Nightmare trailer experience.... what happened!!??

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charliep

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I am still traumatised by yesterday's awful experience loading a horse into a trailer. I bought the horse yesterday after being told the horse had no problems loading and travelling. When we arrived yesterday the story changed and we were told that he kicked up a bit of a fuss for 10-15 mins and then calmed down. The horse was stubborn about getting in the trailer but not stressed or silly. The owner kept saying "He usually loads really well" and then it later came out that they had only loading him twice in the 4 years they had had him. So how can they say "Usually". I was getting worried as they were full of contradictions. Anyway, we got the horse in, secured the front and rear bar allowing about 6 inches for the horse to move forward and backwards (Bars weren't touching him). We then secured each lead rope to safety twine and the twine was liked to safety rings on the side of the trailer. All designed to snap if horse goes mental. When we started moving he was kicking about like crazy we were looking out of the back of the car through the window of the trailer and to our horror we saw the horse rear up and leap over the front bar into the tiny space at the front of the trailer. He was head first! We jumped out of the car, released the remaining lead rope and opened the side of the trailer. He could hardly breathe and he kicked himself free. It is a miracle he survived and didn't break a leg. We walked the horse back up the owners and said we weren't prepared to travel him. They seemed more concerned about finding alternative travel arrangements than with the horses welfare. The owner said we should have tied him down hard and given him a real telling off as he thought he was just being naughty. I cannot imagine a horse would endanger it's life out of naughtiness. I feel very sorry for the horse, but I don't want to deal with someone who I feel has no concern for the horse's wellbeing. What are your thoughts? Did we do the right thing?
 
Poor you and poor horse, I hope you got your money back , now it is up to them to get the horse to accept travelling. Sounds like you did nothing wrong and were told a pack of lies
 
Mine would do this - apart from the rearing up bit. She would scrabble up the walls of the trailer and wouldnt stop even when the ramp was dropped and the vehicle had stopped.
We removed the partition, she is loads better.

Sounds like the owners were aware of this horse travelling by the sounds of it.

My horse was delivered as they "wanted to see her new home" - yeah right, more like they didn't want me to see how badly she travelled!
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Poor horse, I hope the owners bother to sort the problem instead of subjecting the horse to this again.

Hope you got your money refunded.
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Absolutely you did the right thing - the horse obviously has a real issue with travelling and its dangerous that they were not honest with you!

I've had the same thing with my horse. I bought a trailer in Jan and have spent months trying to get him calm and relaxed about being on there. I've only managed one trip round the block in all that time - and after he reared in the trailer (luckily we were just parked in the yard) and got one foot caught over the breast bar nearly breaking his leg I gave up. he also freaked out in the same style on a lorry before Xmas - and I actually wonder if the people I bought him from had sedated him to move him when I transported him.

I've accepted my horse witll never be happy travelling and have actually got a pony on loan for this reason that I can go out and compete on. We have tried just about everything - and I like to think my boy trusts me, but I know he is petrified of the trailer for some reason. I've sat on the trailer with him for hours grooming him / feeding him, have had him walking on and off nicely numerous times, but as soon as we attempt a trip we are back to square one again - and so we have called it a day! My horse (in my sig) is now just a happy hacker - and if we want to go anywhere, we have to walk there!!!

I've had advice from so many people but have decided that its unfair of me to try and transport my boy and that its actually too dangerous for me and him.

I think you have saved yourself a lot of heartbreak in the long term there.
 
You definately did the right thing, and I hope you have pulled out of the sale. The horse is obviously not as described, so what else have they not told you?
 
Did you pull out of the sale? Sounds like a nightmare

We had a similar situation when I was very young with a yearling section A pony, it was in one of those ford transit boxes (rear unload only), pony was happily stood on the box munching its haynet and the next minute it went straight up and over the bar infront and got stuck in the narrow space in front of the partition and tried wiggling out the jockey door!

Stupid thing was fine apart from a knock on the leg and never did it again, and we never knew why it did it in the first place, but it was bl**dy scarey!! One of those things I will always remember despite being about 6 at the time!!
 
You had a lucky escape! (assuming that you pulled out of sale?) I would have walked as soon as the horse made a fuss about loading and the owners started back-tracking. They are clearly full of rubbish and are not to be trusted! "He usually loads really well" - we've all heard that one before!
 
My horse is the same and will only travel in a wagon. I know how scary it is and really feel for you. I hope for the future you walked away and didnt buy him as its a nightmare unless of course you can afford to try other forma of transport. We finally afforded a wagon but its little used and I only wish he would go in a trailer.
Im told my horse is naughty too but I think hes terrified as he will stand happily on a wagon again now we have regained his confidence from his trailer experience.
 
Hi All, Thanks so much for your reassuring comments. Thankfully I did pull out of the sale. I wasn't leaving with no horse and no money!!! I think he thought we would still go ahead with the sale, but I had so many doubts by this point I was very unsure about what else he hadn't told us. The bloke even tried to threaten me on the phone saying he shouldn't have given me my money back and that I had the passport and the horse, he had the money and it was a done deal. I think he forgot that I left with the horses passport in my handbag, so if he wanted to play hardball, I could have claimed the horse belonged to me. I am not, however, prepared to stoop as low as this horrid man. I sent the passport back to him this morning via post. I am just so angry that he put all of our lives in danger (inc the horse). People like this shouldn't be allowed to own them. So If anyone knows of a gentle 15.3-16.3hh cob (preferably gelding) suitable for loving, novice, adult rider. Must be able to travel well!!!!!! Please message me. I have a 5* home waiting and it's all lonely now
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xx
 
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