Our horse falls/ can't stand up in the trailer or horsebox

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gemmalovick

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We have a very talented horse, 10 year old TB mare ex- racer who we have had for a few years now. She used to travel fine in the trailer and we took her out regularly. Then one day we went to move yards and before we had even got out of the yard she had fallen over and everytime we moved she literally threw herself down on the floor.

We eventually got her to the yard and she got off fine not sweaty or unsettled jsut her normal self. Now whenever we try to build her confidence she just falls in the trailer. She is not scared to load and even after falling she will re- load again?!

We are getting to our wits end as she is very talented and not sure what to try. We hired a rear facing lorry and still had the same problems. She falls behind and scrambles with her legs. She used to be a race horse so has obviously travelled before and used to travel fine with us. Our mum is a very careful driver but we really need help, from anyone or any ideas as my sister wants to take her out and compete.

Thanks!
 
take the partition out, and have her back checked. hope u get it sorted, i have had the same issue with one of mine.
 
no im not related lol
Did you just take the partition out and your horse was fine?
We are trying to look into geting her fully examined to make sure she is ok not sure who to get out to do it tho.
 
do you have partition in? my TB ex racer hates forwards facing trailers but is fine in rear facing equi trek and normal wagon so sorry have no real suggestions...
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yes we have the partition in hoping to try taking it out and driving around the field incase she does go down again as we have a fairly large field thats relatively flat that way theres no shar corners either. Its just so horrible watching your horse go down!
 
Sorry gemma couldn't resist it cos of the xx's.
Our TB was the really bad in a trailer.
We even got escourted off the M25 due to her dangerous behaviour.
She was fine as soon as we bought a lorry and she travelled herringbone with a very wide partition and head next to a window.
Good luck
 
she doesn't really try to lay down she kind of goes down with her back end and leans on her side to thrash about with her legs of that makes sense?

Would be easier if she did decide to lay down!
 
how off my ex racer is exactly the same... just can't keep his balance- is it a tb thing??

have you tried herringbone lorry as thats what she is prob used to as racehorse.
 
Yea thats why we thought to try without a partition in, in our field becuase if something happened we can unload her and settle her down and then there will be no traffic or sharp corners to negotiate
 
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I'd possibly try a short journey without the partition some horse just can't cope with a narrow space and need more leg room
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ditto this. know loads of horses who don't travel well with a partition in
 
My Tb ex-racer was a superb traveller when we first got him. Then we had a bad journey (long story) and every time we took a corner - no matter how slow - he would thrash about in the trailer. This then developed into him not loading. Called out someone to help from Intelligent Horsemanship. We got him loading quietly & calmly, then took him for a short drive with no partitions so she could see what he was doing. He was quiet as a mouse with no partition, but she noted that he leans on the right side of the trailer. I had narrowed the behaviour down to right hand turns. Basically, as he travels on the left (as he is our lighter horse), he leans on the partition. When we turn left, he leans even more into the partition - therefore no problem. When we turn right, it forces him off the partition so he scrabbles against the wall to gain footing. His bad experience had knocked his confidence, but he is now learning to balance properly again (lots of patience & practise) and I had a brilliant journey with him on saturday - quiet as anything. Maybe some of this will help - taking out the partition would be my first step.
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I am intersted in contacing someone related to natural horsemanship as am looking for any help at all. Who did u get out to help with this just out of interest as im looking into it!

This is exactly what she is like she loses her balance and then seems to scrammble about with her feet.
 
