Ifor Williams travelling woes and help with other trailers

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IsabelleJ

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My horse has been getting worse and worse when travelling in my HB510 (two years old, recently serviced) and has been really having difficulty keeping his balance. He's never particularly liked it, and has always kicked a lot en route, but things have got really bad.
Today he kicked and scrabbled most of the way. As we got to our destination, he started scrabbling about and making an awful racket (apparently upsetting horses on the yard - everyone heard us coming!) We got him off, and he'd obviously stepped on a shoe, moved it and the side clip had moved so it was sticking into his hoof. He was obviously reluctant to stand on the foot, but we thought we could transport him home to take the shoe off.
Unfortunately, the shoe was raised and obviously causing him pain, and he could not balance at all. He was leaning at a 45 degree angle on the partition. Two of us managed to calm him and get him standing straight before getting him off the trailer, and we waited until the emergency farrier arrived (my hero - he was heading home on a Friday evening!) We managed to get him to load, and travelled home very slowly with someone following us.
Basically, he has been getting worse, and I have read about horses having problems balancing in the Ifors. I am now petrified of putting him back in it (don't think I have ever been so scared in my life as this afternoon!) and looking for alternatives. I know that some people have success travelling them without the partition after this kind of experience, but I am a big chicken and need people to go to competitions with me.
I have a Mercedes ML, so can tow the full 3.5 tonnes, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for other trailers? Would I be better off getting one where he could travel backwards or herringbone? I know the Ifors are supposed to be quite a bumpy ride, so would another forwards facing one be ok?
I am tempted by the Equitreks, but have heard so many horror stories about build quality. I would love a trailer with living, not sure what other ones there are available or what quality they are? I will need a trailer for up to a 17.2hh and with at least a 1400kg payload.

Any help available? thanks for reading the huge message! BTW, a lorry is not an option, unfortnately :(

Isabelle
 
Some horses find the alumium floor hard to travel with. Some people have had success with putting a layer of thick plywood over the floor (on top of the metal floor). Nowadays all trailers have metal floors so you'd have to go for an older one if that is the problem.

Is this a fairly new problem, him scrabbling? Some horses just can't travel with a partition in (i had one - she put a hole in the wall 3ft up once!) but if he's always been fine with a partition before somethings obviously changed. It may be the trailer (was he fine in another?) or it's not uncommon in horses who have hurt their pelvis in some way and a bit uncomfortable - might be worth getting him checked out.

As for new trailers - the only one I know of with 'living' is the Equitrek but it would depends on the size of your car - we have an ML270 and it isn't big or heavy enough to pull the huge Equitrek. Never tried other trailers as all of ours travel amazingly in our 511.
 
My Rice trailer is fantastic, I bought it secondhand from a Rice dealership when it was five years old, good solid floor, stable, good construction. You have to be careful with the quality of older ones (suppose that's always the case), so deal with someone who knows what they're talking about!
As others have said, it may not be about your trailer, there could be other issues with your horse.
Good luck.
 
My mare used to do what you have described, i have twice had to un box her on the road and lead her home, so we took the partition out and added a breast bar and stopped using her travel boots and cross tied her i also added cctv so i could see what was happening and touch wood..... she has travelled like a dream ever since! When i watch her she now happily balances herself, travels calmly and arrives cool and not worked up. Worth a try??
 
We had a similar problem. It wasn't the trailer - the horse was just a bad in all trailers. Solved by taking out centre partition to allow horse to spread legs properly and took off travel boots because they were irritating the horse and causing it to try to get them off.
 
If you can try one, a friend found a rear facing trailer fixed this. Then was she was able to travel 2 horses.
I bit the bullet & bought a lorry...
 
