Horse started traveling badly

[kelvinsirrel]

We got my daughters horse in October last year and he was a dream to load and travel. We did a pony club event two months ago at Chatsworth where he stood on the box longer than he has done before. When it came to the journey home he was kicking and bucking in our 3.5t lorry. Now every time we go out, he's fine on the outward journey but coming home he does the same thing. I have a camera and he doesn't look worried, doesn't sweat but just starts shuffling around, then the kicking will start. It got so bad that one journey my daughter had to sit with him, this stops the behaviour. Anyone had anything similar?

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes a few times it’s usually turned out to be the first sign of hock problems .

 

[kelvinsirrel]

I did wonder this although he had a full set of X-rays in October when we bought him

 

[Mudfukkle]

Sorry you're having these issues. This can be caused by not giving enough space in the travelling area. If you have a partition, take it out, and cross tie, let the pony spread his legs to balance as he needs to.
Do some short journeys and gain his confidence.
It can be a sign of hind leg issues, or a bad experience, but hopefully not.

 

[Fransurrey]

My horse started travelling badly like this. I wasn't sure if it was due to me no longer putting bedding in, making the floor slippy when he'd pooed. Terrible science, but I changed two variables and removed the partition AND put bedding down. He travelled like a dream again. He is very, very chilled and I think he was falling asleep on the way home (he also travelled fine on the way to a venue!).

 

[kelvinsirrel]

Sorry you're having these issues. This can be caused by not giving enough space in the travelling area. If you have a partition, take it out, and cross tie, let the pony spread his legs to balance as he needs to.
Do some short journeys and gain his confidence.
It can be a sign of hind leg issues, or a bad experience, but hopefully not.

Iv moved the partition over to give more space, bit nervous taking it out completely though as its a 3.5t not a trailer.

 

[kelvinsirrel]

My horse started travelling badly like this. I wasn't sure if it was due to me no longer putting bedding in, making the floor slippy when he'd pooed. Terrible science, but I changed two variables and removed the partition AND put bedding down. He travelled like a dream again. He is very, very chilled and I think he was falling asleep on the way home (he also travelled fine on the way to a venue!).

Hi, thanks for your reply, was this in a trailer or lorry?

 

[Fransurrey]

Hi, thanks for your reply, was this in a trailer or lorry?

In a trailer, but same principles re:slippery floor/room to spread on corners, I'd have thought. Dunno!

 

[jnb]

I travelled my cob in a 3.5, I didn't even have a partition made for it.
Can I ask why you are worried about removing it? Contrary to popular belief, the partition does not "hold the horse up", merely separates 2 horses if travelling together.
Cross tie the horse to prevent it turning around in the box, 99.99999% of horses travel better with more space to open out their base (i.e spread their legs out) and are much happier.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

Mine does the kicking / stamping thing when he poos. So I load him, wait for him to poo and remove it. He is then happier and less stompy during the journey. He also stamps when he realises we're nearly home and I've turned onto the driveway. He is a connemara and highly intelligent, vocal and opinionated...

 

[TotalMadgeness]

Oh and I find putting straw in helped too...

 

[Annagain]

You've already had some good advice. Once you've implemented all that, a few very short journeys might help him to 'reset' too. The first few times you could hack him out to a point and pick him up to come home. You could then do a 5 minute journey, ride him, pop him on the box and get going straight away for the 5 minute journey home so he doesn't have a chance to start fussing before it's over. Repeat until he's totally happy then start building it up.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Exact the same happened to me with my 14.2 gelding.. he went from self loading, to an terror to load and he would go over the breast bar while travelling and bang about a lot. Took the partition out, the same. He also sometimes felt ‘weird’ to canter, still can’t explain it and he started to knock fences which was unlike him. I noticed it in a video of us competing but all minor things. A experienced friend rode him and didn’t notice anything.

Second opinion vet (first opinion said he was taking the piss and to kick on!) and although he passed every single flexion test and lameness work up (which found it hard for both vets, meaning he would of still passed a 5*) ended up for finding chronic neck arthritis, possibly due to malformation at C6-C7 but I didn’t CT scan which would of confimed, and the start of hock arthritis. He was only 9.. sadly no longer with us.

I would definitely get a vet out to test neurologically and a work up, just to be safe.
If something changes usually something is wrong.

 

[Identityincrisis]

So, Richard maxwell says he gets numerous calls regarding this issue, the horse loads fine on the way out but is difficult/doesn't travel well on the way home. He finds a lot of horses are tight through their neck and shoulders which is exacerbated by travelling to the venue, usually doing something strenuous and then travelling home which takes a lot of effort for the horse and as they are predominantly weight bearing on their fore, this makes them sore and uncomfortable and they begin to anticipate that.

RM does his own version of Masterson Method on these horses necks and shoulders to help release tension.

I had my mam (non horsey) travelling with me the other day, my horse was falling asleep travelling to the venue but was very stompy and snorty on the way home. I mentioned the difference to my mam, who said that i often say that, and that's when i remembered what RM said, so i dusted off my Masterson Method book and did some poll/neck/shoulder releases and a couple of days later he travelled home quietly! Now, i haven't travelled again (1 week ago) so I'm still unsure if it was coincidence, but it definitely makes sense..... and he's an Arab so is naturally predisposed to a tight giraffe neck although we do work on this ?