Lorry antics.. Horse in lorry.. Horse jump out of lorry.

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TedwinkleJumper

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Went to pick up new horse in backward facing two horse lorry, got in with a little bit of persuasion and traveled fine for the first couple of months in it.. He always needed a bit of a push to get in but it would only take a few mins. He started to get worse getting in the lorry and it was taking up to about 1 hour of persuading just to get him in for practice so he could have his dinner in there!! and relax. I secired the lorry and left him for literally 20 seconds while i went to quickly get something, lorry started rocking and he somehow managed to get over a 4ft partition and out of a narrow jokey door! Any advice on how to settle him to want to get in and stay in!?
*He is fine when i am with him but panics when im gone....*
 
I'd leave all ramps down and then incorporate his feeding routine into the trailer!
My horse CJ was always travelled by his first owner in a box the wrong way round!
**He would be eating his net by the others ass!
I spent a coupe of nights a week where i would do his normal rountine - pull the ramp down on the box and put his tea on the ramp...then at the top...then at the back...and then the way i wanted him to turn round with the partition closed!
Woohoo!

Then i switched to a hay net as it took him longer to eat and i would leave go out of sight for a second and then build it up to leaving him on his own for a couple of minutes...

Thats how i did it in a box anyway :D Rather than him being the wrong way round or coming off the box backwards!
(One time he came down backwards that quick with the person i bought him off - he tore a shoe off!Scary!)
 
It might just be he finds it difficult to travel in the backwards facing boxes, he be struggling with his balance during journeys and that is putting him off. I have a horse that will not travel forward or backward facing, he dosen't panic like yours but he can't physically seem to keep himself on his feet! He travels fine in my herringbone box where he travels sideways, I have know a few horses like this.

If he's just a bit a scared you are doing the right thing with taking him to have dinner in there, maybe keep going with that taking it one stage at a time and making sure someone is with him all the time, then you could take him out with a buddy to try and get his confidence back up.
 
If he is getting worse the more he travels then there is something amiss, to my mind. Are you sure you are driving carefully, is the lorry the right size, is it a stable 'proper' conversion... May be off the mark, but very often horses are trying to tell you something when they won't load - especially if they previously went in fairly sweetly.
 
There has been an ongoing thing about horses trying to escape out of the jockey door in the BHS magazine. If you aren't a member see if you can borrow a copy. This issue a lady wrote in showing the changes she had made to her box to avoid the problem. It is very dangerous.
 
Is it one of the small renault type van type things?? I hired one of these, and it was a larger one, capable of carrying two full size horses. I put a 13.2 and a 14hh welsh cobs in and it was full. I remember at the time saying there is NO WAY I would put anything larger in there. I always thought I would want one of these over my trailer but to be honest, if I had bigger horses I wouldn;t.
 
siennamum said:
If he is getting worse the more he travels then there is something amiss, to my mind. Are you sure you are driving carefully, is the lorry the right size, is it a stable 'proper' conversion... May be off the mark, but very often horses are trying to tell you something when they won't load - especially if they previously went in fairly sweetly.
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Yes its a recent conversion.. for two shires. Parents are both very careful considerate drivers and its a proper expensive conversion..
But i do agree that he is most prob trying to tell me something- we havnt had the greatest time together upto now when we are out at places and he is just gaining his confidence back with me, and me with him. :)
 
Brandy said:
Is it one of the small renault type van type things?? I hired one of these, and it was a larger one, capable of carrying two full size horses. I put a 13.2 and a 14hh welsh cobs in and it was full. I remember at the time saying there is NO WAY I would put anything larger in there. I always thought I would want one of these over my trailer but to be honest, if I had bigger horses I wouldn;t.
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Hi
Its a large renault that has carried two shires types- just about. He is 15.2hh and not a big build so has plenty of space. Really smooth drive and relitivly quiet..
 
Katt said:
There has been an ongoing thing about horses trying to escape out of the jockey door in the BHS magazine. If you aren't a member see if you can borrow a copy. This issue a lady wrote in showing the changes she had made to her box to avoid the problem. It is very dangerous.
Click to expand...

It would make sence if the lorrys were not built with a jokey door were it is at the moment. He has hurt his back, not badly but enouth to put us back a bit.. Was very scary for me and im sure it was for him too.
 
I never really like backwards facing lorries. I dont get it, but people rave about it.

I really like forward facing lorries and horses always seem to travel much better in these. My horse is now getting used to herringbone, but is fine travelling forwards, but gets sweaty and horrible travelling backwards.

Maybe the horse feels disorientated and sick. Have you tried your horse in other lorries with different set ups?
 
