Over the breast bar

Britestar

Britestar

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How do you pluck up the courage to put a horse back in a trailer when they have done this?

Mine went over with both front legs and was stuck for some time, whilst I was driving along. It was done out of sheer temper on his part.

Trailer suffered much damage, and is only just back after 6 weeks being repaired. Horse suffered bruising and a few cuts and was fine to ride again after 3 weeks.

How do I ever get brave enough to put him back in? The one horse he really trusted, and I would have loaded in with him has sadly died of colic in the intervening weeks.

Any ideas?
 
Sorry to hear you a lost a horse to colic. A trailer camera might out your mind at ease. You could start by taking him in a very short journey, one person driving and one watching the monitor. I assume the breast bar is on the highest setting?
 
I'm not sure I want to see him do it again!! lol

Breast bar is as high as it goes (equitrek), and he actually had the tack pack in front of him. Climb up on it and then slid sideways into the area at the front. This was pure temper, and we were driving along at the time. I didn't realise what he'd done until we got home (12 miles).
 
Accidents happen. The best we can do is be prepared. I don't know about Equitrek but Ifor Williams bars slot into brackets on the outside walls and central partition that can be disconnected from the outside so the bar swings downwards....

...BUT it is essential to have the curved end of the bar that slots into the bracket on the INSIDE so it acts like a hinge. Also, make sure the threads on the bolts holding the brackets are free and not rusted up. I've replaced these bolts on mine with bolts with a domed Allen (counter sunk) head which are less likely to burr over when you try to undo them in a panic. I also check that the tool for undoing them is in the glove compartment of the Landrover before setting off. Oh, and I have a trailer cam as well.

Horses wil occasionally get their legs over the bar. The bar is to stop the horse travelling forwards and hitting the front of the trailer if the driver has to break suddenly and it is called a breast bar for good reason. Make sure it is in the correct position relative to your horse to prevent damage.
 
The reconstruction of the trailer has included creating a collapsible breast bar - not a standard fit on older Equitreks, and the guys has spent a lot of time sorting this for me.

He has the tack pack in front of him, and is tied with a quick release travel tie. He climbed onto the tack pack, and then clambered forwards. He's a big lad (16.2/3).

SS - temper. He was raging that I'd loaded him and not left immediately. Was pawing at the floor and tack pack, and wound himself up to do this. I'm happy to admit I should have left as soon as I got him loaded, but life isn't always like that, and actually for the first 10 mins he stood quitely and ate hay. it not always possible to load and leave within 2/3 mins.

I'm hoping to put his mum in with him, as she's a great traveller, but then that leads to the 'I'm totally attached to mum and dont want to leave her' senario.
 
We had one that did this in a Supersonic with tack lockers, the answer was to put two string ties through two of the holes in the breast bar that the pins go through on either side of the horse, ie one near the wall and one near the centre breast bar pin, then pillory tie. the horse still had freedom to move but couldn't raise high enough to get legs over. She soon learnt not to bother. We also put knee boots on while she was thinking about it! Hope that helps...
 
I had one who would have tempers if he was stood on the trailer and not moving, he would jump the breast bar as well. Did it several times but thankfully he knew straight away he was stuck and would turn into a total dobbin while we extracted him (which in my trailer involved lifting the bars up to get them to release, ie. no quick release!). Now you've got the quick release system in place, that'll be such a help. I would hope he's scared himself enough to not do it again, but I think I'd try to keep it easy the first few times and only load him if you can leave immediately, this is what we did with the horse I mention and it avoided a lot of tempers.
 
Mine did this quite a few years ago - I was parked up at the time. Very scary - not something I wish to ever see again. The design of my trailer...it had no static bum bar so horse could go backwards to enable to get up - if you know what I mean. I put additional tie rings at the front so I could tie him as far forward to the breast bar, therefore not allowing him the movement to go backwards and upwards.

I just cracked on and got him in the trailer at least four times a week for small journeys to a friends to use the school. Held my breath every time. Actually swapped to a lorry after a while (not for this reason) and the breast bar is too high for him to do this, plus he grew up and decided to be sensible.

Good luck !!
 
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