Help horse sweating in new trailer

[hackedoff]

I have had my new trailer since May. Pony traveled fine for first few months. Pony has started sweating up and trembling flanks after journeys. Trailer has side windows. She loads quickly, straight in last night. Waits patiently to come out including standing whilst breastbar then off and out on floor. I towed round the block and she did move about occasionally. It is a mare and foal one 30 cm narrower than the whole width of a double trailer. She traveled fine in my old ifor trailer which had harder suspension. This has Pullman suspension. The only thing my husband could think of was that this has different rubber matting to the ifor, maybe too slippy as she is barefoot? He has suggested putting heavier stable mat type rubber in. The existing rubber is bonded to floor. I don’t use bedding in it so will try that as well. Any other ideas/experience of the same? I tow v carefully round corners, approaching junctions etc.

 

[Red-1]

You say it has side windows, does it also have an open back? Is there enough air flow?

I use bedding, but it has to be non slippery bedding, so not fresh from the bale.

It has been incredibly hot lately. Maybe it needs a skylight added? With a narrower trailer there will be less air flow.

Have you checked your tyres? Had a ride in the back somewhere safe (not on the road)?

 

[Shay]

Might she feel too closed in? If she is used to a double and this is smaller? I have the Mare& foal one too and I know some feel too claustrophobic in it. You could try removing the partitions and allowing her to travel full width? Alternatively if she is used to a single she could be struggling to brace in the wider space.

 

[hackedoff]

Hi the trailer is a cheval librte gold one has windows that open all the way down each side. She sweated and was trembly after a very wet cold long journey and also on a short cool journey. It doesn’t have partitions it is a single but only 30cm narrower than a ifor Williams double. I’m hoping it’s lack of bedding as trailer only 4 months old .

 

[mcgreggor]

I agree with bedding the trailer. Also, check the tyre pressures, does she travel with hay, can she see out of the windows easily and is she tied loose enough to use her head and neck well enough to balance?

My horse was the same - serial sweater/scrambler, I ended up buying a diagonal cheval to cure the problem (I also used confidence eq for a while and it did seem to keep him calmer and stop the nervous sweating).

 

[Batgirl]

Check the tyre pressures -last time this happened to me I had 1 tyre going slowly flat. Fixed the tyre, horse stopped stressing.

 

[Midwychequestrain]

Maybe she finding it hard to balance without a partition. I've had horses that like to be almost squashed in

 

[hackedoff]

hello all, thank you all for the feedback. I will be taking her out for a jaunt tomorrow night with bedding down once I check the tyre pressure. Midwychequestrian - unfortunately she won't travel with a partition, I found that out the hard way when she jumped the breast bar in my for 505 at a motorway services. She was fine afterwards but only with no partitions and a full length breastbar. I will however have a play with where the full length bars are as I think I had them on the narrower fittings previously. The only other thing I can think of was that the supplier forgot to include the spare wheel and I didn't notice for 2 months, now the trailer has a spare wheel on one side so that might change how the trailer feels to her?

 

[ester]

I'd set up something to film her in the back so that you can see exactly what is going on.
I would also want to get the trailer checked out, regardless of it's age, not all new things are totally fine.

 

[hackedoff]

Interestingly I have filmed her and from what we could see she spends a lot of time looking from one side window to the other, the old trailer had side and front windows but higher up so less easy to peer through! I am planning to get it independently checked as if there is something wrong I will be taking it back PDQ.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Horses can be blimmin inconsiderate beasts, can't they. You buy her new wheels, she should be grateful .

The trailer you have seems to have been superceded by this model. Is it fairly similar to yours? I wonder if the view through the rear side windows is bothering her, is she turning to look at it? Maybe try covering up those windows? Nice looking trailer, though.

 

[Kat]

It could be the different windows upsetting her. I bought my trailer off someone who had painted out the skylight as the light/shadows moving from above upset their horse.

 

[oldie48]

When I bought my 3.5 the owner had blacked out the window in front of the horse as she got very stressed being able to see traffic Once the window was covered her mare travelled fine so I'd certainly try this.

