Horse falling over in trailer??

hihosilver

hihosilver

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Yesterday travelled 2 5 year olds to a lesson about 45 mins away. My fiends horse who has been in the trailer and travelled fine before seemed to go down and lose his back legs. It sounded awful so we stopped and had a look. Both horses seemed fine and calm so we carried on. Once unloaded the horse had a long wee. Both horses had a lesson and then loaded fine, we were nearly back when he did the same thing again. We stopped all was fine we carried on and when we got back the horse had a long wee again! I am just wondering if the horse was trying to spread his legs and have a wee? Any thoughts as it was scary to hear and am now worried about travelling him again.
 
Some horses get in a habit of doing this - if he keeps doing it, have a look in the archive here for travelling problems and you'll find a million threads about it. It's weird and annoying and dangerous, often they only do it around bends in one direction too! Previously fine travellers and no particular reason for it to start. I used to know two that did it.

Usually, the best cure is to remove the partition as it seems to be related to the, ot balancing well enough. One of them that I knew who did it was ok if the lower part of the Partition was rubber flaps rather than solid, but that depends on the horse. Horses that do this usually travel fine in the lorry, it seems to be related to the particular feel of the side of the trailer on their side making them sort of throw themselves at the side and scrabble with their feet.

Hopefully it was just a one off with your friends horse, but if not try taking out the partition or tying the back half of the partition over to one side and see if that helps.
 
Travel without a partition, if it is the problem it works like magic.

Horses never lean on the partition, they are purely there to separate them It you take out the partition then they can find the best way to balance themselves, such as wide legs and standing at an angle.

Ideally you need a single breast and breach bar but if you just take out the back half of the partition you can see if it helps.

Unfortunately lots of horses have to have the whole trailer to themselves, bl***dy annoying but there it is.
 
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