does anyone travel their horse without the partition?

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swampdonkey

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I have just bought an ifor william 505 for my horse and her previous owner told me that she will only travel on her own and without the partition in. She had never tried her with the partitions because the owner before her told her the same.

Obviously its not a problem as I have a full width breast bar that I can use but would you take her for a small test drive with the partitions in. I don't know why but I just feel she would be better supported with the partition in.

Obviously I know she will travel happily without the partition but are they safer with the partition in place?

Sorry if I've waffled just I'm a little nervous about trying her with it in and this trailer stuff is all new to me.
 
My mare struggles with the partition in a 510. I have removed it and she travels a dream. I would only do it if you also have a full width breech bar as well. There is potential for an accident when putting the ramp up and down if not and I would not trust the clips on the ramp to hold up a leaning horse!

Try it but I suspect the previous owner had already found out the answer
 
If you want to try her with then if she really can't you will know pretty much as soon as the trailer moves.

My veteran hasn't been able to travel with a partition for years, he just panics and goes down :(

I would be careful though if you are going to try it and boot up and use quick release clips
 
The partition doesn't keep them safe and secure, all it does is prevent them from being able to spread their feet and stand diagonally like they prefer. The partition is NOT there to support a horses weight as they frantically lean on it to try and balance! Many horses do though and hence them being dangerous and accidents happening.

Almost all horses travel better without a partition. Many, like one of mine, cannot travel with a partition. She panics and scrabbles until she falls :( Without a partition you don't even notice she's there.
 
The partition is really only there to let you travel two animals together. If you only travel one then there is no problem with taking it out and it allows the animal to stand diagonally which many prefer.

But you must use a full width breach bar. Like hoggedmane says I would not trust the clips on the ramp to be able to hold either a horse that leans or a horse staggering backward in an emergency. Like it or not - it isn't how we drive that matters. its how the other guy drives!
 
One of ours has to have the back partition out to spread his legs. You could try having just the front partition first with the full length breech bar at the back and then progress on to both partitions.
His owners had warned us and we found it was very true when we tried one in. It was very hairy, especially on bends!

Ditto the above re bandaging and clips. Also have the Allen ( sp ?) key handy so you can drop the bar from outside if you have a horse wedged over it.

IME travel boots easily slide down with a panicking horse and give them something else to slip on. Prefer bandage and gamgee if boots aren't a great fit.
 
My big guy has to travel without the partition, I have a camera in my trailer and we have watched him whilst travelling! It is almost always the right bend/turn in the road, he leans to the left, staggers abit then straightens himself!

We tried the once with the partition in, got about half a mile down the road before turning back, was not a pleasant sight watching him almost go down sideways in the trailer under the partition, his legs were just giving way!

If you have been told your horse only travels without the partition then take note of that and breast & breech bars all the way, I too would not trust just the ramp to hold in my 16.2 beast of a horse.
 
Yes in fact it was insisted on by the people that transported my horses. They seemed to think it stopped them panicking etc and they always arrived safe and sound to their destination(they were horses that didnt travel much and were unknown too as to how they would behave). I have no idea if its right or wrong but it was fine for mine. I supposed be guided by what the owner says if she values the horse. Mine were fine, and one went to the vets loose/lame on one leg with a haynet.
 
Yes. Much better. Get a breast and breach bar though.

My new horse prefers the partition for some bizarre reason so it has to go back for in her.
 
I have a IW 510 and never use the partition unless I'm taking two.

I cross tie my horse and she travels brilliantly without the partition. Also far easier to get a slightly dodgy loader in if they don't have to negotiate the partition.

A full length breast/breech bar not expensive either.
 
Mines another who can't travel with a partition, though he is OK with the front part in - he needs to spread his back legs to go round corners. With a partition he starts going down before the trailer even moves!

He travels happily with a small pony with the front partition in (who is only as long as the front partition), or alone with full width bars. Full width bars are also great for being able to groom and tack up in the trailer!
 
I always travel mine without a partition when they're travelling alone, always with breeching and breast bars though! They travel better and it's so much easier when you reach your destination as you can tack up in the trailer. They do travel together with a partition though.

