Shay
Well-Known Member
My freind's pony who we often trailer has developed a sudden problem travelling and I wondered if anyone else had seen anything quite like it or had any suggestions?
He is a 7yr old 13hh new forest. He travels on the left side of our 2 horse Ifor. My lad is a 13.2hh cob X. He's heavier so he needs to go on the right. Plus he is partially sighted in his right eye and doesn't like having another horse (or much else!) on that side of him where he can't see. We have the partition and a bite grill between them, both have hay. Both are on bungees, but they can't reach each other to nip or anything.
We have travelled these two together to and from shows etc for just over 3 years. The NF isn't a particularly happy traveller - unlike my lad - but he is OK. He tends to brace himself sideways, shoulder and opposing hip on the walls rather than sitting on the breach bar like mine. I suspect he's be happier herringbone or sideways in a box - but we're the only transport they've got.
The NF has in the past been travelled with only a tail bandage. However he has recently been shod front feet only so on YO's reccommendation he travelled in pads. (My boy is always padded.) Last week was the first time he had travelled shod or in pads.
He had a very difficult time. He was kicking out - which he has never done before. But then he started to slip / collapse behind. We stopped a couple of times. We pulled the pads off the first time as his owner thought that might be the problem but it didn't help. Then we decided we just had to get him home and stopped stopping (if that makes sense!).
Vet saw him during the week for vaccinations etc and checked no lameness or anything obvious. Put it down to a one off and travelled him again yesterday. No pads but exercise type bandages. He was OK going out but he was alone (my boy was coming on later) and on the right.
Coming home with my lad on board so NF was back on the left he was OK for about 15 minutes then it all started up again. He seemed worse on left hand bends. When we got home I dropped the ramp just in time to see him collapse behind before recovering. I've never seen a horse do anything quite like that. Both hind feet were spayed out and neither slipped. But he just sort of folded at the hocks until his stifle hit the floor then scrabbled up again. That - I presume - is what has been making the noise as we travel and shaking the trailer / tow car. He was wringing with sweat and shaky. Not lame at all but I haven't seen a horse shudder like that - it was as if he was shivering. Plus I've never seen anything collapse quite like that.
No changes in feed / yard routine. He is probably a bit fitter at the moment than he has been in the past. No-one else has travelled him. He has not had a bad experience travelled other than these last 2 times. He loads fine.
I don't know if he is very angry about something or very scared. Or if there is a physical problem that causes his back end to collapse. Could it be his new shoes even though his front doesn't slip just his unshod back? Could he have just thrown an almighty strop and then exhausted himself? He was dripping with sweat - could it be that he was slipping when he tried to brace on the walls?
Anyway - obviously he is freind's problem. But her daughter and mine ride together and compete together a lot. We have always helped out by travelling them but if we can't get the NF sorted I would feel very cruel transporting him in that state. Plus - selfish though it is - I am also slightly concerned for my horse and my trailer! Freind is into parelli / animal communication etc and so has posted on that forum. I've had a more "conventional" horse upbringing so I thought I'd ask you lot!
Gosh...is anyone still awake after all that?
He is a 7yr old 13hh new forest. He travels on the left side of our 2 horse Ifor. My lad is a 13.2hh cob X. He's heavier so he needs to go on the right. Plus he is partially sighted in his right eye and doesn't like having another horse (or much else!) on that side of him where he can't see. We have the partition and a bite grill between them, both have hay. Both are on bungees, but they can't reach each other to nip or anything.
We have travelled these two together to and from shows etc for just over 3 years. The NF isn't a particularly happy traveller - unlike my lad - but he is OK. He tends to brace himself sideways, shoulder and opposing hip on the walls rather than sitting on the breach bar like mine. I suspect he's be happier herringbone or sideways in a box - but we're the only transport they've got.
The NF has in the past been travelled with only a tail bandage. However he has recently been shod front feet only so on YO's reccommendation he travelled in pads. (My boy is always padded.) Last week was the first time he had travelled shod or in pads.
He had a very difficult time. He was kicking out - which he has never done before. But then he started to slip / collapse behind. We stopped a couple of times. We pulled the pads off the first time as his owner thought that might be the problem but it didn't help. Then we decided we just had to get him home and stopped stopping (if that makes sense!).
Vet saw him during the week for vaccinations etc and checked no lameness or anything obvious. Put it down to a one off and travelled him again yesterday. No pads but exercise type bandages. He was OK going out but he was alone (my boy was coming on later) and on the right.
Coming home with my lad on board so NF was back on the left he was OK for about 15 minutes then it all started up again. He seemed worse on left hand bends. When we got home I dropped the ramp just in time to see him collapse behind before recovering. I've never seen a horse do anything quite like that. Both hind feet were spayed out and neither slipped. But he just sort of folded at the hocks until his stifle hit the floor then scrabbled up again. That - I presume - is what has been making the noise as we travel and shaking the trailer / tow car. He was wringing with sweat and shaky. Not lame at all but I haven't seen a horse shudder like that - it was as if he was shivering. Plus I've never seen anything collapse quite like that.
No changes in feed / yard routine. He is probably a bit fitter at the moment than he has been in the past. No-one else has travelled him. He has not had a bad experience travelled other than these last 2 times. He loads fine.
I don't know if he is very angry about something or very scared. Or if there is a physical problem that causes his back end to collapse. Could it be his new shoes even though his front doesn't slip just his unshod back? Could he have just thrown an almighty strop and then exhausted himself? He was dripping with sweat - could it be that he was slipping when he tried to brace on the walls?
Anyway - obviously he is freind's problem. But her daughter and mine ride together and compete together a lot. We have always helped out by travelling them but if we can't get the NF sorted I would feel very cruel transporting him in that state. Plus - selfish though it is - I am also slightly concerned for my horse and my trailer! Freind is into parelli / animal communication etc and so has posted on that forum. I've had a more "conventional" horse upbringing so I thought I'd ask you lot!
Gosh...is anyone still awake after all that?
