Numpty question about unloading a pair from Ifor W trailer.

[legaldancer]

My 16.1 TB will not travel or even enter the trailer if there's a partition in it. He has been through, but more or less jumped off the front ramp on his way out as the centre pole touched his bum!
I have a 12.2 for my son who does travel with the partition & I'd like to get my chap in with her so that we can do some stuff together. My plan is to load pony up on left side & attempt to put larger horse to the right, which is also the side my front ramp is fitted.
My question is , if I'm successful in loading him, what is the best way of getting him out with the pony in the other side?
Do i push the pony back a bit having undone the front breast bars to enable me to give my horse more turning room to make an exit, or would you unload the pony backwards off the rear ramp? (I thought this may panic my woosy TB if he sees her departing that way!).
What would you experts do?

 

[1275gta]

Why not back TB off first and then unload pony, that way they cannot try push you out the way when unloading.

 

[Murphy88]

I'm not an expert in the slightest, but if you think you could push the pony back and move the partition over then you could try that. I'm pretty sure that when my 13hh mare travels in a friends trailer with her horse, she brings the pony out first and she just has to squeeze a bit

- but this is because the pony is unloaded first and the horse left in the trailer for a bit. I probably wouldn't unload the pony backwards - a) because it sounds like your horse might not like it, and b) because whenever I bring horses out backwards, they always fall off the ramp (but that could just be that I have slightly stupid horses

).

It sounds like you've had better luck than me in actually getting your horse in. My horse refuses point blank to go in the trailer with the partition in, even if his friend is in there

. Hence why we end up dumping the pony in other peoples trailers even when we go to the same competition. It got slightly annoying last season when my friends trailer was full and we ended up having to take the pony then come back and get Murphy without the partition!

 

[hoggedmane]

I have an ifor and travel my horse and daughters pony in same way. My horse goes on the right so she sits on top of the camber in the road but it is difficult to unload because she then has to bend quite sharply. I take the pony out first and undo the front bars comletely so the partition swings over. However my two are used to this and the big mare will wait patiently. If it would upset your horse to do this and he will back out sensibly I would do as suggested and back him out.

 

[legaldancer]

I would do, but he won't unload backwards! Have tried in the past, but TBH I'd rather he didn't as I have to load him on his own & I can rely on him not coming out backwards or pulling back as I run round to the back to do ramp etc!

 

[hoggedmane]

Mmm I had a TB who couldn't back out of a trailer once. You may have to go down the pushing the pony back route but it is not ideal having the front bars undone with two animals in there.

 

[CrazyMare]

I have a Bateson with the ramp on the passsenger side/verge side.

I unload the pony on that side first, then the one on the other side.

 

[legaldancer]

I haven't got him in yet Murphy88! Am going to attempt to during a practice session in the field, as I thought seeing his chum in there might help. Just need to have a plan on extricating them though first! I think I may have the same problem as you have though long term.

 

[Britestar]

Could you try him on the 'wrong' side so you can swing the front half of the partition across and give hime more room to exit. If the other pony is obliging, you can just push him back and let the TB out first.

We used to do this with my friends horse, who couldn't travel on the 'correct' side, and we regularly pushed my 15.1hh Cob back to let him out first.

 

[Sparklet]

Ohh its the thing I hate about Ifor's....never can understand why they are so popular. The exit is sooo tight for the bigger horse (one on the right) and I have had seveal who take a chunk out of their hip on exit resulting in rushing thereafter.

Personally I would get rid of of the trailer and get something like a Richardson which has a huge opening at the front.

My advice would be to unload backwards but as you say thats not possible

 

[legaldancer]

Hoggedmane, I agree, not ideal having both breast bars undone incase one tries to get out before their turn. Thought about putting a chain across (needs to be flexible) as a deterent to horse who has to come out last.

 

[ha903070]

If its a 510 there should be plenty of room to take the pony out down the front ramp first then plenty room for your horse to unload and move partitions etc.

Although if its a 505 there isnt much room to unload I agree but I'm not sure about the idea of backing them off if they arent happy travellers etc, can cause them to rush on and rush straight back off once they are in - a few horses seem to run back out straight away down the back ramp before the back bars are up when loading which if you want to travel anywhere on your own makes things very difficult.

Its a difficult one. Good luck!

 

[Stoxx]

If I were you (seeing as you can't back the TB out) I would buy the new IW511 or a different trailer. The 511 has a bigger area and there would be plenty of room to unload the pony before the TB. Or you can choose to have the front ramp on the opposite side if that would work better for you.
Or as Sparklet suggested a different trailer make all together.

 

[legaldancer]

Hmmm, its a 505 classic & I only got it last summer having had an old Rice trailer which had the front ramp on the other side, but a very heavy partition. Probably should have got the 510/511, but there's enough room in there for the two, just getting them out is a potential problem. I haven't even got them both in yet LOL!

