Horses collapsing while travelling?

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bitlessbill

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I have owned my horsebox for 18 months and have travelled my horse most weekends quite happily without any problems. It is a two horse, forward facing with side ramp, Iveco Daily. Mine usually travels on the ramp/near side being the smallest and it is a cosy fit. Last weekend after a wet, one day event, he started to collapse about a mile into the journey, like his back legs just couldn't hold him up. We stopped, took him off very hot and sweaty, seemed fine at the side of the road. Took his sweat rug off thinking he must be overheated and had no choice but to reload as at the side of the A1. Set off again and was worse, his legs giving way and he was trance like, roundabouts and bends were the worst, somehow managed to get him 5 miles to an emergency vet where he stayed overnight. All fine next day, collected him and drove 30 miles home right as rain. The vet took bloods for Azoturia but came back negative so said it was just mild colic.

Today took my daughters pony to a sponsered ride, on the way home the exact same thing happened when we went round the first roundabout. Luckily we were nearer home this time but ended up unloading her and walking her the last mile home as she just could not keep up on her legs.

So common factors were the tighter side of the box, the rain and the weatherbeeta wick/dry fleece/mesh cooler rug.

Has anyone any experienced this type of thing or any ideas or suggestions?
 
Seen a few cases of travel tetany , can be caused by stress, if not treated its fatal, its easy to treat not so easy to recognise. We always carried calcium with us when we travelled just in case
 
A lot of people experience problems travelling forward in a trailer, sometimes after years of no problems. Its almost always cured by removing the centre partition and giving them more room to spread there legs. It may be worth a try travelling him on his own without the centre partition. They seem to go on the diagonal and lots are much happier, including mine!!
Good luck, I hope you get it sorted
 
Thank you.....

Tetany - I shall google that.

I do have two partitiitions so can take one out which will give another two foot side space, will definitely try this.

Floors ok, rubber nobbly stuff so not slippery.
 
Two different horses with the same problem,sounds like the common factor is the box.Even the knobbly rubber surface can become slipery ,and the weather has been very wet.
 
Sorry just re read this after mike007 reply, I didnt realise 2 different horses are having the same problem. Im certainly no horsebox expert but I think Id be checking the floor, mats as mike said, suspension etc etc???
Seems really odd that suddenly both horses arent happy.
 
A lady on our yard has this with her horse. If the partitions on her box are too close he panics shakes and collapses. She has to travel him with quite wide partitions.
 
G and I were discussing this earlier and I thought maybe it was something like a suspension problem.

You've travelled Bill when it's been very wet before without issues haven't you? Are the mats particularly worn on that side I can't remember...
 
My friend travelled on that side the rest of the way home to test the slipperyness and said it wasn't. I think maybe it's the rug overheating them in such a small space?
All the windows were open though.
 
I'm taking the box up to the workshop in the week to get everything looked at and get the partition out. If it was suspension It would happen in both directions, not just coming home?
 
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