Horse getting his feet over the breast bar when travelling

[gill84]

Our rescue horse is a nightmare to travel! The second you stop you can feel him up to something. Doesn't matter how tight you tie him, cross tie him whatever, he is absolutely determined he's getting his front feet over!! Anyone else had a similar experience? Or ideas on what to do? He used to do it in his stable too til we gave him a door he can just get his head over and he's calm enough travelling so not sure why he does it or how to stop it. The bar is on the highest notch and he's tied up front and side so how he does it I don't know. Wouldn't dare travel with him or stick another horse in with him for safety sake.

 

[POLLDARK]

This may sound wacky but is there any way of fixing something like an anti weave panel (for stabledoors) in the trailer from & above the breast bar. That would stop him. Or some similar idea.

 

[tallyho!]

Do you have a trailer? Only you don't mention it but I'm guessing at the mention of breast bar you have...

I would travel him loose. I know many who do this and I took to doing this after an accident in my trailer and have not looked back. Saying this, I do use a full length breast bar without partitions in an HB505.

Instead of a breast bar (to stop him flying into front) try one of those rubber-covered stable chains?

Either that or tie him to the floor!!!

 

[POLLDARK]

I thought it was illegal to travel a horse in a trailer without a breastbar. Could be wrong though, someone out there will know.

 

[gill84]

Did wonder about something like an anti weave grill but knowing our luck he would get his feet in the gap where his neck should be. Could almost do with a perpex sheet so he can see but can't get on top of the bar.
And yes it's the bigger hunter trailer and we've never tried him without the partition for fear of him havin even more room to jump about but having said that maybe its the being partitioned in that he doesn't like. When we picked him up he managed to get either over or under one breast bar then over or under the other!! He was then on the opposite side travelling backwards?! Snapped both lead ropes and cut his lip. We want to do more with him but daren't travel too far

 

[gill84]

Think we need a giant puppy cage for inside the trailer lol

 

[tallyho!]

I thought it was illegal to travel a horse in a trailer without a breastbar. Could be wrong though, someone out there will know.

I honestly don't think there are legal rules but it is considered safer to travel with breach, breast and partitions.

If you search on here, lots of discussions over the years....

Foals travel loose until they are big enough to fit a bb (or else it would be neck height, enough to do damage) and will find their own way, sometimes backwards, sometimes laid down.

OP, I have a feeling that the reason your horse is doing this is because he can't balance for whatever reason. If you do travel him without partitions and try full-length bb, at least he can spread out and find his own centre of gravity whilst moving. Some horses travel well, some don't but I would say this be your first trial if you try anything.

 

[be positive]

I have a pony thay did this the first time in a trailer, he travelled home cross tied with a haylage net also tied both sides right in front of him, it may not be conventional but it worked. The net was tied to thin strings and he could not get his feet in the holes, but didnt seem to try getting over again.

 

[Clippy]

I have a feeling that the reason your horse is doing this is because he can't balance for whatever reason. If you do travel him without partitions and try full-length bb, at least he can spread out and find his own centre of gravity whilst moving. Some horses travel well, some don't but I would say this be your first trial if you try anything.

^^^ I think that's very good advice. TBH, i'd be inclined to take him on a short trip with the trailer empty and tie him up fairly short to see how he behaves. I use my trailer with the full width bars more than with the partitions anyway because the horse I travel most likes plenty of room.

Don't forget, have your allen key handy as in an emergency, the bar can be undone from the outside of an IW trailer. I'm one who believes in sods law, so always have it on my dash board, that way i'll never need it!

 

[gill84]

We'll have to try without the partition I think. My mare travels without it coz she won't go past the central pole after some idiot who previously had her tacked her up in the trailer and she got her saddle caught on the partition and freaked out. It just confuses us how he gets the thrust to do it when he's tied up tightly?! He's never done whilst moving apart from when we got him, it's when we get places or get home, he just wants out!! Maybe it's a deep seated mental thing from when he was rescued or maybe he just needs some manners lol

 

[canteron]

I would definitely take the breast bar out, but I also think you need to make just standing on a stationary trailer part of his life. I had similar experience when I dropped a friends horse off and my horse wanted to go with it.

So maybe work on trailer confidence. Maybe get the horse a little bit hungry and then pop him on with a delicious haylage net for one minute - then two minutes, etc. ie build up his trailer confidence and manners? Ie if you think there is an element of panic in his behaviour, set up the situation in controlled circumstances and teach him how to deal with it?

 

[appylass]

One of the international transporters has a tie ring bolted to the lorry floor. A lead rope is attached to this and then to a neckstrap which goes on the horse as normal. I thought this was a really simple idea that works for them, they told me that once a horse has tried to go up they stop trying after feeling the neckstrap on their neck. I wondered how safe it would be but have to bow to their experience as they travel hundreds of horses this way and have a fantastic reputation.

 

[Inca2]

Travelling without a breast bar is highly dangerous, if you brake suddenly there is nothing to prevent the horse being catapulted against the front of the trailer. Although there may not be a law specifically forbidding the removal of the breast bar for travelling, it is covered by the one that refers to the manner in which a load is carried ie. dangerous/unsafe load.
If you tie one rope from the halter straight to the tie ring and another rope from the halter under the breast bar and up to the tie ring, the horse should not be able to lift its front end high enough to get its feet over the breast bar.

 

[rockysmum]

Try a rear facing trailer. Some horses want to travel backwards. I know its not really recommended but my 510 is actually big enough to do this, with a few alterations to the partitions.

Any had the thought as he did this for himself on the first occasion.

 

[gill84]

Inca2 that's sounds like an idea wrapping a rope round the breast bar or as earlier suggested a rope from the floor and a neck strap. If he can't get his up to get his legs up then surely that would solve it. Or would it panic him. Suppose I'd just have to try

 

[taraj]

New year 1st post! We had this trouble with my horse when we first got him, we found that shutting the rear doors on the trailer helped. The horse was climbing into the front to try and turn around so as he could see over the back ramp!.