Help - horse climbed up on horsebox tack locker

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daisy0970

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I wondered if anyone else would have any experience of how to deal with this. I bought a horsebox last week with full width tack lockers approx 1 m high at the front sloping upwards towards the side of the box. My 16.2 youngster did sometimes stamps in the trailer when left on her own or when we are on very bumpy drive. Yesterday. I went to a show and when I was getting ready to take her off she started stamping and managed to get one leg up on the tack locker, as she couldnt then get it down she got the other leg up there too. By the time a friend came, I had moved the partitions across and she was down, she stood on the box for a few mins then unloaded unscathed and sound. On the way home we borrowed some hobbles, I was assured she wouldnt be able to get her legs up, she didnt try until we were coming down the bumpy drive back at the yard, when she started stamping and then rearing so she could get both legs up at one. She was cm's away from getting up again. I have to be honest and say my nerves are just about finished at this point. Someone has suggested a be nice headcollar (I realise that your not meant to tie them up in these), tighter hobbles, removing tack lockers, building tack lockers up internally to greater height in hopes she cant get up if they were higher. She is fine to load on and off and I have a very lovely trusting relationship with her and she always has a short, smooth journey. Has anyone come across the same problem, know of any solutions? I would appreciate your help.
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Sorry, not much help but my friends had a similar problem to this. The only way that they could get around it was to not travel the horse alone - always had a companion. Long term solution would be to build the tack lockers up inside to a height that the horse cannot get to.

Makes the whole experience of travelling extremely stressful - hobbles may put your mind at rest a bit, I suppose.
 
I wish tack lockers would be banned. Had to rescue a poor horse who's leg had gone through one of these. The fire brigade took out most of the locker to get the horse out.

All I can suggest you do is give your horse more space-I am assuming you are travelling herringbone? Then open up the partitions so your horse has more room. Alternately get rid of the tack lockers. They are taking up valuable space required by your 16.2!

Do not use Hobbles when travelling-this is illegal!
 
A horse at our yard has done this several times. He gets both feet up and has put his head through the roof twice! I have got him down before and its pretty scary as managed to open partition but he wouldnt get down then suddenly flew off. How he has 2 front legs I dont know!!
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To be honest, having seen it, I wouldnt have tack lockers in a lorry! If yours is partial to climbing i'd have them taken out. My friend looked into this and you can keep them to have put back in if you sell it.

The YO was going to put a pieve of chain that goes across between the 2 partitions. It has to be tight and at chest height so that they cant get their front legs up to lift onto lockers.

Not sure if it has happened yet or if it has worked but maybe worth a go
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Thanks for the posts. Yes, your right she is herringboned. We did specifically search for horsebox that is c. 8ft wide at the back thinking she would have more space and consequently a better experience travelling. Didnt realise about the hobbles being illegal. Am going to get a quote on having lockers taken out for peace of mind or may be sell this one and look for another without them fitted. I always saw them as a benefit and never really saw the negatives. I wont be travelling her again until Im 100% it cant happen again; way too much worry/stress.
 
OMG we had one like this, he use to attempt to climb out the windows by standing on the tack locker bit!!! I would suggest swaaping for a lorry with no lockers like you said!!!!
 
As well as being illegal when travelling, hobbles are extremely dangerous as the horse needs to be able to shift its weight when travelling, worst case scenario being not being able to do so and then falling in the box, which is nastier than trying to climb up the tack locker.....

Luckily all my horses are just too long to go into a lorry with lockers so we bought one without...... which is a pain as all the tack then travels in the living!

Where abouts on the box do you stall her/him? Is there anyway you can have it modified so that you can keep half of the lockers and travel horse in the part without the locker? Much cheaper option than chopping and changes boxes!
 
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