Help - Travelling issues

[jjsblackhorse]

Hi Everyone,

Just looking for some help and support. My 5yr old Irish Draft has become difficult travel.
Up to a month ago he loaded every time first time and stood like a rock on on my 510 Ifor Williams trailer. I first noticed he was getting a little sticky to load to come home would just hesitate then he started to move around in the trailer - just a bit.

Last week I took him out on Wednesday to see hounds and he was really crashing about and on the way there and was only out an hour and on the way back he was awful and pulled a shoe off.
On the Sunday had a hunter trial, just 2'3", again on the way there he was moving around with a bit of banging, on arrival found he had pulled the same shoe off again! Farrier on course put shoe back on and did the HT. We then had to put up a lunge line along one side to load to come home. He was moving about again with some banging and half pulled the same shoe off again!

We have now taken the back shoes off as he will not be hacking so much in the winter and is fine without them. But again still having the problem travelling - tonight on the way to riding club he ripped all the velcro out on a rear travelling boot so now unusable - but no shoes so no injury to him! Travelled him back no boots, a bit more settled but at times felt like he was swinging from side to side, really unbalancing the trailer, then he was kicking a bit and sounded / felt like he lost his balance round bends......

Any thoughts, advice or ideas?

 

[meesha]

Get trailer checked (check tyre pressure, floor etc) and try him in another trailer. If he is same in another trailer could be a physical issue, you could try travelling cross tied with no partition to give more room, could be travel boots are causing an issue .....

 

[monkeymad]

Does he travel with a partition? If so take it out so he has the whole box. I had a horse years ago who all of a sudden had a melt down in the trailer, not sure what happened as he had travelled for about 5 years with no problems. We took out the partition and got a single chest bar, he was foot perfect again. Luckily he was a forgiving soul and never said no to the loading. The only problem was we could no longer take out 2 horses, so ended up getting a lorry!

 

[Fiona]

Does he travel with a partition? If so take it out so he has the whole box. I had a horse years ago who all of a sudden had a melt down in the trailer, not sure what happened as he had travelled for about 5 years with no problems. We took out the partition and got a single chest bar, he was foot perfect again. Luckily he was a forgiving soul and never said no to the loading. The only problem was we could no longer take out 2 horses, so ended up getting a lorry!

Are you me?????

That's exactly what happened to us too...

I agree with checking tyre pressure, trying a different trailer, and then taking partition out.

Good luck

Fiona

 

[dornrose]

The chances are his banging around is in an effort to stabilise himself, so if you're sure he's not got anything going on I would take out the partition and cross tie him, you'll need a full width breech bar but this solution generally settles a poor traveller.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

My mare bscame unsettled travelling after being perfect. She started climbing the side on corners. We swapped her to other side of trailer tied her shorter and put shavings on the floor of the trailer. She was back to her usual self immediately not sure which change helped out of the 3

 

[Leg_end]

I'd also consider removing travel boots and using something else. It sounds like he wasn't as bad when you removed the back boots.

I've known a few that just hate them, mine included, so I use either just OR boots (he's barefoot) if travelling alone short journeys or wraps, bandages and OR boots, or back on track stable wraps, or just bandages and OR boots.

 

[Merlod]

My horse had a fall in the trailer and became like this every time travelling, I think due fear and not feeling he was able to balance. I would try to start ruling things out one by one;

check the floor and the tyre pressures

make sure he is not tied too tight, they need their head and neck to balance and I find the more my horse is able to see (out of windows, out of the back the better he is)

Try bandaging or half length travel boots

Try travelling him on the other side of the partition

Try travelling him with no partition (full breast and breach)

For me I ended up buying a slant load trailer because I needed to travel two so he couldn't have the whole width of the trailer, he can see a lot travelling sideways in a trailer - he can see out the back and this really seems to help. I used confidence eq and still do for long journeys

I hope your sort it out

 

[Goldenstar]

Try travelling without boots .
However when a horse that has travelled well starts acting up its my experiance that more often than not they are telling you they are sore somewhere .

 

[TheSylv007]

I had exactly this, after making the usual trailer checks I took the partition out (after reading recommendations on here!) and put in a full breast bar. Never had an issue since. It just gives them the extra room they need to balance. Seems to work 9 times out of 10.