IsabelleJ said:
My horse has been getting worse and worse when travelling in my HB510 (two years old, recently serviced) and has been really having difficulty keeping his balance. He's never particularly liked it, and has always kicked a lot en route, but things have got really bad.
Today he kicked and scrabbled most of the way. As we got to our destination, he started scrabbling about and making an awful racket (apparently upsetting horses on the yard - everyone heard us coming!) We got him off, and he'd obviously stepped on a shoe, moved it and the side clip had moved so it was sticking into his hoof. He was obviously reluctant to stand on the foot, but we thought we could transport him home to take the shoe off.
Unfortunately, the shoe was raised and obviously causing him pain, and he could not balance at all. He was leaning at a 45 degree angle on the partition. Two of us managed to calm him and get him standing straight before getting him off the trailer, and we waited until the emergency farrier arrived (my hero - he was heading home on a Friday evening!) We managed to get him to load, and travelled home very slowly with someone following us.
Basically, he has been getting worse, and I have read about horses having problems balancing in the Ifors. I am now petrified of putting him back in it (don't think I have ever been so scared in my life as this afternoon!) and looking for alternatives. I know that some people have success travelling them without the partition after this kind of experience, but I am a big chicken and need people to go to competitions with me.
I have a Mercedes ML, so can tow the full 3.5 tonnes, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for other trailers? Would I be better off getting one where he could travel backwards or herringbone? I know the Ifors are supposed to be quite a bumpy ride, so would another forwards facing one be ok?
I am tempted by the Equitreks, but have heard so many horror stories about build quality. I would love a trailer with living, not sure what other ones there are available or what quality they are? I will need a trailer for up to a 17.2hh and with at least a 1400kg payload.

Any help available? thanks for reading the huge message! BTW, a lorry is not an option, unfortnately :(

Isabelle
Click to expand...
I would say most horses travel fine in ifors but maybe you could try a equitrek
however I dont think they are as strong as a standard trailer so it might get knocked about if he gets upset !! maybe you could have the vet check him as the OP sugested and I would work on trying to get him happy and relaxed about being in the trailer like feeding him in there , I would be carefull about taking the partiton out as he could move and destablise it!!!!
the main advantage of a lorry is they travel heringbone and as there is more space they can spread their legs for balance ..
 
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Before I bought my boy I was told he would only travel facing backwards or herringbone as ever time he was put in a forward facing trailer he would try to climb over the breast bar or throw himself around until he would fall over. My friend owned him before the owner I bought him from and she confirmed all of this!
I bought an equitrek trailer because of this and he has travelled brilliantly everytime we have taken him out. I decided the extra cost of the trailer was worth it for knowing he was safe, so if you know anyone with a rear facing trailer who would be willing to let you try it out it may be worth it. Some horses just can't deal with the motion when facing the front.
 
I agree with those that say remove the centre partition, I thnik you will find the horse does the same in all trailers with a center partition not just the ivor.

Ivor do sell full length breaching bars. good lluck
 
My horse has been a "text book" perfect travellor for 15 years in all the different lorries I've had, be they 3.5t Transits (forward facing) or 7.5 ton herringbones. Had to sell my last lorry due to being in the LEZ, bought an IW 505, and found he can't balance on left turns/bends, even though I drive like a granny on a Sunday afternoon! So if he travels alone I swing the partition over to the left at the back, but oddly enough if I'm travelling two he can travel on the left of the trailer with no problem at all. He does have a slightly "wonky" pelvis, but I would have thought that if it's that causing the problem it would have happened before when in a forward facing lorry. Give it a go with the partition out and cross tieing.
 
another one for removing partition - mine was exactly same - and pulled both back shoes off on one journey ripped a big chunk of foot off then stood through her travel boots onto her coronet band and put big gash in that - nearly got sent to liverpool with infection!!! - we though boots so tried bandaging and barefoot boots over shoes - still same - took partion out i had to stop to make sure she hadnt fell out she was so quiet - it was amazing she puts herself in a herringbone position and travels like a lamb - she needs to spread her back legs.

I have now bought a single ifor trailer as lighter to tow and still loads room for her - and shes fine
 
My Tb travels cross tied with only the full width breast bar in my IW505. He won't even load if I have the partition in. He doesn't move during transit & arrives with his legs spreadeagled and is still in that position when I first go in to check him!

I'd be careful about the equitrek as I've heard that many horses are tempted to jump into the space in front of them. If you have a 'scrabbler' I'd be wary of that happening.
 
