Excessive sweating in trailer

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KidnapMoss

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We are taking my husbands horse to his first event, a mini hunter trial (since being with us) on Sunday. Before that he has not been anywhere apart from hacking for five years, and his owner before that apparantly did some showjumping, so we think he has been out and about. Anyway we thought we would give him a little ride in our trailer tonight, just to see how he is. He is a huge boy, over 17hands but we have the biggest Ifor Williams (and I can never remember which model!!) and it's new, so light and airy. He loaded fine, and happily had a treat for doing so then we set off. We didn't feel or hear anything on our ten minute round the block and when we got back he seemed quite calm. BUT!! He was dripping, and I mean dripping in sweat!! It was running off and the floor had puddles from it!! We popped his cooler on and put him in his stable, and apart from shivering slightly he seemed calm? His owner (he's on permanent loan) did say when he arrived on the lorry to her he was sweaty but that was a 6+ hour lorry ride?

Do you think it's fair to take him on Sunday?? He will be travelling with my pony who is an excellent traveller. He is doing the mini 2 foot class (OH only started riding in march this year) and from what we have seen of him hacking he is pretty bomb proof and would enjoy a little pop round the XC. But I'm worried how much a 25 minute journey there and back would to to him? Maybe I'm over reacting but both my ponies travel for hours and have never so much got slightly warm? :eek:
 
I would take him, often they are happier with company, some sweat up in the first few minutes then cool down and arrive dry, put some bedding down so if he does sweat it does not make the floor slippery and get him stressing. If he is not relaxed enough once there your OH could just walk him round to take in the sights while the pony goes round then you can get home.
As long as he does not stand around to get chilled it should do no harm, it was probably adrenaline that caused the sweating if he has not been anywhere for several years, the more he gets out the more he should relax about the traveling.
 
Take him :)
I have now got used to FLF who also sweats profusely when travelling, puddles on the floor etc - so she doesn't wear anything apart from a tail guard in the box and I put shavings in, ready to sop up.
She gets off the lorry fine tho, I just need longer time to get her ready, as need her to cool down & dry out a bit before tacking up...
She's also travelled long distances in the past.
 
My mare used to do this - I would wash her off when I got there and put a wicking rug on until she dried. She doesn't do it now. As time went on she got more and more unsettled in the trailer to the point she started to pull shoes off and injure herself. She now travels alone with a full width breech and breast bar and is far happier and doesn't sweat. She is also 17hh.
 
My boy sweats a lot too. He much prefers company but if going alone , he's much better with full breech bar and lots of space. Also don't bother with the travelling gear, my boots are fleece lined so not ideal. I'd put a pair of brushing boots and over reach boots on if necessary.
 
Thank for your replies - I feel better now. Just had never seen anything like it!!! Good idea ref the no travelling boots...he did come with a very smart fleece lined set but wears brushing boots and over reaches for hacking so we will put those on instead and a tail guard. He should be better with my pony in there, although my pony can be a bit nosy in the trailer and constantly wants to chat, but he is a superb traveller. Hopefully on Sunday night I will be able to report a happy outing...feeling slightly sick...I can't bear to watch OH go round, the horse could just step over the jumps if any probs...but still!!!!!

Thanks again :)
 
My horse does this too (usually travels in lorry), but strangely not always and does not seem to depend on the weather. I have no idea why and have never got to the bottom of it, he is 22 now and has evented all his life travelling all round Europe in his younger days. He does not get distressed and you hardly ever even hear him move. I have tried all sorts of combinations of boots, bandages, tailguards, different rugs and nothing at all but none of it seems to make any difference. It does not seem to affect his performance in any way, whether competing, training, beach ride so I have just go used to bathing him when I get to am event if he needs it.

So I would take him and if he's fine when you arrive go ahead with your competition.
 
One of our two ponies, a New Forest, is a self-loader, unclip lead he walks straight in absolutely LOVES going out, travels no problem, never or almost never poos on a trip unless a long one. The other, a more finely bred show pony type, gets a bit more het up, prances about a bit and poos before you load him, poos when loaded, loads easy enough though and does sweat a fair bit on your travels. He only used to go out every now and then, for a bit of pony club or a local show, nothing very frequently. However last winter and all summer he was on the mounted games team, so invariably went out training at least twice a week, which he loved. He stopped sweating on trips about 2 months in, and by mid summer he would poo before loading but had cut the pooing while travelling, meaning he was far more settled with travelling - and making my job a bit easier!

So I'd suggest he's just not used to it, a few more trips in he'll understand that he's just off somewhere for a bit of fun and be a lot calmer about travelling once he's more used to going out and found his sea legs.
 
I would go - Enjoy! Just go nice and early so he has time to 'chill' out in more ways than one before the dressage.
Take a big haynet, plenty of washing kit and a few cooler rugs :D
Practice makes perfect!
 
I would take him, he may settle with his companion.

Make sure you are giving him plenty of electrolytes, if he is sweating though and of course water :wink3:
 
My old pony used to sweat like crazy, and after reading an article in H&H about making travelling easier and stress reduced, tried one of their suggestions, which was to use Respirator by NAF. It helps clear the airways and you only need to put them on it a few days before travelling and not all the time. Once she was on this she stopped sweating as much if at all, as she was like your boy, would drip with puddles on the floor but be very calm.
 
My Highland sweated up in the box this week, first time since Ive had him, normally arrives bone dry. Tbh I put it down to the weather, it was unseasonably warm with us this week so I have now given him a full clip. Took him out again yesterday and he was fine, he travelled wearing boots and tailguard but no sheet.
 
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