 

[jjsblackhorse]

Thank you all so much. The trailer is good has regular services and we check the floor and tyre pressure regularly. The vet is booked to check him over, but doubt she will find anything, she is also a chiropractor and gave him his mot a month ago.
I am going to try getting rid of the partition and see if that helps as he is a big lad.
Do you tend to travel yours with hay? I have never needed travel boots before and think I will try without again as taken his hind shoes off.

 

[MissTyc]

My 16hh shire X mare exactly the same. After 10 years of good travelling.
Luckily wo too were advised to take out partition and put in full breast bar and she travels like a dream again. It also started because a new Ifor but from then it was in any trailer.

 

[scats]

Partition out. Honestly, the difference it makes to the majority of horses is unbelievable. Just remember to get a full width breast bar.

 

[irishdraft]

My ID mare was exactly the same travelled for 2 years with the partition then suddenly started scrabbling took out partition all sorted.

 

[jjsblackhorse]

I spoke to my local trailer center today and he said this happens quite a lot so he keeps full width breach bars in stock - I will get them next week and let you know how we get on.

Just to clarify do you tie your horse in the normal place as if you had the partition in?

 

[JenTaz]

Another vote for taking the partition out, I have a 16.3 Irish Draught who travelled fine for a year until he got a fright with other horses galloping around when loading him and people out shooting, and he never travelled well since, we ended up taking the partition out and he's like a different horse in trailer, dont even notice he is in there now

 

[MrsMozart]

One of ours suddenly stopped travelling in a trailer with a partition. It happened with her previous owner, who's very good and experienced, and happened again in our big trailer. Partition out and shes fine. Stands as diagonal as she can. On a herringbone lorry she's also as steady as a rock. This is a horse who's always loaded herself. Not tried her in the new 3.5 tonne lorry. Think will have to treat as trailer, ie no partition.

Another one couldn't cope with travel boots. Ended up in a right pickle. Travel them all now in sports boots and overreach boots all round or nothing.

 

[FfionWinnie]

If he's 5 perhaps he's just gown too large to easily balance in the space.

 

[Tiddlypom]

In addition to the many useful suggestions above, please don't be aggrieved if I ask, just how careful a tower are you? Gentle accelerating, braking, cornering etc are essential when towing.

I am gobsmacked when out and about how often I see folk towing trailers with horses in flying across roundabouts and around sharp bends, slamming on the brakes from high speed at junctions etc., with no regard to their cargo.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Also, whilst Ifors are great, (I've also got a 510), they can be rather rattley. I had a short off road ride in mine and was shocked at how noisy it was inside, it was metal knocking on metal making the noise. It must have been very unpleasant for the horses.

I set to and have vastly improved it by the judicious use of draught excluder tape on the rear top doors, and off cuts of cycle inner tube on the top of the main centre partition pole where it clips to the roof. (Partiton pole not in place in the pic, but you get the idea).



Just something else to try, OP .

 

[jjsblackhorse]

Hi again,
Just had my vet check the big lad over and he had put his poll out which probably did not help him as he probably had a headache. That is now fixed.

Re the driving I do take it steady and keep the speed down, but there are odd occasions when other drivers do silly things. I have had emergency vehicles hammer past with lights and sirens and even one driver overtake hooting because I was only doing 40 mph in a 60! (Not with the youngster on board - yet).

I like the idea of making the trailer quieter inside and will see what I can do. I think I will need to do some work with the big lad and feed him on board and see if that helps him to see it as a nice place to be.

I do wonder if it is because I have taken him to do some exciting things over the last 6 weeks. A couple of small hunter trials and autumn hunting....... Was it all too much for his baby brain?

 

[FfionWinnie]

I don't agree with making the trailer quieter. I would say the horse has to get less bothered by noise while in the trailer. To do this regular exposure is best. I would take him for a nice smooth run daily until he is more relaxed about the situation. That is of course if you are sure there isn't anything wrong with him. Motorway is best til he relaxes. One of mine had a real panic over being on the left side with leg wraps on. I never travel with boots but was taking her to the physio and was trying to dry her legs on the way. She mostly travels on the right but had been fine on the left on the odd occasion previously. The boots set the issue off but it was something that needed training out after that had occurred. She's fine now but it took a few trips out before she stopped worrying about it. She was rock solid in the right side at all times.