Collecting my new pony - travelling question for the journey home...

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Lowen Ki

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Off to collect my new gelding on Saturday night (hopefully!) but apparently he doesn't like long travel boots. As they have only travelled him very locally, they have just used brushing boots.

I'm not sure that this is suitable protective gear for our journey home as we have a rather long way to go - nearly 3 hours door to door - and I'm worried about him! Actually - is it really even ok to travel him this far in a trailer? He doesn't really like lorries apparently :(

Do you have any good solutions for horses who don't like travel boots? I was wondering about trying him in those Horseware pads and bandages as I've got those already? I've texted the current owners to see if that would suit him but not heard back yet.

Anyone had a similar problem? :confused:
 
Thanks amymay - would that offer enough protection? Am concerned that badages wouldn't cover his knees or hocks if he had a knock or worst case scenario an accident. I have once been driven into in a horsebox so maybe I'm just paranoid but I feel very nervous about not covering his legs as much as possible!
 
I would say badage too. Over reach boots perhaps if your really worried. He should be fine for 3 hours, as long as you make sure he has enough hay too last him and you have planned your journey well.
 
Just use bandages, I traveled my horse back and forward from southampton to gloucester in just bandages (about 3 hours in a horse box) He was just fine. And not a great traveler
 
If horses are uncomfortable in travel boots it is normally in my experience that they don't like having there knees and hocks covered. On some of mine that detest them I just use stable bandages, after all they are less likely to move around and do something stupid if they are comfortable.

Over travelling him in a trailer, I wouldn't be too concerned especially if he is happy in a trailer, most of mine travel better in a trailer than a box, the distance shouldn't be an issue as long as the trailer is in good condition.
 
If he doesn't like long travel boots then I think your only option is to put bandages on. I would also put overreach boots on all round to lessen damage if he stands on himself. If he doesn't like long boots then he is likely to have the same reaction to hock or knee boots unless you put on something like westropp combined brushing/knee boots.

I wouldn't use any neoprene brushing boots for a 3 hour journey though as it will make the legs sweat.
 
Ok great stuff thanks guys, think I'll just go for bandages and overreach boots then until I know him a little better - sounds like he might not like his knees covered! :)
 
When my boy arrived from ireland he'd been in a lorry for at least 12hrs with no bandages, boots or rugs, and was fine.

Personally I would travel him in what he's used to, in order to bring him home. By changing it you're probably more likely to upset him more during a stressful time for him.

Once you know him better you can try longer boots (he may get used to them), bandages and all the other viable options to find out what he does and doesn't like, and the best way to travel him. :)
 
http://www.premierequine.co.uk/acatalog/Boot_Wraps.html

I bought stable wraps for my youngster and they are excellent. I wouldn't bandage him as I could practically guarantee that he would end up standing on them and tieing his legs together (he's a bit accident prone...!)

They don't cover knees and hocks, but cover the coronet band and give good protection.

I got mine in the sale though - so they were half price...
 
I brought my boy home in bandages and that was a 2 hour journey. I would take him in what he is used to then see if you can work on his dislike of travel boots when you have him home.
 
My lad was another Irish one who'd come over with no protection at all for that long journey.

So we travelled him home with nothing again, as we didn't want to upset him. He was absolutely fine and dandy and that was a GOOD 2 hour drive.

I sometimes suspect we overbandage our little darlings a bit ;) I now use travelling boots on him unless it's really hot as he sweats like buggery in them. Once a month I take him for a 2 1/2 hour jaunt up to my instructor (and then back home again) and as it was so incredibly hot I travelled him naked again last week. He was absolutely fine and dandy and a lot happier for not having sweated up!
 
I wouldn't put anything on the legs tbh apart from maybe overreach boots.
The problem with long journeys especially in a trailer is if anything should happen like the bandages unravel or the boots slip down you aren't going to know about it sitting in the car. If on the motorway and you do happen to know about it you can't do anything about it.
Large transporters for this reason usually take off boots and bandages when they travel horses long distance.
If a horse already has an issue with boots on then I would be very wary about having anything on his legs which could potentially come undone or panic him.
Also bandaging for that length of time is an art. Too tight and they can cause really bad damage to the legs. Too loose and again they can slip down and get caught up.

It's up to you but personally I wouldn't bother with anything, maybe brushing boots at best.
 
I don't use anything on the majority of horses I travel - if they are going long distances I'd prefer they didn't have anything on which could make their legs hot or uncomfortable / itchy and I don't like the idea of the long boots sliding down and potentially upsetting youngsters or those with a nervous disposition. However, if I am travelling something which is inclined to bash around then I'd use brushing boots.
 
If he's not happy with travel boots on then I'd be inclined not to put anything on at all. My horse doesn't much like his boots on but i do put them on anyway, although I travelled him without backs on the other day as was so very hot and he was mightily p*ssed off when i put them on!! Lol. If you saw that programme on TV the other week where they flew the horses to Hong Kong - they only put smallish bandages on the horses and they were worth £££££s! They travelled for i think 16 + hours in total.

I realyl wouldn't worry too much. If it is for your own peace of mind then put on some brushing boots and maybe some overreach.
 
Gosh thanks guys. Am keen to use bandages after reading all your advice... nervous about getting it right though! Maybe I'll just bottle it at the last minute and load him naked! ;)
 
I'm another one who would say travel him without.

Are you taking out the partition from the trailer? If so, he will have plenty of room to spread his legs to balance and is unlikely to catch himself.

Manni in my sig, hates boots and they really made him crash about in the trailer and so now we travel him without.

Jay in my sig is only 3 and when we collected him he wore nothing as he had never worn any boots before. That was a 2hr journey and he was absolutely fine (without partition)
 
No we will keep the partition as I recently sold my single breast bar. Our trailer is a new Ifor 510 and he's only 14.2 so there should be plenty of room for the chap though :)
 
Im another for naked travelling, that way he won't get too hot and you don't have to worry about anything rubbing or sliping.
Bandages are my prefered dress if you think he needs protection, but make sure they are done well.
 
before the days of those awful travel boots it was always bandages ;):D if you're not happy that you can bandage correctly then he'll be better off naked:) only thing i would recommend is a tail guard, one of mine who was delivered to me from north wales came naked and without tail guard, legs were fine but he'd rubbed his dock on the back of the trailer and made a bit of a mess, that was about a 5 hour journey so yours should be fine on a 2 hour;)
Oh and when we collected the foal at 5 mths old, again from N wales, he was loose in a trailer, shavings on the floor and the top doors shut and not a scratch on him;) little bugger didn't want to come out the trailer at the other end tho:rolleyes:
 
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