Horse doesn't balance while travelling...

[A.R.B]

Hi,

I have a horse 15.1 hh that travels OK except the odd time he seems to not pay attention and losses his balance we have reduced the issue to when turning to the right from any bend. It is not a case of driving too fast. He can sometimes do it from a stop at a junction pulling out slowly on to a country lane with no traffic so it is a slow movement. He travels fine without a partition as he is able to move to get his position. However, sometimes I have to take my other horse somewhere as well. He travelled in a friends box before who has a camera and it appears from watching that he is so busy looking at everything passing by or trying to look at something when it comes to a turn no matter how carefully it is taken he has to scramble as he wasn't balancing. I have changed him to the passenger side and he travels slightly better on this side and also walks up the ramp himself for this side of the partition while he is slightly resistant on the driver side. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this? And does things like moving the back bar more towards him to give him something to lean on help? He is currently getting tied front ways not to the side as he was caught on camera with his head touching his arse nosing at the car behind him when he scrambled to not fall. This has helped and reduced the problem to being turning on the right.

Thanks

 

[Spotherisk]

Quick reply - maybe cover the windows/shut the top doors so he has nothing to nose at, and also horses don’t lean so he won’t look for support as such. I do hope you get it sorted for you both.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Get his hocks checked. My boy could balance fine then suddenly was paddling and falling over. Turned out he had the start it athritis, he was only 15. Took out the partition or travelled him in a 7.5t with space and he was fine again.

 

[Spotherisk]

Get his hocks checked. My boy could balance fine then suddenly was paddling and falling over. Turned out he had the start it athritis, he was only 15. Took out the partition or travelled him in a 7.5t with space and he was fine again.

mine was similar, past laminitis and the suspensories going really affected him.

 

[AnShanDan]

I'd say if he was actually turning so far round he could see out behind no wonder he couldn't balance! I had a 14.2 who was terrible at balancing himself in the trailer, he was young and very nosy and a bit dizzy. He would lean on the centre partition and "canter" on the side of the trailer when he lost his balance. He was a lot better without the back half of the partition which let him spread his back legs right out. Eventually we got a lorry tho and he was fine in that.

 

[A.R.B]

Get his hocks checked. My boy could balance fine then suddenly was paddling and falling over. Turned out he had the start it athritis, he was only 15. Took out the partition or travelled him in a 7.5t with space and he was fine again.

He is physically fine he goes to a vet every 6 months as the Vet is also a physio and acupuncturist along with many other things so it means if he needs veterinary care he can also be diagnosed and treated. He was also the vet that diagnosed my other horse with arthritis so I am happy with my vet.

As AnShanDan says he turns so far around he can't balance tying him to the front has helped but he still tries. I will try Spotherisk suggestion of closing the top doors at the back for some reason this never occurred to me.

 

[Meredith]

Do you cross tie him?

 

[A.R.B]

I'd say if he was actually turning so far round he could see out behind no wonder he couldn't balance! I had a 14.2 who was terrible at balancing himself in the trailer, he was young and very nosy and a bit dizzy. He would lean on the centre partition and "canter" on the side of the trailer when he lost his balance. He was a lot better without the back half of the partition which let him spread his back legs right out. Eventually we got a lorry tho and he was fine in that.

This sounds like him! Unfortunately a lorry while ideal is not in the near future! I will try Spotherisk suggestion of closing the top doors at the back for some reason this never occurred to me. I will take the back of the divider out and let him spread! I do intend to take the partition out more but I'm waiting on my full bars to come!

 

[A.R.B]

Do you cross tie him?

Hey Meredith I have tried cross tying him it worked the same as front tying him. But I will try again!

 

[A.R.B]

Quick reply - maybe cover the windows/shut the top doors so he has nothing to nose at, and also horses don’t lean so he won’t look for support as such. I do hope you get it sorted for you both.

Thank you I will give this a try for some reason it never entered my mind!

