How to handle a bad traveller.

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Looking for some advice re loading travelling issues. I have a 6yo mare who is a terrible traveller. When I first bought her she travelled fine. She also was fine for the next few times we boxed her. Then out of the blue last summer, we went to take her to a show, and out of nowhere she went ballistic on the box! It was our friends trailer so we got her straight off.
We moved yards this weekend and so had to box her to the new place. She loaded fine enough but once the ramp went up = total hysterics. She basically tries to throw herself on the floor. We calmed her down and decided to try moving off to see what happened. She was ok. Didnt do anything thr whole journey. She was soaking with sweat when we got her off but thankfully she was ok.
So my question is how do you make a bad traveller into a good traveller? Has anyone managed this?
 

Shay

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You can do it - but it takes time. Basically like an de-sensitisation. Feed her on the lorry / trailer every day. After a few days put the ramp / back bar up for a bit then take it down. A few more days, try starting the engine (lorry) or moving slightly (trailer) and so on. Keep the distances so small to begin with that you can walk back. Then do a circle route etc. Depending on how bad she is it may take months of daily work. This isn't going to be something you can crack without access to your own transport for quite a while.

Also - figure out if you can which way she likes to travel in case that is an issue for her. Most horses don't mind (although research shows cortisol levels are lowest rear facing) but some really do and can only travel herringbone or side on.
 

iknowmyvalue

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It depends what her issue is. Is there a chance she's feeling too restricted/like she can't spread her legs out to balance? It's possible that she had some kind of incident that you didn't notice that triggered it. My boy and another friends horse had this same issue start apparently out of nowhere, mine was fine until you started moving and then tried to throw himself on the floor, friends sounds more like yours and went absolutely ballistic the minute the ramp went up (and eventually refused to go anywhere near the trailer at all). You could travel mine just about safely if you went really slowly and carefully, but he'd always arrive dripping in sweat and often pulled off boots/shoes etc. (friends was just not safe at all). Both of them instantly became model citizens to travel (and load) the minute the partition was taken out of the trailer, now travel perfectly and wouldn't know that they were there. No more crashing, sweating up or shredded boots! Disadvantage is that you can only travel one horse in a 2 horse trailer, but that's a small price to pay for a happy and safe horse!
 

Identityincrisis

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I had a terrible time with my boy. I tried for 2 1/2 years to load him, could barely get him on never mind contemplate putting the ramp up-he would freak if anything walked behind the trailer while he was there- anyway, i ended up getting Richard Maxwell out who cured the loading which was amazing, I thought all my problems were solved, until a couple of weeks later after I'd been practicing my loading we attempted a short journey. He freaked out, he got UNDER the breast bar, bend it up into a V which pinned him, pulled the side if the trailer in which broke the side. Basically I didn't think i was getting him out alive!

I was ready to give up at that point but a friend persuaded me to give it one last shot with him sedated, we drove 300yards and he was fine so un-loaded him (i cried lots!) we repeated that a couple of times, then built up to a little further, still sedated. I think i must have travelled him 10 times of varying lengths with slightly lighter sedation each time before i did the first un-sedated journey and that was very short , again I built it up gradually and now he is fine (and I'm getting better 😂)

So it is possible but it takes time
 

mustardsmum

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Our pony went from being great in the box, to suddenly falling over on corners, kicking out if I slowed down and finally refusing to go in the trailer at all. From a pony that self loaded, he would rear at the end of the ramp and do anything to not load. Got the trailer checked, and discovered it had no brakes. The car was basically stopping the trailer - so would have been a pretty rough ride, and we live in a hilly area. New brakes and a bit of intensive trailer training, lots of gentle short trips and he now trusts the trailer again. If you are using a trailer - get it checked just in case. Oh, and unless you have documentation to say the brakes are ok when you buy a trailer, get it serviced when you have bought it, my trailer was apparently regularly serviced.... and I like a fool believed them. My mechanic said the trailer showed no signs of having been serviced in years ☹️ Hope you can get your pony sorted too - but suddenly stopping travelling well might be your pony trying to tell you the trailer isn't right.
 

irishdraft

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My mare did this after travelling weekly for several years . Took out the partition and she's fine . It's generally remedied by doing this if using a trailer.
 

joosie

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Could you borrow a camera to put in the trailer, take her for a short trip and then you can see what she does. You might have an idea of her issue then (struggling to balance etc) and can proceed from there.
 

Xanthoria

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Mine became a bad traveler when he outgrew his Brenderup, so I had to get him an EquiTrek Show Treka L...

Other things I have done that have helped:

1. Shatterproof mirror in the trailer for him to see another horse. Yeah, another horse that's wigging out? Um, maybe it helps...
2. Feed him loads of Extra Delicious feeds on the trailer! For a while it was every day, now it's 1-2x a week. On he goes, eat the food until he calms, then comes off. Does not come off if pawing.
3. Clicker training. On and off the trailer. One step at a time.
4. Loads of shavings seems to help this guy
5. First ride anywhere: 1cc Acepromazine. Better living thru chemistry.
6. Several short rides (2 miles to a place we can ride home from) with Scary Mare - she will try to bite him, so he stands really quiet and still over to his side. When she gets off he is so relieved he starts eating. Then he stays on and eats for a while. Trailer becomes nice place!
7. Next will be either a 1 hour ride, stop, don't get off, then come home, or if I am feeling v brave, trailer out for a lesson.

Note that since I got the new trailer, hopping on has never been a problem - he's just wanted to get right back off ASAP and pawed and sweated and moved around a lot.

I will say tho that you need the horse to calm itself ON the trailer before you get her off. That might mean she goes on a trailer ride until she quiets down, or stands tied in the trailer till she calms down. Otherwise, all she learns is that when she's scared someone comes running to get her off the trailer. Eventually she will start to calm - but she will be relying on you to be calm and reassuring too which isn't always easy!

I have found that if I hang out with the horse tied, bars up, but ramp down, and someone else there to chat with ME so we're ignoring him, eventually he starts eating the delicious food and calming himself. It's all about patience and repetition. Bring a snack and a beverage for you too.
 

MagicMelon

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If she's trying to chuck herself on the floor - take out the partition. Honestly, it could be an instant fix. Ive had 2 horses who began doing this; both were very good travellers before. I dont know why the first one started doing it but he'd begin leaning on the partition and seemingly start scrabbling up the sides with his legs as if he couldnt balance - it slowly got worse from just the odd scrabble about sound in the back when travelling, until he actually did start falling to the floor and would begin doing it the second the ramp was closed and we werent even moving. I took the partition out totally (with a full length breast bar) and he was instantly happy. I then got a different trailer and just took out the back half of the parition instead and he travelled beautifully with that too. He simply wanted to spread his back legs out a bit more. The second horse travelled great for years (competing most weekends etc.) then one day he began doing the same, the trailer had just been in for servicing and we worked out theyd filled the tyres with too much air so I guess the ride was bouncier than usual :( We obviously sorted that straight away but it was too late, he continued to do it so I just did the same thing - removed the back half of the partition and he was absolutely fine then on.

So I would definately suggest trying this before anything else. And checking your tyre pressures! Ive heard of lots of horses sorted by doing this simple thing!
 
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