Please! All advice gratefully recieved

[Baggybreeches]

My TB is a pain in the **se to travel.He bucks in the trailer! Now bearing in mind he is 17.1hh this is some achievement in itself. He does this most often when travelling alone, but not always and he does it with others with him but not as much. I have tried driving really slowly (2nd gear) all the way but this appears to enable him to be worse. Have also tried driving quite fast, So the driving doesnt make any difference.
Cutting to the chase, he is wrecking his feet with all of this stamping and bucking, so what can I do. Please all suggestions will be road tested and I will let you know what works.

 

[jacks_mum]

Is there any way to raise the chest bar so he can't get his head down to buck?

If he can't get his head down, then in theory, he can't buck.

 

[LifeofRiley]

Forgive me stating the obvious but there must be a reason why he is doing this and you need to find out why!

Is he other wise happy going into the trailer and is he experienced (my youngster was a nightmare at first but now he knows what its all about and is fine!)

You could try opening him in a lorry out of interest to see if he is any better in that - again my neddy prefers facing sideways!! Have you tried giving him a haynet to keep him quiet?

 

[Baggybreeches]

Its on the highest setting, and weirdly he doesn't drop his head to do it, perhaps because he isnt being ridden!?

 

[Sparklet]

Is your trailer big enough - a lot of standard trailers are not big enought for a 17hh horse? Sounds like he is irritated by the bar at the back - have you tried him with no partitions?

 

[lizzie_liz]

Have you tried taking out the parition in the middle, not sure is this would work, but i know lots of horses who travel so much better with it removed. they don't feel so claustrophoebic and they can stand more or less how they want to. My mare will now stand right in the middle of the trailer and spread her legs out wide, while sisters horse will stand diagonally.

 

[SillyMare]

It sounds like your horse is just panicking - I was going to suggest taking out the partition too. Amazing what a common problem it is - I think lot of horses just need the extra space (especially big ones).

My friend has a claustrophobic (sp?) horse and an Ifor Williams trailer - absolutely fine if she just folds the back half of the partition to the side and ties it with a bit of string. That way she doesn't need to get a wider breast bar.

 

[Dovorian]

Hi - assuming you are travelling in a big enough trailer + with partitions in..... have you tried using a single breastbar and travelling him without a partition. I had a big boy who hated to travel any other way, once the partition was out he would travel happile for literally hours.

 

[xEMPx]

Hi,

My old horse was an absolute NIGHTMARE travelling face forward, as soon as you travelled him herringbone, backwards - good as gold. Some horses cant cope with being forward faced no matter what speed/space they have. We had to get a lorry because of it!!

 

[Baggybreeches]

I think I might try travelling him backwards. I have an Ifor HB510, and I dont think he is panicking cos he is a cool as cucumber when he does it?? My friend is getting a herringbone type of trailer so I will see if that works. Iam assuming he is ok in a wagon from his racing days. Thanks everyone.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Might be stating the obvious, but apart from the suggestions above I'd put a poll guard on him aswell just incase he smacks his head & injures himself....just a thought.