 

[Shavings]

this is very interesting as i knew a horse who also did this but they never got to the bottom of why, he would lean pretty much o the right to the point his legs would go to the left and out from under him

 

[A.R.B]

this is very interesting as i knew a horse who also did this but they never got to the bottom of why, he would lean pretty much o the right to the point his legs would go to the left and out from under him

It seems to be that he genuinely is not paying attention to what is happening. Take him down the bypass and you question if you forgot the horse on the yard as he doesn't move but take a right-hand turn and I mean take it slowly and he scrambles. I think he balances better on a left turn as he has the bar in the centre. When we watch him in my friend's box he is to busy trying to look at everything. She doesn't have front windows so he stares at the walls listening or like before tries staring out the back or trying to get the other horse to be his friend while the other horse is just standing in the zone concentrating on balancing while my guy is away with the fairies. If it wasn't for the camera I genuinely would have thought he was scared of travelling or something but he seems to enjoy it so much he won't concentrate on standing.

 

[irishdraft]

Having had this issue I would think as he travels well without the partition then that's the only answer. My mare was the same trying to travel with any bit of the partition would cause a problem although travelling another with her without a partition would not . Please note I am not recommending you do this.

 

[Annagain]

My boy did this but on left hand turns. We put him on the left hand side of trailer instead and he's been fine ever since. A friend's horse can only travel on the right. If he struggling on both sides, I'd try taking the partition out.

 

[Mule]

Mine is the same, like yours he's fine with the partition removed. When you have the partition up try putting him on the opposite side of the box to where you usually have him. So if he's usually on the side behind the driver seat, put him on the side behind the passenger seat. That often does the trick.

 

[teddypops]

One of my mares travels without a partition so she can stand diagonally. I cannot take her in a trailer with another horse, so I don’t. It wouldn’t be fair on her.

 

[A.R.B]

One of my mares travels without a partition so she can stand diagonally. I cannot take her in a trailer with another horse, so I don’t. It wouldn’t be fair on her.

When travelling him alone I remove the partition as it is obviously better for him. I had full bars made and am now waiting on proper Ifor williams ones to be delivered. I was hoping if anyone had any success with this issue with the partition for when he travels with my other horse as unfortunately an equine vet closest to us is hr and a half away. I use local cattle vets for little things but have to travel for a more experienced equine practice as even the vets themselves recommend that practice as they are more so cattle/sheep. And they can also be treated for physio etc issues at this practice. I have travelled him alone there before without the partition but unfortunately, due to constraints, I can not also do so when both are going as the other horse requires check-ups for an issue. In an ideal situation, I would be able to make to different appointments and be able to transport him separately. I am not travelling with the partition for fun things as I am aware it isn't fair. He doesn't travel with anyone else's horse at the moment or in their box as all my friends have partitions in. The last time was with my friend's horse in her horsebox as mentioned above which had a camera and we were able to see his movement in the box is scrambling more so than adjusting himself to stand which a horse at the yard does which we at first thought he was doing.

I was hoping to that perhaps someone had a similar or same issue which they were able to find a solution that might also work so that it makes travelling to the vet less eventful and possibly helping with me being able to travel places with someone instead of 2 jeep and trailers leaving the same yard to the same place.

 

[A.R.B]

Mine is the same, like yours he's fine with the partition removed. When you have the partition up try putting him on the opposite side of the box to where you usually have him. So if he's usually on the side behind the driver seat, put him on the side behind the passenger seat. That often does the trick.

He's currently on the passenger side but maybe we should try him back on the driver's side now? might even him out lol thank you

 

[canteron]

One of my mares travels without a partition so she can stand diagonally. I cannot take her in a trailer with another horse, so I don’t. It wouldn’t be fair on her.

Sadly this is the conclusion I came to (travelling without a partition) my horse just needed the room to find her balance.

the only alternative I came up with was buying a ‘big’ Lorry - sadly vetoed by the husband.

if it is only occasionally maybe a cost effective solution is to pay a transporter - or blag a lift for one of them!