 

[Bosworth]

Personally I would spend hours getting the TB to load and unload backwards. My TB would not go near my trailer - he had only ever travelled in a lorry. So I spent hours backing him up walking him on - backing him up walking him on. Eventually I managed to get him to walk on with the partition done up - then reversed him off. It took me about 4 hours. and he did run off at speed lots of times but I carried on backing him up when he did. eventually we calmly walked on and stood. I then had someone to do up the partition.

next stage was teaching him to load with another horses and it was the same all over again. 12 months on I have a horse that self loads, I walk him to the ramp - throw the lead rope over his neck and he loads I then put up the back bar and go round and take off the lead rope. When I get to where I am going I go to the front - clip on his lead rope then go round teh back, drop the ramp and remove the back bar. I stand at the side and ask him to back up. he does and I then catch up the rope as he goes. Then I unclip the other back bar and ask that horses to back out and again I catch him up. I travel and load two horses myself. Both of which hated trailers.

I never take them out the front as have had several horses which leap off and try and get out before the breast bar is out of the way. I have never had a problem with a horses reversing out.

The answer is hours of practice and bags of patience.

 

[scrumpygus]

I have to be careful of this too - i have 2 big horses and neither can walk out comfortably while the other is in there which cause some panic so i undo both breast guards and push the left horse back so the partition is fully open for the horse on the right and then once he is out i fully open it for the other one so neither panic or feel too claustophobic.

 

[Annagain]

This isn't ideal but it can work if your horse will come off quietly enough (as long he doesn't get touched by the partition will he come off quietly?) it could be an option. My horse chooses to do this himself but always walks off the trailer slowly and stops at the top so can see exactly what he's doing: When unloading, rather than turning down the ramp, keep him going relatively straight so that he steps off the front side of the ramp. Stay on his right hand side so that you don't get stuck between him and the car. By doing this he's less likely to hit anything as he turns. As I said it's not the best way to come off a trailer but my horse does it in a very controlled way each time and just steps down quietly. if your horse rushes it's probably not an option.

 

[Mooch]

I have a 510 and load my 17.2hh on the offside and my 15.3 on the nearside.

When I go to unload them I leave Jerry on the nearside, undo both sides and move the partition over to the nearside. Jerry moves back with no problems and it gives Milly enough room to swing round.

Even if you have a 505 and the little pony on the nearside, there will be plenty of room for the pony to move back.

I have even been a muppet before (nothing new there) and took Milly off and wondered why she was a bit slow coming off, to realise that I hadn't undo the nearside breech bar! Doh!

 

[DuckToller]

I find it quite easy to push my little pony back and unload the bigger one from the right - been practising it for a while in a 505.

Two people are needed (with groom's door open too for safety). I untie bigger one (15hh) but leave breast bar up, then push little pony back and undo his breast bar and get other person to stand there blocking him and keeping him company.

Then swiftly undo the horse's breast bar and take it off completely so it isn't dangling down by the side to catch a leg(drop it outside or give to someone else), and swing the front across, now totally blocking the pony in. Mine is used to this and just waits his turn.

As the horse tends to come of at a straighter angle than the ramp allows, I keep to the right once I have removed the bar and allow the horse to walk forward on quite a free rope (lunge rein even) and about half way down he jumps off the left side of the ramp to the ground.

Other person then swings the front partition back the other way and pony pops off sweetly. It helps that my little pony is only 12.2, like yours. Practice blocking the pony in with the front partition every time you load and unload him, so he is used to that before you add the horse.

Alternatively, if your horse panics each time the partition/pole touches her, and it is too dangerous, try reversing off and blocking pony in with the back half of the partition, and let horse come off backwards but at an angle so she is going down the middle of the ramp.

Whatever you try, make sure you have some safety equipment on the first few times - hat, boots, gloves, even body protector! And don't let the horse barge out - she must wait as once she learns she can barge, it won't be safe to try this.

ets: basically what sandg and annagain said, only I took twice as long!

 

[Fifty Bales of Hay]

My question is - will you have two people to do the unloading or will you be doing all this on your own? If you have two people I would take down both front breast bars, and swing the partition over to hold the pony back on the left hand side, with one person holding it and making sure pony doesn't want to follow! Then other person leads horse out.

If only you as a handler, I think I would load the horse on the left, then get the pony out first with leaving the breast bar in place in front of horse safely. Then go back and take the breast bar down, and clip the partition back so horse has plenty of room to get out and won't be hit by a swinging partition.

I know the horse being heavier should be on the right, but I think the trailers are better balanced these days, that it's not quite so necessary - but don't quote me on this! Ring Ifor Williams and ask them if this would be alright?

I yesterday had to load, travel and unload my two (one being a youngster) and I was on my own, so I put the youngster on the right, as he's smaller and lighter, and knew he would come down without having to turn or catch himself - rather than getting the older one out first and having the youngster panic and try to follow me!

It didn't feel any different to be honest in the weight distribution, and sometimes on roads you can get adverse cambers as well as cambers - so hows the trailer supposed to cope with these? It's almost impossible to evenly load a horse trailer with live horses as they move.

 

[legaldancer]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, you've given me some ideas to consider.
Unfortunately I'll be doing this on my own, but may be able to get some help for a practice session. I'll certainly be wearing my hat!