If you go to the intelligent horsemanship website, it will give you a list of recommended associates in your area. Certainly worth calling one in my opinion. I wasted so much time (and got injured) trying to get him to load after that bad journey. He had basically lost his confidence travelling, so converted his fear by not loading. Once I sorted the loading (so he was happy to be in the trailer) I did a few journeys without the partition to try to teach him to learn to balance again. When the partition went back in, he was in a quieter frame of mind, and is now learning really well how to travel again. It isn't an overnight fix, but pretty amazing how the RA changed his attitude. Good luck!
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Take partition out,my boy has done this from being 3,he is now 14 and can still not travel with partition!
Have watched him from behind and he stands diagnally across the trailer,he travels fine in a lorry,but he is stood the way he finds most comfortable!
I put a post on months ago about this,and am amazed how many people have the same problem,i have tried on a couple of occasions to travel him with something else,but it never gets any better!
Not worth risking the horses legs they are travelling with or stressing them that much they will never load again
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we had to crawl round corners at 2mph
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travels like a dream without partition
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The only thing i would add to theses posts is that some horse like to travelled with the partitions tight to their sides, others like to be able to spread their feet very wide, and the really awkward ones like to be tightly partitioned while still spreading their feet, which requires a partition that is open at the bottom. Does your horse scrabble for footing and keep hitting the upright of the partition? I think it will be trial and error, take out the partition, and watch his behaviour, does he spread his legs out really wide, or lean on one side or the other. Like the other poster says he could be losing his balance when shifting for corners. Herringbone suits the majority of horses because they naturally use their quarters to balance them selves and turns essentially set up a decelerating force which throws them to teh front of the vehicle, travelling herringbone gives them an opportunity to balance better
Good Luck!
 
I can't believe either how many people also have this problem. Thankyou for all the help

Definately going to look into the intelligent horsemanship right now!

We are prepared to take the time just want her to get over her fear or whatever is bothering her.
 
I do agree that without partition is best if you can, but we bought our trailer so we could take our 2 horses out, so we really had to see if there was any way he would travel with it in. I think the fact that I knew he could travel happily (having done so with the partition in for the last 2 years), gave me the encouragement that he could get back there again.
 
Meant to add,my lad did the same...they panic on corners and cant spread their legs enough so scrabble,which when you are in the car sounds like they are falling over
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,it is scary as they dont actually fall but skin verything that is on show
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!!
I personally with mine wont entertain natural horsemanship,have had him all his life,know him inside out,he has never been frightened of a trailer,even when he scrabbles...he goes straight back in,he just likes to spread his legs for his own stability further than trailer with a partition in will allow!take out partition before you look at spending money,and see how you go!
 
she will just buckle her back legs, lean on her side and scrabble around with her legs around the partition. Its hard to describe, just horrible to watch! She used to travel fine with the parition in and with another horse but is having none of it now.
 
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I do agree that without partition is best if you can, but we bought our trailer so we could take our 2 horses out, so we really had to see if there was any way he would travel with it in. I think the fact that I knew he could travel happily (having done so with the partition in for the last 2 years), gave me the encouragement that he could get back there again.

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Will add(sorry didnt realise ned travelled well before),lol...my lad has never been able to travel with anything else(from very young age)...we tried every yr or so,but never got any better,have given up now,lol....he happy stood on his very funny angle
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The key thing is that she used to be able to travel fine. Therefore, it sounds like something has knocked her confidence to cause this. I also know my horse inside out, but when he became dangerous to load because of fear, I needed professional help as I had lost my confidence too. The RA was able to look at the situation objectively and confirm that it was fear based, and teach me how to deal with it safely. The fact remains that he went out for the first time with his friend on Saturday so we could do a 10 mile hack about 30 minutes drive away. He loaded first time both ends without batting an eyelid, and on the journey home, I didn't hear a peep out of either of them - roundabouts & everything! So it can work , although it's not for everyone.

ETS - As Hadfos's experience says - there are some horses who have not, and will not ever, travel with the partition in. Hopefully, because your girl used to, you will be able to teach her again!
 
I had the same problem they sort of climb the sides and slip so I took the partition out and that helped immensly also some horses realy like to spread they back legs then I got another horse so i have two and wanted to travel them both together i tried the horse that slipped with partition in again on the right (looking from back) he still slipped you are supposed to travel a horse on right if on own so I put him on the other side (Left) and it worked he travels very well on left side my trailer is a Ifor williams 505 and i do think they have a problem with there trailers when traveling with just one horse with partition in !! ive heard it so many times before.
 
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