Horse slipping in the trailer?

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rforsyth1984

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My horse usually travels really well, but the last few journeys he's come out of the trailer with destroyed back leg pads (the long shaped ones with bandages over the top) and then broke the velcro on a new travel boot.

No harm done (2 tiny grazes but nothing otherwise), wasn't stressed or particularly sweaty so put it down to the new legwear (used to use leg wraps and bandages but was worried they didnt cover below the fetlock or over the knee/hock).

Last night we loaded them up after a ride on the beach and my horse was pratting about in the trailer - looked over the top of the ramp and he was slipping on his left hind, and near enough falling over into the partition. We had cleaned out the poo but they were both 'loose' and the floor was a bit wet. I threw a load of sand down to try to reduce the slipping, but it was clear he was struggling in the trailer even though I was driving extra slow and careful. And because he was worrying, he poo'd more on the way home!

When we got back to the yard, he was literally dripping in sweat and the floor was soaked. Again no major injuries (a small graze through the eskadron bandages I'd put on because he'd broke the travel boot going there) and he wasnt distressed (eating when we opened the ramp) but clearly he'd been slipping everywhere and had a difficult journey. Luckilly the other horse had stayed very calm and I think that helped.

I dont really understand why it was just my horse slipping and not the other one, and why this has suddenly started happening?

Its an old model 505, with a flat rubber floor (not ridged), so should I be putting shavings down?
 
Shavings and perhaps try him on the other side if you are travelling two and see if he does it then.

Maybe take the partition out altogether if he is travelling alone?
 
My first horse did this and Mum and Dad used to follow me in the car behind and watch me tow for the first few times I had my trailer. Mine was only a couple of years old when I bought it many years ago, and it had a wooden floor. When the condensation in the winter used to drip onto the floor from the roof the floor was very slippy as it used to freeze. ONe day the horse went down in it. Mum and Dad had seen his bum dissapear from view under the tailgate of the trailer and we'd took him out the following day and literally crawled round the trading estate at 5mph (on a Sunday) and he had gone down with me in the trailer with him (stupid I know but I needed to see what was happening). To fix the problem Dad firstly moved the breast bar forward to give the horse more room, then put bubble type rubber matting on the floor, then altered the partition at the back so it was 3/4 to 1/4, ie the horse had 3/4 of the trailer space (with my vehicle I could only ever tow one horse anyway due to weight constraints). This really helped. There is nothing worse than feeling/watching your horse struggling to keep his balance and it broke my heart to realise Biggles must have been struggling for a few weeks before we noticed any significant movement. You must replace your mats with new mats that are not flat but have grooves/bubbles, etc so that the horse can grip, or you must put down shavings or maybe throw some sand down on the floor to give grip. You should try the horse with more room, maybe take out the partition and get a full length breast bar but you should not travel the horse without a breast bar at all. You need to sort this out before he travels again as it is not fair on him and you will totally destroy his confidence and he won't load at all. Good luck. PS Sorry about all the musts and shoulds in my reply but this is really important x
 
Thanks - its not actually my tailer so can't do anything about the matting yet, but maybe my friend would let me pay for new matting to be put down when I get some spare cash? Any idesas how much this would cost?

The floor has been checked and is completely sound, so it's definately just the matting.

I don't travel him alone as he gets stressy, so can't move the partition but will try with shavings down. Can anyone recommend any particular shavings or just standard ones (i.e. would megasorb or similar be better?)
 
Problem YO hasa with here youngster is he tries to cross his legs & lean on something (think casual cool dude!) but then cannot balance.
we discovered what was happening when we arrived somewhere to find his mum down on the floor covered in bits of broken partition & him stradling her (luckily for us all they both waited for us to get them out.
we set off home with one of us in back (i know naughty but needed to see what was going on) & spent entire journey (only 4 miles) telling him to stand up & get off his mother!, he is 15.3 & she is 13.1.
endded up getting her off & hacking her home with a driving bridle on & no sadddle.
they now have a solid steel partition for him as he WILL NOT stop leaning & then slipping over good luck with it.
 
I had same problem with my mare - used to travel fine then after one outing she was falling about everywhere - the matting had moved - apparently IW sent us out a couple of U-shaped bolt things to lock the matting to the floor as they had a design flaw(floor wet mats move) unfotunately my husband forgot to tell me! Anyhow poor thing was then a nightmare to travel always falling over on drivers side - from then on I travelled her on the opposite side or without partitions and she was OK!
 
Straw is the best for trailer floors. Old clean straw is best as it packs better. I use a whole bale in my trailer, shaken up really well then packed down by banging with the pitch fork.
It's really easy to clean out - simply throw the clean straw up front, remove th edirty straw and sometimes all you need is to sweep out rather than hose.

Wet rubber matting has very little grip and is the cause of many horses scrabbling in a trailer.
 
My mare was a fantastic in a lorry so we tried her in a trailer, the first two time she was excellent. Then on the third trip she just totally lost her balance but was not bothered by it, we stopped the trailer unloaded and reloaded her with no problems on the otherside. Again alot of banging and slipping resulting in the middle partition coming down !! So we gave up with the trailer idea, the next time we put her in the lorry again she crashed around seeming unable to get her balance. We removed her back boots and just continued on a rather noisey trip !! It took about 3 trips with no back boots and with her in the middle of the lorry squashed in. She is now back to travelling fine, it was as if she forgot for a while how to stand up. I am hoping to try her in a trailer again maybe a single trailer or a double with the partition moved.
 
Ive recently had the balancing problem - horse falling into the centre partition - IW. Have now bought an Equitrek and have been playing all week. Have had one run out with not one kick or bang.. really pleased.
 
Ive had a horse who did this and know of several others also, travelled fine for years and then suddenly start doing this - the only thing that solved it was to remove the parition completely OR remove just the back section of partition (if you can). My horse never had an issue again, and I could still travel another horse beside him (he never fell on him).

Only other thing I can think of is to ask the people who you borrowed trailer from if they've checked their tyre pressures or had their tyres replaced recently? We had ours at the garage a while ago, my current horse started leaning and almost falling over - turns out the garage had put on the totally wrong thickness of tyre!! AND theyd blown them up too much! So trailer was bouncing too much. We sorted it and horse now happy again.
 
Take the partition out. Horses balance by spreading their legs not by leaning on the partition. I never use one and give my Horse the whole trailer. He stands diagonally. One thing, always use a full length breech and breast bar (no-one ever mentions the breech bar but the ramp is not designed to take weight so you should use one). I never hear a peep from him and he loves travelling to parties!! Shavings or straw is a good idea. I use a thin layer of easybed in mine.
 
I use the breast and breech bar, but can't take the partition out as we travel 2 horses in the trailer.

Thought about easibed but didnt think it would absorb the wet quick enough to stop the floor getting slippy? Going to try him on a short journey this weekend with shavings down anyway, so fingers crossed!

Thanks for all advice everyone:)
 
Get rid of the rubber - lethal when wet. I have a strut bolted through the floor which goes right accross the back of the trailer about 2feet forward from the back ramp. It is a good strong piece of hardwood about 2" x 2". Cant understand why manufacturers do not do this. They put struts on lorry ramps to stop horses slipping so why not on trailer floors. Stops horses back feet slipping forward and them sitting down!
 
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