Floppy traveller

[ElleSkywalker]

Evening,

New cobbler actually travels quite calmly, a bit of squeaking and the odd stomp but doesn't appear stressed or worried at all.

However, she flops about like no horse I've ever travelled 😂 when I accelerate she squats back and braces bum on the back wall, I've been accelerating super slowly so it's not like she's being subjected to extreme g-force, also she flops about on corners so again I've been taking them very steadily.

I've never had traveller like her before, she's a traditional cobbler so not exactly dainty, she's a very sturdy solid little thing. Has anyone else had a flopper who has learnt to brace themselves better or once a flopper always a flopper?!

She's travelling in a year facing 3.5 ton lorry, I have sliding portion so can either squish her in more or give her more space, open to suggestions 😀

 

[Brownmare]

I used to have a pony like that. She travelled best with enough space to stand diagonally. If you squashed her in she would just scrabble about

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I used to have a pony like that. She travelled best with enough space to stand diagonally. If you squashed her in she would just scrabble about

I will try this, am a bit concerned as she's a big fan of leaning that more space will make her floppier but can try it on a shorter journey to see 🤔

 

[Shay]

Echo that - she may need enough space to find her own feet. I'm assuming the lorry is rear facing? (never met a year facing lorry?) she might do better herringbone? Equally horses who "sit" are usually used to forward facing so they brace themselves against the rear breach bar.

Do you know how her previous owners traveled her?

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Echo that - she may need enough space to find her own feet. I'm assuming the lorry is rear facing? (never met a year facing lorry?) she might do better herringbone? Equally horses who "sit" are usually used to forward facing so they brace themselves against the rear breach bar.

Do you know how her previous owners traveled her?

In the stallion version of the exact same box 😁 Also rear (year 🙈) facing but the ramp was on other side (drivers side) so she travelled on the passenger side rather than behind driver which I would have thought would be worse for her leaning on the side as camber of road would be leaning same way?!

 

[tiggipop]

not the same thing as I only have a trailer BUT I do have one horse who just can not travel on the right hand side .. just cant get his balance sorted... put him on the left side and you wouldn't know he was in there!

 

[windand rain]

Mine are all superb traveller facing frontward or herringbone all flop about, try and lie down in rear facing travel systems dont ask me why but all hate it

 

[Shay]

Is this one of those two horse side loaders with the open space to the rear? Some horses do really struggle in them. I have excellent travelers - but all bar one struggles to balance in those side load rear face ones. Did the previous owners have the solid back wall to prevent them climbing over into the living? Or in contrast did they not and you do? That might have something to do with it. If it is one of those I don't think you have much option to try for herringbone or allow her full width do you? It might be interesting to try her in a forward facing or side traveling box and see what happens.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

What, it doesn't have open space into the rear, nor did the last one she travelled in. Last one had solid wall in front of her and no breast bar or anything to lean on, this one has a slanted jump shelf so she can brace against that if she wants or as she's only small can stand with her head handing down in the horse area so the same as previous. I can move the partition either further away from her and cross tie her so she can choose where to position her body, herringbone or more central or I can move the partition in so she's got that to lean on both sides going round corners.

WR that's odd! I've always thought herringbone would be the hardest way to travel and forward or backwards easier due to being able to brace 🤔

Tiggypop I can put her on the left side so I might try that as it's where she's travelled before and see if it makes any difference

 

[milliepops]

did she do much travelling in previous home?
Kira used to brace on her bum quite a bit ( I could hear the thud as she flopped back) but I rarely hear her move more than her chompers now, she's travelled a lot and found her sea legs. Just thinking perhaps it's just a case of practice.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

did she do much travelling in previous home?
Kira used to brace on her bum quite a bit ( I could hear the thud as she flopped back) but I rarely hear her move more than her chompers now, she's travelled a lot and found her sea legs. Just thinking perhaps it's just a case of practice.

This is what am hoping, she's was bred in Wales so has at some point travelled a few hundred miles to get here. She's certainly done a few short (20 or so mins) journeys with her old owners and I've taken her out 4 times (8 journeys there and back) ranging from 10 mins to 45mins. She's only just 4 so certainly hasn't done lots of very long journeys.

 

[milliepops]

Sounds similar! kira had travelled to france and back in a big truck but that was about it.. took a while to figure out how to manage travelling in general. She used to sweat up terribly with the effort but got it sussed after a few months of regular practice.
I have one that I had to travel on the "wrong" side of a trailer, so if she's used to going on the other side of the box it's worth a go but tbh it sounds like she might just need to do a bit more of it.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Evening,

New cobbler actually travels quite calmly, a bit of squeaking and the odd stomp but doesn't appear stressed or worried at all.

