How far would you travel with a trailer?

islandspirit

islandspirit

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As title really, I have a competition coming up that's a good 4 and a half hour drive. All the horsebox hire companies close by (all 2 of them) are booked up and I can't afford a 3.5 tonne box to buy which is what I would need for access to the yard and from a storage space point of view. My boy is not small or lightweight:) 17.2 and weighing in at 760kgs and ulcer prone. Would you tow this far? My gut tells me it's just too long a journey in a trailer. Even if he can cope, I'm not sure I can:)
 
I wouldn't do it but I am not keen in going far with trailers 1 & 1/2 hours in a trailer is my limit and after that I would hire a lorry x
 
I wouldn't do it with a trailer maybe a friend could help you or if you have family with horses. Trailers can be tricky on a short journey I wouldn't advise a long tiering one.
 
We've regularly gone around 3hrs in the trailer. It's all I've got and my horses are used to it.

Dad and I share the driving
 
I've towed this far with a trailer, but not for a competition (did Cheshire to Devon for a horsey holiday). We stopped off at a Services at the half way point, and whilst we didn't unload him, we gave him a drink, topped up his hay and allowed him to stretch out to wee.

Is staying away for at least a couple of nights an option? I certainly wouldn't do the round trip in a day.
 
We've travelled up to 8-9 hours in a trailer with no issues. Would always stop and offer water a few times and they always get a good half hour walk when we arrive wherever it is we are going.

Last year Billy (17h) was in trailer for 7 hours which also included 2 hours on ferry. If they normally travel well then would have no issues travelling them that far :)

However we do always arrive a day or 2 before we have to compete, but that's more in case the ferry causes problems.

I wouldnt worry about doing 4 and half hours in a trailer in one go, some events here are 6 hours away! :)
 
I would travel that distance in a box or a trailer to me they are pretty much the same. Horse will be fine just make a stop half way or more whatever you can cope with. Get on with it horse won't bother 😊
 
I have done a couple of 7/8 hour trips in my trailer with big young horses they travelled no problem at all. In fact my heavyweight I used to travel with no partition so he actually had more room in the 510 than he does in a horsebox. He went nearly 400 miles and walked off cool as a cucumber
 
I used to drive to the other end of the country do a BE and drive home again never gave it a second thought just went where I needed to go .
 
I have travelled this far for a competition with a trailer, by myself - the thing is there is no point doing it if you are all worried - you will be frazzled by the time you get there! Also i would only do it with a horse that is a good traveller.
 
I've done 10/12 hrs the last few years to RC champs. Plenty breaks and a day off before competing.
To compete the same day the furthest I would go is 3/4 hrs.
 
I have done 5 hours several times. Both my horses are excellent travellers though.

I think that some trailers have more room for the horses than horseboxes anyway - some of them are very cramped particularly when there are tack lockers on the side.
 
I assume you travel with partition out with his size? if not take it out & leave him without a front breast bar & just cross tie loosely. This way they can keep their balance better etc & have more room to move about :)
 
kassieg said:
I assume you travel with partition out with his size? if not take it out & leave him without a front breast bar & just cross tie loosely. This way they can keep their balance better etc & have more room to move about :)
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Agree with travelling without a partition, but should always have a full width breast bar in. The nose of a trailer isn't designed to stop 3/4 tonne of horse ending up in the car boot!
 
Where I live It's really common to travel that distance and more in a trailer, either straight load or angle load. Four hours would be fine to travel without taking the horse off for a leg stretch. On average it's a good 2 hours to get to decent comps for me, four can go really quickly with good music and munchies! I do give a haynet on longer trips :)
 
I've done 7 hours with a trailer from Doncaster to Hickstead just with 2 stops to offer water. That was with an extremely good traveller though. Our current one does get a little restless (although she's better on motorways) & is also ulcer prone so I think I'd do a stop half way & offer water & a small chaff feed. It wouldn't put me off going although I think I'd rather go the night before if possible so not travelling & competing on the same day x
 
In a trailer, the head and neck, and body, are straight, not twisted slightly as can happen in some herringbone lorries. Also, if correctly tied, the horse can lower his head and neck to a certain extent, and stretch them out, also not usually possible in lorries.
Trailers also often have better air flow than small lorries, unless they have roof top ventilator.
The down side of trailers is that they are more affected by wind. Also, on motorways you could get hgv's sitting on the ramp, making the horse nervous, so I would consider shutting the rear top door on the side the horse is on, whilst on the motorway.

Having said all that, the furthest I have travelled mine to a competition in a trailer was 2 1/2 hours, an hour of that on twisty A roads, and I made sure she came off the trailer the second we arrived. She was fine! :) She had eaten about half a net of soaked hay on the way. I walked her around for about 15 mins letting her pick grass occasionally, so she could stretch, get her head down and clear any build up in her airways.
I would never travel them without hay, for fear of triggering ulcers.
 
He'll be fine, just make sure he is well hydrated and had a good fibre based feed before you leave. If a good loader stop half way for a pick of grass and a walk around.

We regularly tow for that length of time or more in NZ.

I like to put a deep layer of straw in the float for long journeys, soaks up the pee and dung as wet rubber flooring can be quite slippery.

Take tour own water with you or get him used to drinking water with some electrolytes and molasses in it.
 
kassieg said:
I assume you travel with partition out with his size? if not take it out & leave him without a front breast bar & just cross tie loosely. This way they can keep their balance better etc & have more room to move about :)
Click to expand...

Removing the breast bar in a trailer is very dangerous as you affect the weight bearing area. When the horse steps forward it transfers weight over to the tow bar and can cause the front end of the towing vehicle to lift.

ALWAYS leave the breast bar in.
 
Thank you all so much for the replies. Some say no, some say yes:) I'm guessing it's down to the horse and how confident you are at towing in the end. Horse is a great loader and tows well but the longest I've towed is two and a half hours so I'm quite nervous. I normally travel with the partition in, how do you know if your horse would prefer more space and take it out? I'm happy to buy full width breach bars if it will make him more comfortable. I'm travelling up the day before the compitition and will put him on gastro guard again a few days before and he always has hay. We don't have straw at the yard so I'd have a choice of wood pellets or shavings to put down.
 
we used to travel back from germany, through france and on the ferry with no ill effects - obviously hay and water was topped up and if there was a safe place for a leg stretch then we did.

For competing somewhere 4.5 hours away I would look into an overnight stable (wether travelling by lorry or trailer) for your own good really as well as the horses - its a mighty long day getting ready, driving, competing and coming back again and sorting everything out all in one. We quite enjoy overnight trips to shows now especially as it becomes a social event :) heaps more time for horses and humans to relax and enjoy it.

If your horse is happy, loads and travels well with the set up you have now with the partition etc I would be reluctant to change it tbh......

good luck and have fun!
 
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I've travelled twice down to South of England with a trailer - 10 hours each way. A lorry is preferable but if your horse is used to a trailer I dont think its a big problem. I often used to travel 3.5 hours to BE events. Make sure you stop half way to give the horse a drink and as long as it has hay hopefully the ulcers will be ok. You could also try giving him some wet speedibeet during your stop which hydrates them well if they dont drink much. With mine, I'd remove the back 1/2 partition as I find mine like to stand slightly side on or spread their hind legs out.

Only once have I travelled any of mine in a lorry - a 10 hour trip to the RC champs and that was the one time the horse developed colic...
 
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what is so different between traveling a horse in a trailer/ or a lorry ? am i being thick ? we travel our horses everywhere up to 3 hours away for competitions and they are always fine, in a trailer, get them out for a leg stretch as soon as we get their.
 
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