aimeehorses
Member
Thanks to most for their kind comments about trying travelling without the partition, I had considered this but needed to hear some positive experiences from others! Going to give it a go today.
Hind End When Traveling - Advice Needed!
- Thread starter aimeehorses
- Start date
aimeehorses
Member
This is how we drive when towing, max of 5mph when making a turn. Have also travelled in a trailer many years ago and yes it is an eye opener
aimeehorses
Member
Many horses make noise when travelling, our horse was always relaxed upon arrival and happy to get back on the trailer. With no anxiety from the horse, no injury’s even as much as a scrape to horse or trailer, it’s hard to know if he has just been stamping and not struggling to keep balance.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Sorry but no, a horse that is "thrashing around turns" is not normal. Given it's specifically on a turn, it's not exactly impatient stamping. Horses that travel comfortably or well do not thrash around like that. A pawing or whatnot perhaps but certainly not what you are describing.
I'd consider yourself very lucky that your horse is honest enough to continue to load. Hope you find a solution.
aimeehorses
Member
This will be my last reply to your comments as they have been very unhelpful when asking for advice. Many horses kick/move around a bit when turning round corners. I’m not saying it’s normal, I’m saying it isn’t negatively impacting him and he appears happy so no we haven’t became overly concerned until now. It doesn’t happen on every corner for our horse, now and again if it’s a very right corner. Some journeys we don’t hear a sound from him and others we hear him a few times. He is very honest yes, but in this situation he is visibly not in any distress and loads again because the situation is not distressing him. Not because he is honest.
Should have added in my original post that if you don’t have anything helpful to contribute then please don’t comment.
L&M
Well-Known Member
In my horsey lifetime we have had 2 horses that had the same issue and taking out the partition and putting in a breast bar worked for both.
Neither had any lameness issues.......
Neither had any lameness issues.......
jnb
Well-Known Member
@millie.missy my experience many years ago but valid thoughts now...#
15.1hh LW show cob travelled in trailers, I foolishly allowed a "friend" to take him to her home for schooling while I was at work, halfway through the afternoon I had a panicked phone call - cob had fallen in the trailer and they had called the vet!
Never driven so fast in all my life! Cob was OK but had shredded his boots, ripped off a shoe and was lame but alive.
Turns out they had loaded my cob on the wrong side of the trailer (passenger side - he was travelling with a 450kg ex racehorse who was on the driver side, when it should have been the other way round)
Cob had panicked going around a corner (too fast IMO but thats another story) as the camber of the small country road must have made it feel like the trailer was tipping over. He was leaning on the wall of the trailer and trying to climb the partition with all 4 legs thrashing and went down, not quite sure how they got him out as he was a big lad!
Long story short, when he came sound we reloaded in the correct side of the trailer with my excellent and very careful mum towing.
Straight in. ramp closed.
Engine started, cob thrashing and went down, twice.
He had lost his confidence in his ability to stand, he thought he could not stand up in the space provided.
So, I got a ground work expert out and we learned to teach him where his feet were and how to move them independently. Took out centre partition and eventually taught him to walk in, move over, move each foot independently, back out before adding a breast bar then eventually walking behind the ramp, eventually closing the ramp, eventually starting the engine, eventually moving to box 6". Each time unloading him backwards and keeping the same routine.
Them we would drive him down the yard drive, unload, give him grass and repeat the process.
It took 6 weeks of short journeys twice a week and we went on a proper journey always keeping speeds low especially around roundabouts and junctions. The bit every horse will struggle with, is the CHANGE of direction when you leave a roundabout or straighten up from the junction, right bend hard to left of vice versa. They don't know which way you're going! Imagine standing in a phone box on wheels with your hands tied behind your back, how slow you would want someone to negotiate a roudabout if you were being towed.
My cob did travel in the trailer again for about 6 months without the partition however I decided to try him rear facing so hired a box for a weekend to repeat the familiarisation process with that. Took partition out and he loved it.
So I bought a van off ebay and got it converted to my spec, and he travelled the whole country to county shows in it, he loved it. I never has a partition made for it till I sold it. He would stand diagonally without a peep unless he repositioned himself for a wee (only twice in the time i had him while on the lorry!)
Please make sure your horse tries no partition, full breast and rear bars, I have never known a horse travel worse like that, they gain confidence from being able to spread their legs to balance. Make sure you cross tie though so they can't turn around.