We had exactly this problem with our mare after she came back from her loan home. She had been perfect to travel prior to that and just seemed to lose her balnce especially on left bends.
We got the full width bars and took the partition out which helped a lot but she still sweated up travelling and wasn't very happy to go in.
After lots of reading and research (including almost buying an equitrek till I heard from someone directly how much trouble they had had with theirs) we looked for a rear facing trailer, there aren't many! We got a Rchardson Supreme Excel, it is huge and roomy and our mare loves it. She travels a dream with the partition in and arrives cool and ready to go. We had to pay a lot for it (£4500 for 4 year old trailer) but it has been worth every penny.
 
My horse hated my 511 with the aluminium floor, but was ok in the old 505 with the wooden floor. Full length breast and breechbars didn't make very much difference.

He also seems to travel better when he's barefoot than when he's shod.

I have a Renault Master rear facing van now, and he barely moves in that.

My conclusion is that our lane is fairly bumpy, and the aluminium floor would launch him around (I got hubby to tow me down there with me in the trailer and it was hard work!), but the wooden floor absorbed the bumps more, and the Master suspension is better again.

His reaction was quite severe due to the bumpiness of the lane, but normal roads can be pretty bumpy too...
 
If the no partition, cross tie option doesn't work then look for a trailer with independent suspension. Ifor are known for a bumpy ride because they have leaf suspension rather than the aluminium floor being the issue. Look at the Bateson, Cheval Liberte, Richardson etc trailers as they tend to have independent suspension :)
Why Ifor continue with this old fashioned suspension I'll never know!!
 
You dont have to take out the whole parition. I have a bateson and just take out the back half of the partition (I think you can do this in an Ifor?), that way you're left with the front half and breast bars. A horse I had would literally hurl himself on the floor as soon as I loaded him until I took out the back half, then he was perfect from then on! He simply liked to spread out his back legs a bit more. I travelled other horses beside him fine (obviously do not do this with kickers and make sure they are well booted). Please do try it because Ive heard of plenty of other horses doing this and being sorted by moving the partition - its such a simple cure! Changing trailers may well not fix the issue at all...
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I will get the physio out to look at him, and get full breast and breech bars and try travelling him without the partition. He has never been really happy travelling in the trailer, it's just that it has got a lot worse.
Will try without the partition and then maybe look into another long term solution so I can take another horse - will need to try and test drive him in something though, can't buy without knowing if he will like it!

Isabelle
 
Keltic said:
My mare used to do what you have described, i have twice had to un box her on the road and lead her home, so we took the partition out and added a breast bar and stopped using her travel boots and cross tied her i also added cctv so i could see what was happening and touch wood..... she has travelled like a dream ever since! When i watch her she now happily balances herself, travels calmly and arrives cool and not worked up. Worth a try??
Click to expand...

I found all of this worked for me too. I don't think theres anything wrong with Ifor Williams particularly, but some horses do travel better facing backwards and some without the partition as it enables them to spread their legs to balance. My mare agrees to wear travel boots on her front legs but if I put them on her back legs she kicks to get them off, which is more dangerous than travelling her without. (she also stamps on the floor of the trailer when she wants out for a pee, which is quite amusing when I let her out for said pee). Anyway, we are all upgrading now to a 3.5 tonne box, which I hope they like.
 
I have an equitrek and its the easiest trailer to handle. The horse has a more comfortable ride because they face backwards and everytime you break they can lean on their bum rather than being shunted forwards which is a more traumatic experience for them.

I can load my horse up completely on my own in the equitrek, which would be impossible in an Ifor. In the equitrek, you just walk them in, and can stand with them while you pull the side doors round.

The build quality of mine is fine. My equitrek certainly rattles much less than all the Ifors that are on our yard.
 
I had similar story - my 17hh mare got worse travelling in my ifor 510 trailer until I bought single breast and breech bar and took out the partition. Now she doesn't move and arrives cool and calm.
 
archiesmum said:
If the no partition, cross tie option doesn't work then look for a trailer with independent suspension. Ifor are known for a bumpy ride because they have leaf suspension rather than the aluminium floor being the issue. Look at the Bateson, Cheval Liberte, Richardson etc trailers as they tend to have independent suspension :)
Why Ifor continue with this old fashioned suspension I'll never know!!
Click to expand...
I would agree , think its because its cheap, strong and well proven!! However im sure its not ideal for ride quality
or noise for a horse trailer, I think the Ifors are becoming mutton dressed as lamb so to speak and the price is creeping up ..there are better qualily trailers avaliable for not much more...
 
