Balance when travelling

[Teasel]

My friend's horse has a few problems when travelling in her lorry - and I wondered whether anyone had experienced anything similar or whether anyone had any ideas!
He's generally fine travelling, loads first time with no issues... BUT when we turn a corner to the right he really struggles. He leans against the partition or side of the lorry (depending which side he is in - side makes no difference), and as he keeps his hooves close together and leans on his bum he loses balance and scrabbles about. The scrabbling about is very serious and there have been numberous occassions when we have thought he was actually going to fall over... to give you an idea he leaves hoof marks up the wall to half the height of the lorry

Last night we went to a small local dressage competition and as usual he loaded fine. He did his usual stance in the lorry with his hooves close together (front ones and back ones) and leant his bum on the rear partition. He wobbled all the way there 10 minutes and needless to say by the time we arrived all humans were a total nervous wreck.

My friend and I ended up hacking home as she was quite understandably too scared to put him back in the lorry to drive home - and I really don't blame her! She has waited for 30 years to be able to afford a lorry - and it's a lovely smallish lorry with an Ifor Williams trailer on the back if that makes sense. It's comfortable and spacious and my mare loves travelling in it. We would love to find a way to help her chap but are both at our wits end!

Any ideas, sympathy, suggestions gratefully received - particularly from anyone who has had similar experiences. Just to stress again he loads happily, is not worried about loading and loves going out. It just scares us 2-legs half to death! We'd never forgive ourselves he did fall over and injured himself!

Cookies if you have made it this far!

 

[Aniseed]

If it is an Ifor williams lorry then I guess they travel in the same way as they would a trailer with a similar amount of space? I have had this problem travelling two horses that belong to friends. They just can't get their balance no matter how slowly you drive. The first went completely down on the way back from a 10 mile ride. We thought she was getting the hang of it but was obviously feelling tired. Needless to say we have given up with her. The other one was falling over even when the trailer was still, he pulled half his tail out and ruined his travel boots but thankfully wasn't hurt.

Both these horses travel fine in a trailer with the partition moved so they can stand at an angle and splay their legs. You could try this and see if there is any improvement.

 

[rara007]

Has his back been recently checked? We have one who has a weak back that is always going slightly wrong, and he really struggles travelling. He has been down atleast 3 times, cutting his legs once, maybe more, plus general stresses. If he tweaks his back competing, travelling home is a nightmare.
Or It might just be that he has poor balance- Pip can't balance, but just accepts it and bounces off the partitions

 

[Teasel]

Hi Rara_2009 - thanks for the reply - he has in fact just had his back done - we were so hoping that would be the cause of the problem but if anything he was even worse

(

My sympathies with your one that has been down - it must be absolutely terrifying

(

 

[Teasel]

Hi Aniseed - many thanks for your reply - yes they travel in it just like a normal Ifor Williams trailer.

The travelling without a partition is a good idea although I must admit we would be worried to try as he makes no attempt to splay his legs at all - maybe he would with more room though.

It's a little difficult to try as the way the lorry is made he would be unable to have a breast bar with no partitions.

How frightening for you having a horse go down too - I really don't know how I would cope!

 

[rara007]

Oh

Have you tried loose and tight partitions? Can he go in a different place in the lorry? Ours really has no chance if he is last on, travels much better between others

 

[Teasel]

He's been in both sides of the lorry and is equally bad in both

My friend's lorry, lovely as it is, doesn't give a lot of opportunity for altering partitions, but in the past he has been travelled in various different positions, including sideways (he completely bent the metal partition in that lorry). Nothing seems to help consistently - although he does have good days and bad days travelling there's no obvious pattern to it.

It's ever so sad as my friend has waited for so long to get her own lorry, and now feels too frightened to use it

 

[Cyberchick]

I would say it is more to do with standing foward facing. How is he in a lorry standing sideways? (sorry incorrect wording but I cant remember what you call it)
I say this because in a trailer my horse can stumble when we turn left or start going round a roundabout, not to your extent but you can hear him. In a lorry you dont even know he is there.

 

[Aniseed]

I think it is difficult in an Ifor Williams to completely remove the partition but my friend had special bars made that were the entire width of the trailer rather than having two attached to the partition. I guess that doesn't really help you much but its an option if you discover the partition is the problem. Maybe you could try just removing the back bar and opening out the partition so he can splay his back legs.

It really is so scary when you can feel them wobbling around in the back. Thankfully we were about a mile from home when Jazz went down so we took her out and walked the rest of the way.

 

[daphnebs]

I have similar problems with two of my horses and have figured out a way of travelling. Basically you're horse is getting claustrophobic and really the only way to travel is without a partition, just a front and back bar. As you probably need to travel 2 horses, same as me this is not going to be an option. You can try either just leaving the centre bar in and removing the partition parts. Basically your horse needs to be able to keep his legs spread quite wide apart and will only do this without the partitions. By keeping the centre pole in place he won't be able to walk/lean on top of the other horse. If you use good travel boots most horses have no problem traveling this way. It can be quite awkard loading and unloading though as there are no seperate bars behind your horses now. Another alternative, and this has worked best for me is to travel your horse backwards. Yes this sounds mad but it really works!! Studies have proven that horses travel best facing backwards and its sure worked with mine. I have a front ramp so walk my lad in the front and take of his headcollar so he can't catch himself on any of the backramp hooks etc. The other horse travels facing forwards as normal. I don't use the front bar (now backbar) on the horse facing backwards so he can move about a bit more. This way you can still use your full partition and bars. Once I arrive at the show I just turn my horse around as the problems only start when moving and yes especially in bends to the right for some reason!! You will get a lot of funny looks from people passing you. Its not every day they see a horse loking out at them. This really has worked for me and trust me I have done some headwrecking to travel 2 horses in one box!! I hope you can give it a try, Goodluck!!