However, she flops about like no horse I've ever travelled 😂 when I accelerate she squats back and braces bum on the back wall, I've been accelerating super slowly so it's not like she's being subjected to extreme g-force, also she flops about on corners so again I've been taking them very steadily.

I've never had traveller like her before, she's a traditional cobbler so not exactly dainty, she's a very sturdy solid little thing. Has anyone else had a flopper who has learnt to brace themselves better or once a flopper always a flopper?!

She's travelling in a year facing 3.5 ton lorry, I have sliding portion so can either squish her in more or give her more space, open to suggestions 😀

Deffo don't squish her in. Can you remember ever standing on a bus waiting for the driver to pull in to your stop? Remember how you will have spread your legs to keep your balance? We made the mistake of penning my first horse in and he went down on his arse sitting there like a dog. He was unhurt. Dad modified the trailer by moving the partition. So the trailer was divided 3/4 to a 1/4 with the bigger area for the horse to spread his legs to keep balanced. Also are you sure he is not slipping on the floor? Try putting some runber down if u havent already.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

MP she doesn't actually sweat up much, just the amount I'd expect really as she's still quite hairy, I don't think she overly worried about it which could account for the flopping, she's not sufficiently worried to brace properly 😏 Hopefully it is just practice needed then, good to hear of one who learnt to travel better.

HB the floor is nice thick rubber mats. I don't put any bedding down at present but is something else to try and good point about the bus.... I'll move partion over a section or to later and see if it helps as a first idea.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

So I moved the partition over to give her a bit more space, she seemed to like it as gave her more room to itch her bum 😏 I'll keep it how it is for a bit and she if she gets steadier on her feet. She was still doing the sticking her bum back thing when I accelerate and hugging the wall (drivers side) a bit but wasn't quite as floppy if you get what I mean 😂

 

[ester]

The mare was always better squished a bit.

However, Frank was always a seasoned super traveller in anything, forwards, backwards, sideways, held the trailer partition up when it went through the wall, and obviously quite square and stocky!
BUT he was not great in a rear facing long stall, not so obvious as yours as had cameras but moving more than normal for him and would come off hot. I think essentially being a short arse (5'9 rugs) he was not able to eat the hay and use the back as a bum brake. Not my lorry or I would have played with hay net positioning/adding a collapsible breast bar for him as it was the length rather than the width that was the issue.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

She was still doing the sticking her bum back thing when I accelerate

What is your towing set up - what vehicle are you towing with? When you say she is doing the sticking her bum back thing when you accelerate are you sure that you are driving slowly and not accelerating too hard as it sounds to me like she is becoming unbalanced? I know this sounds an obvious thing, but if you are in a huge 4 x 4 you don't necessarily 'feel' the trailer behind you like you would with a smaller vehicle like a saloon.

 

[milliepops]

OP has a little lorry not a trailer IME you hear and feel everything when driving one of those!

 

[Michen]

Try without travel boots if you are using them?

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Yes lorry not a trailer and I can't accelerate much slower (apologies to all who have been caught behind me on the roads 😁)

Am wondering about moving the hay down as Ester mention above she's only short 5'9 rugs and 14.1hh, so she might be better standing further back so rear wall directly behind her bum so she doesn't have to squat to touch it 😁

No boots or anything except a headcollar Michen, she has her own fluffy boots on already, but am going to start using a tail guard as she itches her bum when stationary now she has more room 😏

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Yes lorry not a trailer and I can't accelerate much slower (apologies to all who have been caught behind me on the roads 😁)

Am wondering about moving the hay down as Ester mention above she's only short 5'9 rugs and 14.1hh, so she might be better standing further back so rear wall directly behind her bum so she doesn't have to squat to touch it 😁

No boots or anything except a headcollar Michen, she has her own fluffy boots on already, but am going to start using a tail guard as she itches her bum when stationary now she has more room 😏

AH sorry I hadn't realised it was a lorry, my mistake. I'm glad you didn't take offence at my suggestion of your driving technique lol. I hope you get it sorted out, I've never had issues travelling current horse, although loading is a bit hit and miss at times. I think with loading/travelling issues its very much trying various ideas out until you find something that works. Good luck

 

[ElleSkywalker]

He he no offence taken! She's very chilled travelling which is probably why she flops about, it's just very odd as am very aware of her balance driving her, she's like driving with an open tub of water that you are trying very hard not to spill 😂

 

[windand rain]

It was a little lorry we tried ours in without exception they couldnt stand up in it, as they were used to travelling herringbone in the 7.5 ton. they travel equally as well now we have a front facing trailer. The thought was to downsize the big lorry as we only have ponies but when we tried them they all fell about. even the foal travelling loose in one to be delivered was standing facing forwads when she arrived