Horses who are poor travellers?

[{97702}]

Took my TB out to a competition this morning using the 7.5T lorry I am lucky enough to be loaning. He has traveled in the lorry 3 times before, but only with other horses with him. He has traveled quite a lot (10-15 journeys?) since I got him in May in a 3.5T lorry on his own without a problem.

Today I arrived at the venue to find that he was soaked in sweat from head to foot - he hadn't made much (if any noise) when travelling, and had loaded fine. He wouldn't settle at all at the venue and did two appalling dressage tests as he was incredibly tense and silly - I did wonder if he would load OK to come home, but after a little resistance (about 1 minute) he walked onto the lorry. I left him on there with a haynet while I got my test sheets, ramp down but partitions and back gates closed, and he was fine. Set off to go home and as I stopped to open the gate of the venue he started kicking the inside of the lorry. He stopped as we got going and drove down the road, and seemed pretty settled on the journey home (no neighing, kicking, stamping, noisy fidgeting etc). But when I got back to the yard he was drenched in sweat again, literally dripping.

Any tips to help him settle? I don't know if he has had a bad experience in a 7.5T lorry, or whether he thinks it means he is going racing again. I do remember the person who sold him to me saying that the previous owners had had Richard Maxwell out to sort his loading problems.

I might be able to borrow a little pony to travel with him, would that help? Is there anything else I could try? Obviously I was making a huge effort to go very slowly, take corners gently, avoid potholes etc so he had a smooth journey.

 

[foraday]

There is no AIR FLOW in the 7.5t!

Kicking just to say hurry up mum is not really anything to get worried about.

You need a lot of movement of air and the only way this can be done is to travel 45mph to 55mph.

The fact he loaded perfectly and travelled well apart from being TOO HOT

It is very very warm at the moment and people expect their horses to have rugs on (even not clipped) and I look at them and say they will cook!!!

Don't think there is a real problem apart from no air

 

[{97702}]

The windows were all open? And he didn't have a rug on? Some lanes were too narrow/twisty to travel at that speed on, but on the main roads that was the speed I was going - he was absolutely wired at the venue (granted it was one he hasn't been to before) which indicates to me it was more than being too hot?

 

[Pie's mum]

Pie sweats like a pig in a 7.5t, rubs his tail and comes off very wild eyed and worries. However in my old ifor 3.5t lorry (which on paper he shouldn't have travelled well in if you see what people on here have to say about them!!) he was cool as a cucumber. I put it down to him not feeling as balanced sideways.
I've just got him a new Renault master - just hope he travels ok backwards!

 

[{97702}]

Hmmm that's interesting - thanks I'm now even more confused - he certainly didn't sweat up like that when he traveled on the lorry with others? Horses, who'd have 'em

 

[rara007]

Does it have any roof vents or a roof fan? Not that you can change someone else's lorry but that's something to look out for.

 

[canteron]

Can you try giving him MUCH more room - if they are finding it difficult to balance for any reason, they like to find the angle that suits them best and then spread their back legs out. My horse started travelling badly and it was only when someone on HHO suggested trying without a partition that I managed to find a safe way to travel.

May not work but hopefully will be a relatively easy thing for you to try and if it is a balance issue it will be like magic!

(PS Horses don't lean on things, the partition are only there to separate the horses!).

 

[Louby]

I watched my new horse travel on the camera in the cab. Kind of wish I hadnt! He was fine when we stopped at traffic lights but was leaning badly on the partitions when we were on the move, almost like he was struggling to balance. He was moved by a transporter as my wagon was off the road at the time and his driving was faultless. My boy was however calm and dry when we arrived. Its made me feel a bit nervous about travelling him myself. May sound daft to some I know but transporting horses isnt something I enjoy. Its something I do because I have to, to be able to compete which is something I want to do. These were 7.5t and if he was a bit smaller I think Id serious consider trying a 3.5t. The only thing I would have done differently is give him more room like canteron suggested. The transporters wagon was set up with quite narrow stalls whereas my wagon is a 3 horse but I divide it into 2 stalls. Im hoping to go to our first comp in November so we shall see how he goes. Fingers crossed.

 

[Tern]

However in my old ifor 3.5t lorry (which on paper he shouldn't have travelled well in if you see what people on here have to say about them!!)

Same as my horses - they travel perfectly in these.. and there are only three small windows in these plus 4 roof vents. (But they get a lot of bad press and are actually fantastic lorries if you put them on a longer wheel base if you have larger horses)

Anyhow. I would make sure he has enough room for his head. My gelding used to travel sweet and quietly as anything in a trailer but came out dripping with sweat. He was marginally better with other horses but never did it in a 3.5tn or a 7.5tn - I think some horses just have preferences!

 

[{97702}]

Thanks all, some really useful feedback there! He has loads of headroom in the lorry, it was about 7 degrees this morning when I set out so I am struggling (probably wrongly!) to see how he over-heated on the way there? Anyhow if everyone is saying similar, I shall shut up and ignore what I think is unlikely - I shall think ventilation and more space! Thanks again, I have the lorry on loan for 9 months and will be going out every weekend pretty much, so I would really like him to travel well in it

 

[Pie's mum]

Are you able to move the partitions around to give him a bit more space or let him travel herringbone instead of side on?
Just wondering if he is struggling to balance so shifting his weight around a lot - that's what Pie does - and hence getting himself wound up and hot? When travelled with my friends horse, friend's horse would be bone dry, mine stinking and dripping so not necessarily the ventilation (but not saying that's NOT the issue!!).

 

[be positive]

He may be better with more space, he may be more relaxed with company, a mirror may help if it is being alone that worries him, if you don't normally put any bedding in try giving him some, I had one that just required a little bedding to stand on, if he had none despite the floor having a good antislip covering he just fussed and fidgeted , does he have a net to travel with? if not try giving him one.

I have found most horses travel well in a 7.5 ton even those that are bad in trailers but it sometimes takes a couple of journeys tweaking the arrangements to find what suits each one best, also look at what you put on his legs, not all horses like boots, some are best bandaged or with exercise boots on rather than full travel boots, I don't really like going with nothing on to protect them but there are plenty that do and the horses are fine.

 

[ester]

So Frank is a good traveller, occasionally impatient but mostly quiet. When he travels in a friends 3.5, backwards with no breast bar just full wall with haynets and a camera handily he doesn't look to move at all, eats haynets, comes off very sweaty. There isn't a lot of ventilation in the right places IMO and he must actually be using his muscles quite a lot to balance. He has also been the same if he has a lot of space in a 7.5t. He is fine in a trailer, and a 3.5t backwards with breastbar.

 

[OLDGREYMARE]

I used to have a bad traveller like yours,I spoke to a professional horse transporter who suggested travelling her loose with no partitions! It worked a treat ,she wedged her bottom in one corner and travelled very sweetly.