One of mine won't load by himself with a partition in and he's not the sort to say no. No issues without.
 
Kallibear said:
The partition doesn't keep them safe and secure, all it does is prevent them from being able to spread their feet and stand diagonally like they prefer. The partition is NOT there to support a horses weight as they frantically lean on it to try and balance! Many horses do though and hence them being dangerous and accidents happening.

Almost all horses travel better without a partition. Many, like one of mine, cannot travel with a partition. She panics and scrabbles until she falls :( Without a partition you don't even notice she's there.
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Kallibear is spot on - it took me ages to find out why my horse was such a bad loader/traveller. Taking the partition out was like magic!
 
Sorry Op don't mean to hi-jack...
To all those that travel your horse without the partition: As far as I know my mare has always traveled with a partition. She can be a b*gger to load and the last couple of times on the way back from a comp hasn't traveled particularly well (but at the time I put that down to adrenaline etc). Other than that I would just say she fidgets a little but doesn't go down etc. Would you try a horse with no partition on a 'test run' if you know it has never traveled like that before? Or would you just continue how it is?
 
sorry to butt in, the posts have got me panicking! I traval my pony in a mare and foal size trailer so no partition. there is a full length breast bar but no breach bar, is this dangerous?
 
Emma86 said:
Sorry Op don't mean to hi-jack...
To all those that travel your horse without the partition: As far as I know my mare has always traveled with a partition. She can be a b*gger to load and the last couple of times on the way back from a comp hasn't traveled particularly well (but at the time I put that down to adrenaline etc). Other than that I would just say she fidgets a little but doesn't go down etc. Would you try a horse with no partition on a 'test run' if you know it has never traveled like that before? Or would you just continue how it is?
Click to expand...

Definately a test run. If that is the problem it works like magic - and you don't want to be coming home tired from a competition and find your horse scabbling/going down. Trust me, that is no fun at all! And she may also develop loading issues if she isn't happy travelling.

I bought a CCTV for my trailer. Great as you can then see exactly how they travel best.

Interesting that it is on the way back from a competition. I initially found that my horse could travel with a partition on the way to somewhere, but was much worse on the way back when it was tired. That would tie up with it being a balancing issue and preferring to have more room to spread its feet.
 
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I would buy a breech bar - look at what is holding the ramp up (and your pony in) in the case of her panicking. Also when putting the ramp up or down if there is a problem you are leaving yourself open to a possible injury.

They are very cheap. - look at the link - less than £40 probably
 
Emma86 said:
Sorry Op don't mean to hi-jack...
To all those that travel your horse without the partition: As far as I know my mare has always traveled with a partition. She can be a b*gger to load and the last couple of times on the way back from a comp hasn't traveled particularly well (but at the time I put that down to adrenaline etc). Other than that I would just say she fidgets a little but doesn't go down etc. Would you try a horse with no partition on a 'test run' if you know it has never traveled like that before? Or would you just continue how it is?
Click to expand...

With my current horse she'd never travelled in a trailer let alone without a partition! 1st time she went in 1 was when we took her in ours to try her at a local arena. She travelled like a dream. As they can stand diagonal and have plenty of room to spread their legs I've found that most horses/ponies balance very well without a partition.
 
pickwickayr said:
sorry to butt in, the posts have got me panicking! I traval my pony in a mare and foal size trailer so no partition. there is a full length breast bar but no breach bar, is this dangerous?
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We don't have a breach bar in our current trailer, but we unload using the front ramp only. Our breast bar isn't an "official" one either though. In the last trailer we had we used to have a length of lunge line type material with a clip either end as our breach "bar" that was an old rice pony trailer & the pony we had in it used to turn around to come out forward down the back ramp (he found it easier).
 
I have a breast but not a breech bar in my 505. I can't use it with a partition either - my horse has got too big! It is great, so much more room. I do cross tie him though, as he is young. And nothing to do with anything but I ALWAYS shut not just the door above the front ramp but also the ones above the back.
 
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