is a difficult one as you need to get to the bottom of what his issue is. I had a IW511 which was nice and big and roomy but my horse was never comfortable in it. I then went and bought a 3.5t horsebox, rear facing expecting things to magically correct themselves. Unfortunately it hasn't made a difference. I then had Michael Peace come to help with new loading issues and he said he felt my mare had separation anxiety. She is perfectly settled with another horse, but alone, even with someone sitting in the back with her, she is a bit of a wreck. Waiting for someone to invent a realistic hologram horse that can travel with her :D. Agree with sbloom on hiring, I was going to do that but then got carried away looking for possibles and bought without trying. Not that it will solve most problems, but it is definitely worth consideration.
 
I would say you may find that nothing helps. I have a friend with an older mare who travels terribly due to her arthritis. Nothing helps - herringbone, rear facing, forward facing. Posters on here in the past have also reported travelling issues shortly before discovering that they are compromised in some way - arthritis, soft tissue injury, etc. Many of those issues were so minor in terms of everyday movement and ridden performance that vets took a long time and extensive investigations (well beyond the scope of a quick pre purchase vetting) to find them.
 
I had one that had to travel backwards. Facing forwards/herringbone he would brace himself (push himself with full force) as soon as the ramp went up.

After a couple of journeys facing backwards he stopped doing this.

He had had a very traumatic journey being delivered here in a trailer.

He was as bad in a wagon unless traveling backwards.

Trial and error will be your way forwards.
 
Thanks so much for the replies. So I’ve just got hold of full length breast bars to try him with in his own in the trailer. He is much more settled with another horse but does still lean. I have been told he previously travelled fine in a herribone lorry so I’m hoping he will be ok travelling that way but as you say it’s going to be trial and error. I think it is a space/balance issue as if we don’t hold the back panel back he won’t load as seems to think he can’t fit. So I def think no partition will help in the trailer but that doesn’t help when travelling with others which we mainly do
 
Have you tried him on the opposite side of the trailer if he needs to travel with another? Archie will only travel on the left, his friend (luckily) will only travel on the right. Their late friend, Monty, bless him had to chop and change depending who he was travelling with.
 
sparky1981 said:
So we have a lovely new boy. He really isn’t happy in our 505 trailer. He will load now if you hold the partition sideways. But when travelling he leans right back and to the outside of the trailer. Causing himself rubs and wounds. And to come off sweaty at the other end. We are looking to buy a bigger trailer or lorry but just aren’t sure which would be best for him. Has anyone had any experience if this?would he be better rear facing or herribone?thanks for any help at the moment he’s so raw on his bum/tail that we can’t travel at all.
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personally I prefer herring bone to travel all my horses
 
Depends on the horse but my boy travels like a dream herringbone, is a nightmare when travelling facing backwards (we don’t do this anymore) and refuses to go on a trailer.
 
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