Motorway travelling with trailer

[JJones]

Got my first motorway journey tomorrow with the horse trailer. Quite a distance. Should I shut both the back top doors up? I don't normally but I only ever travel locally. Just wondering if it would be safer with the lorries etc passing. What do people normally do?

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

For motorway travelling I close both doors and leave the vent open at the top.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I prefer to travel with the top doors shut, as long as the trailer has good ventilation (mine does). IME, even steady horses can get bothered if you get tailgated by lorries if the rear top doors are open.

Some horses dislike the top doors being shut, though, so it's worth experimenting before your motorway trip.

 

[Loubidy]

I always have them open, have travelled up and down the country a good few times now and never had an issue.

 

[JillA]

I close the one immediately behind the horse in case he gets spooked by big vehicles approaching from behind, but if possible leave the other one open, I never think there is enough air from just the roof vent.

 

[rara007]

I leave open Mine don't mind the traffic but ventilation is a big issue as usually take lots of forage.

 

[asmp]

Used to close the top door of the side the youngster was on while traveling when on the motorway but have found now that he gets a bit upset if we do it when we haven't done it for a while. What I'm trying to say is that your horse may get more upset by being enclosed if you don't normally do it, than by the traffic.

 

[Elspeth]

I used to leave them open, until a trip in very wet weather - we got stuck in a tailback and had a huge lorry right behind us with huge windscreen wipers going which really upset the horses - very scary thought they were going over the breast bar. Safer to shut unless its really hot.

 

[BSL]

I prefer shut. Trailer does have good ventilation though.

 

[Michen]

Never even thought to shut mine. Always open

 

[millitiger]

Always shut the right hand side top door when we had a trailer- think it helps massively to shield the horse from potential fright of lorries overtaking.

If very young or green with travelling then both doors shut for first few motorway trips.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Always open. My horses are rock steady travellers and they don't bother either way.

 

[dornrose]

I close the one immediately behind the horse in case he gets spooked by big vehicles approaching from behind, but if possible leave the other one open, I never think there is enough air from just the roof vent.

This is what I tend to do, but in all honesty it depends on the weather and time of day I'm travelling. If it's really hot and I'm using the M25 and likely to get caught in traffic I'd have both doors open to try and keep the horse cooler.

 

[Janovich]

I've always travelled motorways (mainly the lovely M6!) with my top doors shut, as my horse is happier this way. Each to their own i guess. My trailer does have ample ventilation to do this. I also have both side windows open so if he chooses to, he can poke his nose through as well!

He's always travelled cross tied and has the whole of the trailer to himself.

 

[KAZJAZ]

I always travel with the top door directly behind my horse closed, I open the vent on the roof if necessary.

I've only ever closed both top doors if its extremely wet weather.

 

[stormox]

What do you do if lorries are really travelling too close? Some of them dont leave the correct distance between at all, I find them scary and try to make them move back by flashing my tail lights but it doesnt seem to work.

 

[9tails]

Never even thought to shut mine. Always open

Same, horses couldn't seem to care less.

 

[9tails]

What do you do if lorries are really travelling too close? Some of them dont leave the correct distance between at all, I find them scary and try to make them move back by flashing my tail lights but it doesnt seem to work.

I pray that they're on the ball and ensure I have loads of stopping distance in front of me while reading the road as far ahead as possible. This applies to all road conditions though. I don't leave the inside lane unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Paint Me Proud]

I generally travel with the doors shut on the motorway. As previously said I dont like the idea of big lorries coming up behind. When I left them open once, as was carrying a friends horse who didnt like it shut, it went dark and we had a tour coach tailgate us with bright pink strip lights all down it, it was lit up like a christmas tree. As a result both horse were worked up by the time we got home, which was unusual as they are both good travelers.
However I do leave them open if i'm only traveling locally.

 

[irishdraft]

My mare got spooked by lorries coming up behind her , so I shut the top door behind her , on right hand side , now do this for all horses specially on the motorway .

 

[Joyous70]

My mare doesn't travel particularly well, and doesn't like the lorries coming up behind her, I decided to try and shut the door directly behind her one day for a trial run and she had a complete meltdown! not something I want to re-create, so im afraid she will have to get used the the lorries behind her

 

[JJones]

Thanks for all replies. I ended up leaving both doors open and the horses didn't care at all. We got held up for half hour at standstill in hot temperatures but all was ok.

 

[Suechoccy]

What do you do if lorries are really travelling too close? Some of them dont leave the correct distance between at all, I find them scary and try to make them move back by flashing my tail lights but it doesnt seem to work.

Those lorries may be trying to keep to a constant speed, say 55mph. They've caught you up so they were going faster than you, so provided you don't let their proximity intimidate you into speeding-up slightly, then you will continue going more slowly than they are and so they will overtake when they get the opportunity (on a motorway or dual carriageway).

 

[Pedantic]

Always have mine open and done a fair bit of motorway towing in the past with no problems.

 

[FfionWinnie]

What do you do if lorries are really travelling too close? Some of them dont leave the correct distance between at all, I find them scary and try to make them move back by flashing my tail lights but it doesnt seem to work.

They are trying to pass you. Either sit at 60 so they don't catch you up or sit at 50 so they can get past you easily.