Help! My mare isn't keen on her new lorry!

[fruity]

Well the first time i put her in it went well - sort of! Had her loaded in,she's usually a good traveller,sometimes she stamps her feet if she's fed up at traffic lights but she always goes in with no hick ups.The day i put her in to go to a comp she went in perfectly,it's a rear load side travel set up.I turn her to the side put the partition together and went to shut the rear gates when she went balistic,she managed to get UNDER the head part of the partition fly through the back gates and gallop of down the yard,as you can imagine she is now quite shaken up about the lorry and i feel once she's in it and going she'll be fine it's just when you go to put the back ramp up she panics,she's always an angel going in, it's just the bit when you shut the ramp and get in to head off which is the problem, she settles when you get going and she doesn't move much, when you get to your event she comes out fine no barging out or anything,she does come out sweaty though.I'm just a bit worried bout her,she's always been quite good with me and i always loaded her on my own with no probs but now i'm scared she's goin to hurt herself while she's kicking about before setting off,i try and do it as quickly as poss but it's horrible hearing her go balistic.
The lorry is very light inside with 2 windows on the side she looks out and one on the other which is where her bum faces.I drive very carefully too! I'm just wondering could i take the partition out so she can have the whole of the lorry to move about in or maybe this isn't safe to do,i'd be more tempted to do it in a forward facing one as then at least you can cross tie them but i'm not so sure how i can tie her up safely when it's a side travelling one.Any suggstions/Advice?

By the way she was in a trailer most wk.ends before the lorry and i had no probs with travelling her then.

 

[Super_Kat]

Was she in there on her own? Perhaps trying her in with a friend for a while?

 

[fruity]

Yep,it's odd as i've been travelling her on her own for the past year to comps with no hitches! Might ask my friend if i can borrow her little pony to put in it to give her some confidence.

 

[FRESHMAN]

What sort of waggon have you got, is it one of the conversion types & quite lightweight?

 

[fruity]

No it's a LT40,well made and sturdy.

 

[Super_Kat]

I'd either pop a pony in or get somebody to close everything up while you stand in there with her.
I hope she improves!

 

[RLD]

Is the lorry brand new? When I first had my new lorry one of my horses, who had always been a perfect traveller, tried to kick it to peices. This stopped after a few journeys in it with another horse and the only reason we could put to it was that it smelt too new and not horsey enough. So maybe you could try to make it smell more familar

 

[Alibear]

play around with the partitions has she got enough room? Or go back to your trailer!

 

[fruity]

Sold my trailer and 4x4 and have a nice smart run around car now with a nice lorry so changing back isn't gonna happen.It's not a new lorry but the container isn't very old the chasis is a VW E reg though.I have put the partition on the furthest one and i could get OH to put another whole in to make it go back further,she would then have more width than if she were in a 505 ifor with the partition out so i don't think it's the space she has thats a prob,maybe cos it's just new to her,i'm sure after a couple of journeys she'll be fine,i'm taking her out tomorrow so will let you know how it goes,hope my lorry doesn't get too battered again,poor thing!