My old horse suddenly lost the ability to stand in trailer. he would go down. As he got in he would almost sit down and lean at one hell of an angle. That was after having travelled for about 10 years without a problem. I had a 510 which he had been in for years and it was a wooden floored on. We had no choice at the time but to get him through it. i was not going to travel him on his own as me and OH normally took both our horses when we went anywhere. so we just persisted. travelled really slowly around bends, almost snails pace and it worked. He suddenly got the ability to travel and has never lost it since.

I am extremely fussy about the strength of a trailer, i had a Richardson written off by a horse on the old Severn bridge and I would never in a million years put a horse of mine in a Richardson or a Rice. The horses destroyed it. Back ramp smashed away, roof with holes in, side with a 3ft hole ripped in it. central partition lifted and smashed down on horse next to him. And it just bounced all over the motorway with the horse in it. Far too unstable in the event of an emergency. Also don't like Batesons for the same reason. A friend was towning one on the motorway and it was hit from behind. The fibreglass body simply split. the horse came out of the front and passed her in the fast lane. was caught a mile down the road.

The Ifors may have old fashioned leaf springs but they have an extremely low centre of balance and just sit on the road. I have never had any damage down internally even by the horse that wrote of the Richardson. Safety and strength are my main priorities and I have never yet had a horse which won't load into my 510 after a bit of load schooling. and everything seems to travel well and calmly.
 
I am interested to hear all your comments as I am looking into buying a trailer.

I know mine used to travel some distance cross tied with no partition for his previous owner quite happily. Since I have had him we have travelled him frequently in a box sideways which was fine so I found a Fautras trailer which is herringbone. Their blurb says they have a lot of features for ride and horse comfort so they may be worth a look.
 
hi there IsabelleJ just out of interest has you horses got hock problems. the reason i ask as i have the same problem with my gelding. It all started all of a sudden and without warning he was climbing the walls leaning at at 45 degree angle with hi body at main wall and feet at partition (sorry hard to explain). Anyway i tried to travel him at snails pace etc. He always loaded into trailer without a problem.

i decieded as this was tolally out of charitior that he will get checked but the vet he flexed all legs and was lame on flexion onboth hind limbs. he went in for x-rays and has bone spavin on both hocks. the reason for him not traveling with partition in was pain. As a result i always travel him without a partition in my HB510. good luck amd hope this helps
 
Right, lots of people to reply to! For starters, I will try moving the back of the partition over as MagicMelon has suggested. I had been thinking of upgrading to an Equitrek within the next couple of years anyway, so may try hiring one (have found places nearish that hire out Richardsons and Equitreks) to see if he is any better in one. To be honest, I have lost confidence in the Ifor a bit after this :(

Tikino, interesting what you say about the hock problems. Sidney had an undiagnosed lameness last year, and has been having difficulty holding up his back legs for his feet to be picked out. I have been meaning to have the vet out for a full vet check and bloods (not for any particular reason, more because I want to make sure he is ok after his virus and lameness last year) so will probably have a full lameness workup and see what happens. Physio is due as well, so will have her out too.

Have seen a few Pegasus trailers which appear to have a small living in them - does anyone have any experience of these? Will also look at the Fautras herringbone one.

Thanks so much for all the advice, people!

Isabelle
 
Hi there,I hope my reply will help you. A very good friend of mine bought an old hunting mare 2 years ago. This mare is now 15. She has travelled miles and miles in both a trailer and a lorry for many years without any problems. Oner day last summer,she was put in the trailer to go a couple of miles away to a local show. She did exactly what you are describing. Basically whenever the trailer moved,she would drop to her knees and scrabble for balance. She also started doing this in a lorry. Basically my friend decided to never travel her again as she found it too upsetting. Anyhow,a few weeks later,the vet was out doing routine jabs and my friend told her of the sudden problem with travelling.

Vet did a check and discovered that the mare had a middle ear infection. Prescribed antibiotics and cleared it up. The mare now travels safely again. Basically had a balance issue due to this ear infection. Makes perfect sense to me actually. So why not get your vet to check it out.

Caroline x
 
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