 

[teddypops]

When travelling him alone I remove the partition as it is obviously better for him. I had full bars made and am now waiting on proper Ifor williams ones to be delivered. I was hoping if anyone had any success with this issue with the partition for when he travels with my other horse as unfortunately an equine vet closest to us is hr and a half away. I use local cattle vets for little things but have to travel for a more experienced equine practice as even the vets themselves recommend that practice as they are more so cattle/sheep. And they can also be treated for physio etc issues at this practice. I have travelled him alone there before without the partition but unfortunately, due to constraints, I can not also do so when both are going as the other horse requires check-ups for an issue. In an ideal situation, I would be able to make to different appointments and be able to transport him separately. I am not travelling with the partition for fun things as I am aware it isn't fair. He doesn't travel with anyone else's horse at the moment or in their box as all my friends have partitions in. The last time was with my friend's horse in her horsebox as mentioned above which had a camera and we were able to see his movement in the box is scrambling more so than adjusting himself to stand which a horse at the yard does which we at first thought he was doing.

I was hoping to that perhaps someone had a similar or same issue which they were able to find a solution that might also work so that it makes travelling to the vet less eventful and possibly helping with me being able to travel places with someone instead of 2 jeep and trailers leaving the same yard to the same place.

Unfortunately the solution I found WAS to allow her to always travel on her own in a trailer. I have to do 2 trips if I have more than 1 to transport. She is fine travelling herringbone or sideways, she just can’t stand straight on. Maybe look to finding different transport. A pain I know?

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Some horses don’t travel well straight on. Do you have access to an angle load trailer? I don’t think they are as popular in the UK as they are in Aus.

Have you tried travelling with the centre divider removed so he can angle across the trailer?

I can’t determine if you are describing him scrambling. (Trying to get up the side wall on turns). If so, fitting anti-scramble rails will help that tremendously.

 

[PurBee]

Maybe with some horses who arent used to travelling its like car sickness?
The brain tells them theyre standing still but they see everything outside their space moving by fast, confusing the brain causing giddiness and stumbling?
Good idea to block them seeing out.

My large dog on first outing in a car reacted in this way on a very slow journey. She got used to it, but it seems like it takes the brain some ‘training’ of body still/environment moving to get over the initial destabilising body effects.

Some people get it when the brain cant see out the front where they are going and can only see out the sides...like on a train.

I experienced dizziness on a short journey in the back of a van only being able to see out the back, im fine normally front facing.

 

[A.R.B]

Just in case anyone else had this issue we found a solution and over a year later no issues.
I removed the back half of the partition and left the front half so 2 horses would still have some separation and use a full bar at the back.
The horses are fine with each other and don't leave the box until told so the single bar at the back isn't a bother.
Since doing this we haven't had an issues with him. We left him get use to it for a bit and then travelled him in a box with a divider and he was fine.

 

[05jackd]

When travelling him alone I remove the partition as it is obviously better for him. I had full bars made and am now waiting on proper Ifor williams ones to be delivered. I was hoping if anyone had any success with this issue with the partition for when he travels with my other horse as unfortunately an equine vet closest to us is hr and a half away. I use local cattle vets for little things but have to travel for a more experienced equine practice as even the vets themselves recommend that practice as they are more so cattle/sheep. And they can also be treated for physio etc issues at this practice. I have travelled him alone there before without the partition but unfortunately, due to constraints, I can not also do so when both are going as the other horse requires check-ups for an issue. In an ideal situation, I would be able to make to different appointments and be able to transport him separately. I am not travelling with the partition for fun things as I am aware it isn't fair. He doesn't travel with anyone else's horse at the moment or in their box as all my friends have partitions in. The last time was with my friend's horse in her horsebox as mentioned above which had a camera and we were able to see his movement in the box is scrambling more so than adjusting himself to stand which a horse at the yard does which we at first thought he was doing.

I was hoping to that perhaps someone had a similar or same issue which they were able to find a solution that might also work so that it makes travelling to the vet less eventful and possibly helping with me being able to travel places with someone instead of 2 jeep and trailers leaving the same yard to the same place.

I had exactly this problem with an old horse but on left turns. Fine without the partition and in wagon but with the partition in he scrambled like mad on left turns.
After speaking to lots of people with similar issues the general View was to take out the back partition and leave the front in (assuming that your splits). This worked fine and we travelled to for about 3 years like this. Horses were never injured and just interlocked their legs.