Pawing / banging in the horsebox... HELP!

[_jetset_]

I know it is not strictly competition riders, but was hoping you could help me.

My 5 year old mare is really figgety in the horsebox whether with another or on her own and paws and bangs a lot On the motorway she is so much happier, but as soon as we get on smaller windy roads, or get stuck in traffic on the motorway she starts pawing really badly and today has pulled up some of the rubber off the floor

She has not been out for a good 6 months, but we have quite a few journeys planned over the next few months and I don't want her to keep crashing about... but I am also not really sure how to help her settle etc.

Has anyone else had a horse like this?

What did you do?

Or has anyone any suggestions how to get her travelling better?

 

[SpottedCat]

Aside from the obvious, which is putting her on the box every day and making sure she knows it isn't on - getting her to stand for longer and longer, personally I'd hobble her.

 

[_jetset_]

Aside from the obvious, which is putting her on the box every day and making sure she knows it isn't on - getting her to stand for longer and longer, personally I'd hobble her.

She is very unbalanced when she is travelling too... which is part of the reason she is banging when we are travelling.

 

[SpottedCat]

I assume you've tried all the different variations on partition positions - close together, far apart, angled forwards, angled backwards, straight across.

ETA: she's not *that* unbalanced if she's managing to be on 3 legs and paw enough to bring up the mats - she could be having you on a bit. My experienced horse is perfectly balanced in the lorry, but when you get near to the destination, will crash about like you've done an emergency stop - in fact it's just his way of pointing out he is very pleased to nearly be there and could you please drop the ramp and get on with it. As soon as you drop the ramp, he stands like a rock.

 

[_jetset_]

I assume you've tried all the different variations on partition positions - close together, far apart, angled forwards, angled backwards, straight across.

ETA: she's not *that* unbalanced if she's managing to be on 3 legs and paw enough to bring up the mats - she could be having you on a bit. My experienced horse is perfectly balanced in the lorry, but when you get near to the destination, will crash about like you've done an emergency stop - in fact it's just his way of pointing out he is very pleased to nearly be there and could you please drop the ramp and get on with it. As soon as you drop the ramp, he stands like a rock.

She actually has to lean on the partition and when you turn a corner she is very unstable on her legs (I have a camera so can watch her). When she is pawing she is leaning right against the partition and as if she is struggling to stay up.

I have not really changed the partitions as like I say, she has not travelled much so I wanted to get some ideas of how to improve the situation. I can definitely try them closer together as she had quite a bit of space today. Also, she had a small holed haynet which I don't think helped either, so will get a bog standard haynet for the future to see if that helps.

 

[SpottedCat]

Be careful with a big holed net if she is pawing - if she gets her front leg up and out when doing it she could get her foot stuck (this is the voice of experience - good job a knife was handy!). I'd definitely try moving the partitions about, and obviously just take the windy roads v slowly. I think if you move the angle so that she is facing more towards the ramp that should help too.

 

[lcscotson]

My horse started that and we took out the partition and using full length breat and breeching bars cross tied her - problem solved she wouldn't paw when moving (ony when stopped) but had trouble keping her balance and baned about with that. Did the same for the older horse and worked a treat - just means can only take one in the trailer at a time

 

[Baggybreeches]

Sorry no help but one of mine is a pain in the bum to travel, he is better with another horse but he paws and bucks constantly and yet when you stop he is as cool as a cucumber! I would also avoid a haynet altogether, I firmly believe that horses don't actually need hay when travelling, I very rarely take hay out with me.

 

[kit279]

Try taking the partitions out and cross tying her or at least making them wide enough so that she has to stand up properly and cannot lean against the sides. My old grey horse was a dreadful leaner/banger/scraper of rubber mats - problem was solved by travelling him in a rear facing trailer.

 

[now_loves_mares]

Initially when I saw your title, I agreed with SC re the hobbles. However, if your horse is fine on smooth roads (motorway) but not on the windy roads, it does imply she is struggling with her balance. I can't remember/tell if you have a trailer or a lorry? FWIW my experience is that mares are a lot fussier about how they travel, and a lot like to "spread their legs" o) when travelling. I had one that would only travel on the left in the trailer; but when we upgraded to a lorry, the only partition she could travel in was the back one. We had herringbone angled backwards, so the layout meant that the last partition was really wide at the bum end. Any other partition she'd scrabble up the walls/partitions, but in that one she could take a wide stance with her hind legs and travelled fine.

Mares - who'd have 'em?

 

[Madam_max]

Initially when I saw your title, I agreed with SC re the hobbles. However, if your horse is fine on smooth roads (motorway) but not on the windy roads, it does imply she is struggling with her balance. I can't remember/tell if you have a trailer or a lorry? FWIW my experience is that mares are a lot fussier about how they travel, and a lot like to "spread their legs" o) when travelling. I had one that would only travel on the left in the trailer; but when we upgraded to a lorry, the only partition she could travel in was the back one. We had herringbone angled backwards, so the layout meant that the last partition was really wide at the bum end. Any other partition she'd scrabble up the walls/partitions, but in that one she could take a wide stance with her hind legs and travelled fine.

Mares - who'd have 'em?

Agree. Corroy needs a fair amount fo room otherwise she scrabbles up the walls. On the way back from one show I thought she had colic as she was trying to lie down. When I stopped she staryed eating her haynet this was all because I had put the partitions over one hole too many. Changed it back, gave her tons of room and she was happy. Like you say-mares!

