He wont stand in a trailer? help!

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emmilou

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It’s a strange story but here goes...my pony has always travelled well and is no problem to load. However, the last time he travelled, just as I was tying him up, the man securing the back bar let I fall. It startled him and he panicked. He literally collapsed his back legs and had a huge panic attack.
Since then, whenever he loads, he will stand for a few minutes before he throws himself on the floor. Obviously I Havant travelled him as I dont want him hurt but how can I help him?
Or whom can I get to help me?

Thanks
 
There is someone that I know that has a horse with this pronlem....they have never managed to get it sorted & they travel him now in a lorry. He only sits down in a trailer. Sorry that it's not much help.
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Is he throwing himself on the floor when the trailer is standing still- ie. before you have moved off?

If so, could you try feeding him in the trailer so he has something else to think about. Then just take him out afterwards, do actually go anywhere.

The fact he has been ok in the past makes me think he will be ok again. You just need to help him forget the bad experience and remember nice ones like food!!!

If he's falling when the trailer is moving theres other things you can do.
 
i used to have a horse who did a very similar thing - he was a rescue horse, so we knew very little of his history. but he used to have horrid panic attacks in the trailer and would lose his back legs - literally sitting down as we were going along. we moved the partitions in to confine him, but that made him even worse, so we went the other way, and took them out completely. it solved the prob completely; he looked very comical, standing with all four feet far apart, but when he could spread himself out, he didnt worry. so you could try this - it may be that, after his bad experience, your horse has become a little claustrophobic and needs to feel that he can stand up on his own terms again!
 
Id try practicing at home a lot. Like opening the whole trailer up (take partition out etc.) and give him his feed in there. Id probably do it every day so it became the norm and wasnt scary at all. Then Id think about slowly shutting it up with him inside but again letting him eat in it daily. Then Id try loading him as normal with paritions in and have them all done up / trailer done up etc. whilst he eats. Basically Id just take everything back to basics and start building it all back to normal.

If he's falling when you start the engine or something then take the parition out completely (have a full length breast & hind bar made if you dont have one) - One of mine used to travel fine but slowly began falling over in the trailer until eventually as soon as we closed the doors he would go down and wouldnt get up until we let him out! We took out the partition and he travelled perfectly from then on.
 
he does it when moving and when standing still. he's a akward little thing! maybe removing the partition would help. i will deffinatly try that. i have tried feeding him in there and he's ok untill he's finshed or you leave him. if you stand with him, he seems to be ok.
anyway, i will try removing the partition and see what happens!
thanks for the advice and ill let you all know what happens!

xx
 
Move the partition and get a long breastbar put in tie 2 leadropes to each side and attach to headcollar on bottom ring not too taught just like you would do with just 1 leadrope this workes all the time had 2 horses like this some horses like to spread there legs and don't have enough room in the little space that a partition gives good luck let us know how you get on also put some shavings down at the back.
 
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