 

[hackedoff]

Tiddlypom that is identical to my trailer it’s the Touring One. I love it mega easy to reverses, manoeuvre through gaps etc. I did wonder about the wkndows. I travel with the back blind down as petrified she might try to turn round to jump out which she did with itry with the ifor when it had partitions in. OH wants to put thicker mats in but I’m reluctant to change too much as would invalidate warranty. He thinks we can simply look them in but I assume even thick mats would require securing to the floor. It has a thin rubber floor fixed to the Aluminum floor. I didn’t have time to try in it tonight, will do tomorrow and report back.

 

[hackedoff]

Tiddlypom that is identical to my trailer it’s the Touring One. I love it mega easy to reverses, manoeuvre through gaps etc. I did wonder about the wkndows. I travel with the back blind down as petrified she might try to turn round to jump out which she did with itry with the ifor when it had partitions in. OH wants to put thicker mats in but I’m reluctant to change too much as would invalidate warranty. He thinks we can simply look them in but I assume even thick mats would require securing to the floor. It has a thin rubber floor fixed to the Aluminum floor. I didn’t have time to try in it tonight, will do tomorrow and report back.

Should have said husband thinks he can simply plop the mats in. I am worried that they would move.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Should have said husband thinks he can simply plop the mats in. I am worried that they would move.

I wouldn't just put mats on top of mats and not securing them they will move and horses can easily get there feet trapped underneath them I have seen this happen and the horse really panicked.

sounds like it could be the extra windows at the side that is upsetting her maybe you could black them out somehow and see if it helps, and in regards to bedding I used shavings in mine as the floor often got a bit damp from condensation and it just helped to soak up the wet and stopped any slipping.

 

[Alibear]

Tiddlypom that is identical to my trailer it’s the Touring One. I love it mega easy to reverses, manoeuvre through gaps etc. I did wonder about the wkndows. I travel with the back blind down as petrified she might try to turn round to jump out which she did with itry with the ifor when it had partitions in. OH wants to put thicker mats in but I’m reluctant to change too much as would invalidate warranty. He thinks we can simply look them in but I assume even thick mats would require securing to the floor. It has a thin rubber floor fixed to the Aluminum floor. I didn’t have time to try in it tonight, will do tomorrow and report back.

It might be that by having the back blinds down you are stopping air flow through. Usually you travel with the blinds or top back doors open. Just a thought to add to the list

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, try just splitting an empty feed sack open and taping it over the front window with gaffa tape, worth a go.
Like another poster above, I had to do this with my rear door window in my box for a mare I had 5 yrs ago, totally calmed her and she stopped sweating etc.

 

[hackedoff]

Just a quick update as ran out of time last night. I put two bales of wood chip shavings down, had a right row loading her , she wasn’t frightened just wanted to go graze as she had been in all day. Finally went in after making the mistake of putting front hooves on ramp, looked at me very sheepishly and went in. Loaded again 5 times for luck then went for a trundle round the block. No sweating during journey and no trembling afterwards though did spot a mild twitch which might have been due to fly’s so hopefully a thick bed has cured the problem. I did notice that even though cold and wet front window had lots of horsey condensed breath on it so maybe it’s a bit warmer to travel in than my ifor. Trying again tonight after work to practice loading.

 

[hackedoff]

I thought I would update this thread. It turned out that the issue was a combination of the long side windows (now covered over) and the spare wheel being (badly) retrofitted by the dealership I bought trailer off. They had forgot to supply it with trailer and fitted it on a few months later when I noticed it wasn’t there. It had been fitted so tight you couldn’t remove it but no washers and too high on side planks so trailer vibrated at speed. It’s now been removed after I had trailer checked independently by a trailer repair business and it’s traveling in my boot for now . I mention this in case anyone else has the same issue. Otherwise trailer guy who wasn’t familiar with the brand thought it was fantastic, lots of clever ideas such as fittings being made of a metal that won’t anodise and damage aluminum planking, better built than main uk rival trailer!

Anyway clip of pony traveling in said trailer taken with my go pro. It’s quite interesting as on the longer clip she balances round roundabouts by moving to one side, generally travels in the trailer in the centre rather than herring bone. The dreadful rattle on the clip is the go pro holder vibrating. I am looking into a better way of fixing it.

https://youtu.be/AMWJFvDMFLs