PS I note you say your horse is not distressed, my cob wasn't either after the accident - he loaded calmly and first time. He internalised the fear. But panicked when he heard the engine because he knew that meant he would be moving and he couldn't figure out how to open his legs in the limited space, to be able to stand.
15.1hh LW show cob travelled in trailers, I foolishly allowed a "friend" to take him to her home for schooling while I was at work, halfway through the afternoon I had a panicked phone call - cob had fallen in the trailer and they had called the vet!
Never driven so fast in all my life! Cob was OK but had shredded his boots, ripped off a shoe and was lame but alive.
Turns out they had loaded my cob on the wrong side of the trailer (passenger side - he was travelling with a 450kg ex racehorse who was on the driver side, when it should have been the other way round)
Cob had panicked going around a corner (too fast IMO but thats another story) as the camber of the small country road must have made it feel like the trailer was tipping over. He was leaning on the wall of the trailer and trying to climb the partition with all 4 legs thrashing and went down, not quite sure how they got him out as he was a big lad!
Long story short, when he came sound we reloaded in the correct side of the trailer with my excellent and very careful mum towing.
Straight in. ramp closed.
Engine started, cob thrashing and went down, twice.
He had lost his confidence in his ability to stand, he thought he could not stand up in the space provided.
So, I got a ground work expert out and we learned to teach him where his feet were and how to move them independently. Took out centre partition and eventually taught him to walk in, move over, move each foot independently, back out before adding a breast bar then eventually walking behind the ramp, eventually closing the ramp, eventually starting the engine, eventually moving to box 6". Each time unloading him backwards and keeping the same routine.
Them we would drive him down the yard drive, unload, give him grass and repeat the process.
It took 6 weeks of short journeys twice a week and we went on a proper journey always keeping speeds low especially around roundabouts and junctions. The bit every horse will struggle with, is the CHANGE of direction when you leave a roundabout or straighten up from the junction, right bend hard to left of vice versa. They don't know which way you're going! Imagine standing in a phone box on wheels with your hands tied behind your back, how slow you would want someone to negotiate a roudabout if you were being towed.
My cob did travel in the trailer again for about 6 months without the partition however I decided to try him rear facing so hired a box for a weekend to repeat the familiarisation process with that. Took partition out and he loved it.
So I bought a van off ebay and got it converted to my spec, and he travelled the whole country to county shows in it, he loved it. I never has a partition made for it till I sold it. He would stand diagonally without a peep unless he repositioned himself for a wee (only twice in the time i had him while on the lorry!)
Please make sure your horse tries no partition, full breast and rear bars, I have never known a horse travel worse like that, they gain confidence from being able to spread their legs to balance. Make sure you cross tie though so they can't turn around.
PS I note you say your horse is not distressed, my cob wasn't either after the accident - he loaded calmly and first time. He internalised the fear. But panicked when he heard the engine because he knew that meant he would be moving and he couldn't figure out how to open his legs in the limited space, to be able to stand.
marmalade76
Well-Known Member
The towing test was a towing test, not an animal transportation test.
MissTyc
Well-Known Member
Hoping for an update!
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
True, but I'd quite happily make it a condition of towing livestock inc horses. Hanging on for grim death inside a moving horse trailer certainly makes you aware of just how careful and steady you should be when changing speed and direction.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
And quite how trusting horses are to continue getting into trailers for us.
aimeehorses
Member
Tried without the partition this evening and he stood perfectly! No movement whatsoever on the camera. Thanks so much for your helpful comments
.And thanks also to everyone who suggested trying without the partition
.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
So glad to hear that it went to plan.
Rowreach
Adjusting my sails
Great result.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
Excellent updateTried without the partition this evening and he stood perfectly! No movement whatsoever on the camera. Thanks so much for your helpful comments
And thanks also to everyone who suggested trying without the partition
meesha
Well-Known Member
Brilliant news, also much easier loading and unloading !! Make sure you use back breach bar. A trailer dealer told me I didn't need one but I insisted ...imagine loading, tying up with no breach bar, putting back ramp up...only for horse to reverse and the ramp to squish you !!
Love
Well-Known Member
This. I used to travel mine religiously in either travel boots or bandages and pads. He was never a bad traveller but the day I forgot them and had to go without I realised how much better he was with nothing. I now travel him in nothing. Also agree with giving more space - seems counter productive but as others have said its quite often the case that they need more