 

[christine48]

One of ours kicks and paws (though she doesn't struggle for balance like yours. We hobbled her, but I'd be reluctant to do that with your mare as she could fall. years ago we had a mare that was like yours in a forward facing lorry. Fine on straight roads but around corners would lean dreadfully on the partition, paw and nearly fall over. she was fine when we bought a herring bone lorry.
I presume you've tried her in all of the partitions, we vind ours travels best near the living which is over the back axle. the other thing you could do is take out the partitions and take her on a short journey to see how she favours standing. it may be that she'd prefer to travel facing backwards or herringboned backwards.

 

[Jnhuk]

Try taking the partitions out and cross tying her or at least making them wide enough so that she has to stand up properly and cannot lean against the sides. My old grey horse was a dreadful leaner/banger/scraper of rubber mats - problem was solved by travelling him in a rear facing trailer.

My bigger horse as he grew bigger started to bang about and paw up mats and get himself in quite a state when previously he had been a very good traveller. Took the partitiion out of the trailer and put in full breast bar and cross tied and problem sorted. However then we need to take two horse so upgraded to rear facing trailer with loads more room. We now have rear facing lorry as he doesn't fit herringbone in a normal nonHGV horsebox due to his size with other horses in!

I would try to experiment with side/layout if you can and give her more width so she can stand how she needs to find her balance.

 

[lillie07]

My big grey horse is exactly the same, so he is hobbled. They are long enough that he can balance himself. I would also take out the hay out whilst travelling.

 

[Mari]

I haven't read all the posts so maybe someone has already suggested this. If she finds balancing hard definitely do not hobble her. Is she travelling facing forwards? If so taking the partition out completely & travelling her on her own will give her plenty of space to stand diagonal if she wishes & to spread her legs (& therefore her weight). If it is a solid partition down to the floor you could try having the bottom part removed so that she can spread her feet. I had the bottom of mine changed to a rubber flap (sorry can't think of another way to describe it). Horses often prefer to travel standing diagonal & my horse loves travelling backwards in his Renault Master. He recognises 2 venues we go to regularly & starts to bang with excitement at the same place each time but when he was younger he used to bang bang bang non stop until I either sat with him or got him out of the box. People used to call it the rocking box! He did injure himself a few times with his antics but I just kept taking him out & eventually he calmed down. He's a pleasure to take out now & will stand in the box all day if necessary. So make sure you give your horse a steady ride along the road & just persevere.

 

[_jetset_]

Thanks everyone...

I have a horsebox and it is herringbone. So I can have a bit of a fiddle with the partitions, but not hugely due to the design of the back area. I don't know whether she would prefer having the partitions tighter to allow her more support, or wider to allow her to move about more.

I would never travel without hay as I have one who has had gastric ulcers, another who has had colic surgery and one that is prone to spasmodic colic... but I do think a larger holed net would help as she was also getting cross because she couldn't get to her neighbours haynet (with larger holes).

I guess it is just going to be trial and error... I am hoping that as she gets more experienced travelling she will improve. She has not done much at all but from now on she has quite a few big ones planned.

 

[Tnavas]

Have you tried a deep covering of straw - preferably clean used straw as it doesn't slip around so much. While rubber may be non slip when dry it can get slippery when peed or pooed on.

The straw makes them feel more secure and also covers over any dung and absorbs the pee.

Before rubber mats became the norm in boxes & trailers we used straw and in all the time I traveled horses around rarely had trouble with bad travellers.

One thing an old boss used to do with one horse that tended to kick out a lot was to use a length of chain - quite heavy chain, with a dog collar through the top link and the dog collar strapped around the leg above the hock. When the horse went to kick out the chain banged on the leg so eventually the horse stopped kicking out.

 

[AnShanDan]

I agree the most likely solution would be to give more room. An old pony of ours was a terrible traveller in the trailer as a 5/6yo; think manic galloping on the sides of the trailer esp. on corners/windy roads. It was pretty terrifying and he would arrive lathered in sweat.
He was 80% better without the back half of the partiton, and 100% better in the lorry with the partitions out wide. He needed to get this legs spread out.

 

[charlie76]

My horse started acting like this in the lorry, its also herringbone, he would also buck and jump around. I found it was because he had to much room to move forward and also he did not the window open or the noises outside the lorry, esp if the trees were close on narrow lanes. Like yours , he was fine on big roads and motorways.
I have got a stable chain ( stall guard) and attached it to the partion so that he can't push forward enough to buck or paw. I also put cotton wool in his ears and keep the window shut. He has travelled perfectly ever since.

 

[_jetset_]

Would you mind putting me a picture up of the stall chain?

 

[charlie76]

http://www.brighteyesandbobtails.co.uk/acatalog/Stable_Door_Bolts_and_Hinges.html
scroll down to the bottom. I put a bit of very short baler twine on the partion either side of him and attach it to that, in that way should be panic the string woul break. It has solved it along with the ear plugs( he hates the banging of the partions too- drama queen!)

 

[flyingfeet]

I found that because I hadn't used a horsebox before (always a trailer) I gave my horse too much room and he didn't feel stable

I moved the partitions closer together and he now travels much better

However he always paws 20 mins from home on the inbound journey (unless really knackered!), which is annoying

I have been doing lots of research into hobbles and have bought some above the knee front hobbles to see if I can discourage him

However hobbles must be introduced properly in the school and can have a good effect on any horse, as they learn to accept being restrained