There have been numerous studies that state horses travel better backwards or herringbone than forwards...however maybe it is just a case that horses are individuals like you or me. I, for instance, cannot travel backwards on a train, it makes me really ill, but most people can with no ill effect! So my suggestion is to try something else, maybe he gets travel sick going backwards.
 
As others have said try herringbone or forwards!

Sorry but there is NO LEGAL WAY a 3.5t lorry can carry 2 shires or even shire x!

BHS & HH have run lots of sad stories where horses have come over the front to end up in the 'grooms section' which all these conversions have-there is only ONE lorry that doesn't do this which is the Theault.

You can get 'anti weave' grills fitted also known as 'yokes' which discourage any horse jumping over but just try to find the cause or get help like Asking Max over (Richard Maxwell) to identify the issue

Good luck
 
foraday said:
As others have said try herringbone or forwards!

Sorry but there is NO LEGAL WAY a 3.5t lorry can carry 2 shires or even shire x!

BHS & HH have run lots of sad stories where horses have come over the front to end up in the 'grooms section' which all these conversions have-there is only ONE lorry that doesn't do this which is the Theault.

You can get 'anti weave' grills fitted also known as 'yokes' which discourage any horse jumping over but just try to find the cause or get help like Asking Max over (Richard Maxwell) to identify the issue

Good luck
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People before me that owned the lorry fit 2 shire x in both standing at about 16.3hh !!!!!!!!!!! It was a squeese but anyhow i would only travel upto 16hh in ours..
We are going to a yard soon to sort out the problem as they have a herringbone lorry which he is used to and cameras inside... so the problemo will be ressolved.. :)
 
Have you tried a trailer mirror, so he thinks there is another horse in with him?

Re the "backwards facing." I know that studies have shown that backwards is better, but if they have spent all their life travelling forwards, then may be the change to going backwards is not suiting him. He might be getting prepared for the lorry to move forwards and then getting unhappy as it is going backwards!
 
Why they make these vans with the jockey door opposite the horses head is beyond me. They are an accident waiting to happen (and already happened).

They are not 'horse' boxes, they are pony vans !

The poor lad must have scared himself and you so much. Lets hope that you both get back on track soon and put the van up for sale !
 
RoseGrey said:
Why they make these vans with the jockey door opposite the horses head is beyond me. They are an accident waiting to happen (and already happened).

They are not 'horse' boxes, they are pony vans !

The poor lad must have scared himself and you so much. Lets hope that you both get back on track soon and put the van up for sale !
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It was designed for two large horses.. he is only 15.2hh so very suited to the lorry as he has plenty of space.. Yes was very scary! Fortunate he fits through a gap that small without a scratch..
Thanks :)
 
ORANGEHORSE said:
Have you tried a trailer mirror, so he thinks there is another horse in with him?

Re the "backwards facing." I know that studies have shown that backwards is better, but if they have spent all their life travelling forwards, then may be the change to going backwards is not suiting him. He might be getting prepared for the lorry to move forwards and then getting unhappy as it is going backwards!
Click to expand...

He has always travelled sideways.. i wish someone could magic me up a sideways lorry!!!
 
TedwinkleJumper said:
It was designed for two large horses.. he is only 15.2hh so very suited to the lorry as he has plenty of space.. Yes was very scary! Fortunate he fits through a gap that small without a scratch..
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Sadly these lorries may be designed for 2 large horses but are unable to legally carry 2 due to weight but going back to your problem, I know where you are coming from as I too have a problem with my horse who will not travel forwards in a trailer. I had to sell it and buy a wagon that he travelled sidewards in, he was perfect in that.
People ask me why I dont get a 3,5t which would be perfect for me but he is such a panicker I just know he will be the one that goes over the bar.
Must have been terrifying, thankfully he fitted through the door and didnt get stuck in the grooms area like some have in the past.
I know of 2 horse transporters who have small wagons as they are convenient and they dont have the breast bar, instead they just have a fully enclosed horse area, with a solid wall in front of the horse to prevent this happening. The anti weave grills is a good idea, some builders fit these as standard now.
 
foraday said:
As others have said try herringbone or forwards!

Sorry but there is NO LEGAL WAY a 3.5t lorry can carry 2 shires or even shire x!

BHS & HH have run lots of sad stories where horses have come over the front to end up in the 'grooms section' which all these conversions have-there is only ONE lorry that doesn't do this which is the Theault.

You can get 'anti weave' grills fitted also known as 'yokes' which discourage any horse jumping over but just try to find the cause or get help like Asking Max over (Richard Maxwell) to identify the issue

Good luck
Click to expand...

I think Max would make me rather bankrupt (x 1 million !!!!'s!)
 
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