Going from trailer to lorry with an iffy traveller.....

[PetalPower]

Hope someone may have experienced the same so here goes! I have previously posted about my horse having difficulties travelling in a trailer with the partition in and was given great advice and other experiences of the same which has resulted in me travelling her in the middle of the trailer with no partition. This I have been doing successfully ever since.

I have now got the option of purchasing a 7.5 ton lorry as need to downsize the car due to commuting more in my new job. Has anyone else done this and if so, how did you find your horse adapted to travelling herringbone? In an ideal world I'd like to try her in a lorry (don't think she's ever been in one before) but don't know anyone with one! Will obviously try her in one if I decide to try it with a view to purchase but I'd very much appreciate any advice/input or personal experiences of this.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[conniegirl]

My Arab completely freaked out in a trailer after having had an accident in one. Best thing I ever did was change to a lorry!

 

[tiggipop]

I have a horse that has been in a trailer that tipped over (before I had him).. like you I have managed to get him to travel nicely in a trailer with partition removed.
last month a friend asked if I wanted to go to somerford park farm ride with her .. putting him in her lorry, we did a short practice run the day before.. he travelled like a pro. Somerford is just under 2 hours away and he arrived totally relaxed.
I am now saving up for a lorry!

 

[Louby]

I did the opposite, had a horse that had never travelled in a lorry to having to travel in a trailer as we could not afford the upkeep of one .... not a good experience! Totally wrecked my horses confidence and changed him from a pro traveller to one that was dangerous as he was so scared. Despite spending weeks practicing, we eventually gave up and decided enough was enough and bought a wagon and although he was a wreck to start with he travelled like a dream in the wagon once he regained his confidence.

 

[Louby]

I did the opposite, had a horse that had never travelled in a lorry to having to travel in a trailer as we could not afford the upkeep of one .... not a good experience! Totally wrecked my horses confidence and changed him from a pro traveller to one that was dangerous as he was so scared. Despite spending weeks practicing, we eventually gave up and decided enough was enough and bought a wagon and although he was a wreck to start with he travelled like a dream in the wagon once he regained his confidence.

Should read only ever travelled in a wagon.
For some reason it wont let me edit??

 

[iconique]

I'm going back to a lorry - just put a deposit on one tonight
went back to a trailer and having had to hack one of ours back 10 miles when it wouldn't load wasn't fun (and I wasn't the tired rider!) the said pony had become so bad to load, we can't wait as sure most of the problems will subside when we are back in a lorry!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We recently moved a friend's horses 150 miles in our wagon. She used to have a trailer and her ID was a notoriously bad loader, we agreed to help *if* she did the loading. We put her good loader on first, then the mare. Friend was so stressed that she led her up on the wrong side and the poor thing just could not work out how to get her back end into position!. We let her back off, took a few moments to regroup and tried again, leading the mare towards her friend's bum and then turning her across the box, apart from a quiet nudge to her trailing back leg, she had/was no trouble at all. We then put the Shetland on and off we went.
4 hrs later we unloaded half-way up a mountain and the mare was so switched off that we had to wake her up, she unloaded like a dream as well.
I bet your horse takes to it very well.

 

[PetalPower]

Thanks so much for the replies, looking forward to trying her in one now!!

 

[brighteyes]

One of ours travels absolutely horrendously in a trailer unless the partitions are out. Travels in a lorry, herringbone, perfectly. Make sure the partitions aren't solid down to the floor though.

 

[Elsbells]

Mine won't load in a trailer after an accident so I bought her her own lorry, it's old but good and solid and she's gone from a dangerous non loader to almost loading herself' with or without a friend. She loves her lorry and I really mean loves, she gets quite annoyed when it leaves the yard without her too.

I'm sure your horse won't be a problem so enjoy.

 

[littleshetland]

IME they all seem far happier in a lorry than a trailer. One horse I had would travel OK in the trailer, but had been known to drag me up lorry ramps, assume the correct position, look at me and say "lets go...!"

 

[PetalPower]

That's great, sounds really reassuring. I'm so looking forward to getting a lorry, can't wait now!! Thanks again!

 

[Clarebear*]

Lorrys all the way! My horse wont load into a trailer anymore after last time where he pretty much destroyed the inside of the trailer! I think he must have lost his balance and panicked, as friends trailer was smaller than he was used to. But practically loads himself into lorrys, and travels so calmly, if I am ever in a position to buy, I wpuld deffinelty get a lorry!