Problems travelling in an Equitrek?????

[MHSporthorses]

I recently tried to travel my 2 year old colt in my equitrex for the first time. He normally travels in my 4 horse fautra which is herringbone and has always been brilliant in there, but he loaded fine (a little hesitant at the ramp having never used one... he only has to step into the fautra) but as soon as we moved he reared up over the bar onto the tack locker appearfing like he was desperate to get throught the jockey door window. ( thank god for trailer vision) Obviously we stopped and i had to go in to calm him whilst we tried to get somewhere to drop the ramp. He had both front feet on the tack locker and as soon as i got him to put one leg down he was straight back up again. In the end I literally pulled him off the bar when we had dropped the ramp as I could not and still cant find any sort of emergency release system for the breast bar.
I was so lucky that he has not damaged himself or killed me in the process and obviolusly I am now petrified of ever putting him in it again and never will. I just wondered if anyone else has had problems with travelling a horse in the rear facing position? after all we are told it is the best for them?! or if anyone has any suggestions as to why a good traveller would have such a violent reaction to this trailer.
PS he loaded straight onto the fautra afterwards, a little tense obviously but soon settled back to normal.

Thanks in advance to everybody for reading!!!

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

I've got one as my horse doesnt like the Ifor Williams without a partition. She travels lovely in it but she did once get upset when I tied her loosely and there was a cycle race on so I think she could just make out their bright vests by looking out of the back window, I tie her a but tighter now so that she can still see out but not directly behind now and I have never had a problem.
I would maybe try him again but block out the rear window but leave the side ones so he can see out.
When we first tried my mare in it I was naughty and travelled in the back with her and did notice that the partitions rattled quite badly so we padded the bit that fits in the front to stop this.
Can't think of anything else.

 

[_daisy_]

ive got a mare that wont travel in an Ifor, she rears or throws herself on the floor. ive never had any issues with her in a lorry or the equitreks . i was worried at first that it might be a trailer issue but put her in our equitrek and she travels lovely in it. not of the horses ive travelled in it have any issue with the rear facing position. i dont know what fautras' are like it is posible that i he doesnt like the position of the windows next to his head?

 

[Governor]

I'm having to sell my Ifor because G is so much trouble to load into and and doesn't travel well in it either.

He's travelled in an Equitrek trailer and Sonic (box) and never has a drop of sweat on him - we had a camera to watch him in the box and he looked very relaxed. I find he loads much better/quicker with the side ramp too.

Not sure what to suggest with your colt except perhaps putting some kind of screen over the windows to see if that helps but obviously keep the journey very short.

 

[hussar]

I've used Equitreks for the past 6 years and never had a problem with them. The horses do seem to travel better facing backwards. However, I don't think there is a quick-release system for the breast bar - and maybe that's something Equitrek should think about.

 

[HelsB]

My boy loves his equitrek, loads himself into it! He's pretty fussy on his mode of transport too!

 

[Jazzelle29]

Interesting- I sold my Equitrek about 6 months after buying it because the same thing happened with my horse. He was a very experienced traveller- been trailered all over the country. At first he was fine, and then one day he jumped forwards over the breast bar, and became trapped on top of it. At one point he tried to get out of the jockey door- not good. At one point we thought we were going to have to cut the trailer up to get him out!

He eventually hauled himself over backwards, landed upside down and rolled down the ramp- much to my relief.

My boyf modified the breast bar with a home made quick release mechanism- pm me for details on how to do this- and we also stacked hay bales up into the space between the lockers just so he couldn't get stuck there again, but I lost faith in the trailer and sold it on.

I contacted Equitrek to complain about the lack of a quick release and they stated that nothing like this hadhappened before (hmm)! and that they would be fitting quick releases- although I don't think this has been done either.

 

[ecrozier]

Can I ask which equitrek you have? We are currently looking to buy one, and I know they do some that are herringbone now - the multitrekka certainly is. Perhaps it was just travelling backwards he objected to? Although I guess it is rather risky to try it again and as you already have a herringbone trailer maybe safer just to use that?