He just won't travel?

TeamWazz

TeamWazz

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 October 2011
Messages
54
Visit site
Hi all, apologies in advance for the long post!

I've been having a few issues with my new (well, not so new now, had him just over 10 months) horse and would really like some advice. Have tried yahoo answers and just end up with a lot of insulting comments so need proper horsey people!

His main issue however is travelling. He will load 100%, practically loads himself into a big lorry. However he then stays quiet for a few minutes, then begins to push against the partition to the extent we worry he's going to just fall down or break it. We've had him in a trailer with a partition across the middle once when we were trying to go to a XC schooling night and though he loaded perfectly, the minute we shut him in he pawed the ground, kicked and once we left we were even flagged down by a passing motorist twenty minutes into the journey who said they'd seen him go down in the trailer a few times. We got out at the other end (too far to turn back) and he had down himself a very bad overreach injury (don't ask me how, my vet called him a kamikaze traveller) and had various other (small) battle scars.

Tried a friends herringbone lorry and as I say, he looked at it once then marched himself in. We thought it was better to shut him in with a feed and not go anywhere, just watch him. He was quiet for about four/five minutes then again, pushed himself against this partition and just began to panic.

We are meaning to try a trailer with no partition in the middle soon but the problem is that we don't have transport of our own so we have to borrow or rent, which is difficult.

Up until 2010 he was out a lot at competitions (he's done up to BE100) and they had a rear-facing equitrek van. Before that his breeder would do big journeys (he has been to Olympia before) with him in his own lorry and you wouldn't hear a peep. However he was turned away towards the end of 2010 due to no rider, and I bought him late 2011.

What are your thoughts and suggestions of ways to move forward? He is perfect in every way other than this for me and I want to help him. Sorry to leave you with so much reading but it was the only way to get all his history in!
 
Have tried with another horse in a trailer to a show jumping arena ten minutes away. Still acted the same (actually tore up the rubber matting from the floor he pawed at it so much - though it was loose to begin with).
 
Have you tried making the width of the partition really wide….I knew a horse many years ago who would load first time every time, stand quietly etc etc but as soon as you tried to go anywhere with him he would lean on the partition (and I mean he was at an angle of 45degrees) and throw himself on the floor. The solution for him was to travel in a trailer with the partition removed or if he travelled in a lorry he had to have a really wide space – he just needed to be able to spread his legs out in order to balance properly.
 
I guess the only solution is to try him in every form of transport, in every position (forward/backward facing, herringbone, and on the left and the right hand side) with and without any partitions and with and without any companion in all those forms.

It will be an be an expensive exercise, especially if he damages the transport or himself!

Why not start by hiring a rear facing van like he was used to travelling in before and go from there??
 
What about short journeys ? Don't know if you have already tried this - building up the distance gradually ? Dont know if it it will work we have tried this with a bd loader & we are getting there know your circumsatances are different but maybe wipers a try x
 
Wide, wide, wide - trailer with no partition (you'll have to sort out a single breast and breeching bar. Lorry with no partitions and even consider travelling him loose. Can pretty much guarantee you will have no problems.
 
If he continues to be a poor traveller after you've exausted every direction and method, can I suggest you take him for a full work up with a good horse vet.
It can sometimes be a sign of soundness issue - you comment that he was turned away in 2010 rings alarm bells for me...
Hope you get it resolved, and sorry that my post may appear OTT, but I've just got a bit old and synical :)
 
my friend had a nervous 17.3 who would just lean and break nearly everything she just had to take the partition out all together and tarvel him like that so the was nothing for him to break etc he could just balance on the walls of the trailer but im not sure youd find this an option if he tends to panic
 
We had a mare who travelled badly. In the trailer, even with no partition, she would scrabble about, especially when we were turning left. It was so scary we bought a lorry and to our horror she was even worse. Atfer a LOT of faffing about, we discovered the only way to travel her was on the end partition, right next to the ramp and we gave her lots of room too.
 
There seems to be a number of different solutions....each horse is different!! Here in NZ we have found that a float with a flare to allow the horse to spread their legs helps enormously....It seems that trial and error is the way to go!! But really the first thing to look at is your driving.......
 
Mine will only travel backwards, she falls all over the place forwards or herringbone but stands like a rock in my backwards facing lorry. So I second the person who suggested trying one of these if he has traveled backwards happily before. Good luck
 
I'd get a good equine vet out to look at him, it could be a problem with his back, pelvis, hock, a soundness issue or even an ear problem.

Could you get a lorry or trailer there & load him so the vet can see exactly what he's doing?

Good luck.
 
As others have said - give him more room. I've had 2 horses who travelled great for years then suddenly they began "falling" in the trailer by leaning heavily on the partition. It was solved immediately by either removing the partition completely or simply taking out the back half if the partition allows this (I can do it in my Bateson and I think Ifors allow it). I've travelled these horses with only the front 1/2 partition with another horse on the other side with no problems at all. Even if you borrow or hire a trailer, usually I would think you'll get an Ifor or something so you can do this. If its a lorry, try taking out a partition so he effectively gets 2 spaces.

I would definately try it anyway as it sorted mine both out immediately and I know of friends horses who have been 'fixed' the same way.
 
have you tried him in a rear facing lorry and moving the partition out of the way so he has the whole width! when I picked my baby up the breeders said this was the best way to travel a youngester and he was perfect the whole 6 hours he was in there!
 
Some horses will only travel in certain ways. We had one once that just couldn't travel forwards. She just kept falling over.
If he has travelled before in a rear facing box ( which people say is the best way to travel horses), then you may have to invest in one.
 
Agree with the posters who suggested a check up with a vet. A horse who has previously travelled well, but who is now finding it hard to balance, even in a stationary trailer, may have physical problems. My horse has sacro-iliac problems, and needs a full trailer with no partitions so that he can spread his back legs and travel slantwise. My friend's horse was a good traveller until he developed spavin... once it was treated, he travelled well again until the other hock recentlu deteriorated and he started having problems again. This has been treated and he's now back to standing well balanced in the trailer. Horses who lose balance, scrabble around and go down are often doing so because balancing causes them to use/stress painful joints or muscles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top