Scrambling in trailer help

[emmadance]

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has any advise on the following, as it would be greatly appreciated ! My horse is 11 years old and I have owned him from a 4 year old.Always travelled extremely well up and til last week, it is the same set up as always used a Landrover and ifor trailer.The problem started when I was on my way back from a competition 5 mins into the journey he started banging around in the trailer.I stopped at a local farm to find him scrambling to keep is balance even though we were not moving and in full panic.He had cut his legs and pulled off both back shoes,after I calmed him down he loaded up again no problem.Just even stationary however he pushed himself against the trailer wall lost balance and then started scrambling, that set off full panic mode.I had to call a local vet and get him sedated to get home and with the sedation he traveled fine.I have been feeding him in the trailer and standing him in the trailer for the past week no problems.Today I took him 3 mins down the road to my trainers.She was in the back with him keeping him calm feeding polos, all seemed fine and he had a lesson.We then went to go home with the same set up and as soon as I reversed the same scrambling started.He is currently at my trainers and we are attempting to get him home 2mrw.I have been looking at older threads for advise and have picked up some tips.Just wondered if any one could shed some light on why now a problem?????? He really had been post this the best traveller in the world! Also I travelled him normally on the drivers side, when he was sedated for the vet he was in the passenger side.Travelling down to my trainer I used the pax side, when he scrambled again he was in drivers side, when trying to get him home.I will obviously attempt now only to use the pax side, but for 7 years he has travelled always perfectly on the drivers side.At a loss as to what has gone on and prompted this nightmare.

 

[windand rain]

Might be wise to check the floor of the trailer often slight movement in the floor is a sign of collapse and the horse feels insecure

 

[emmadance]

Thanks windsbdrain,I’ll book a service and another thread said check tyre pressure so I’m on that tomorrow.It’s a 4 year old trailer that has always been serviced though.

 

[Iris1995]

Try without a partition. Also a change in travelling behaviour is often a sign of hock pain.

 

[Kat]

Check you trailer and tow vehicle carefully, tyres, tyre pressures, height of tow ball, brakes.

Then try without the partition.

Also try without full travel boots, go for brushing boots, over reach boots and knee boots instead.

If still scrambling after that I would be getting a vet work up.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agree with above check the floor and tyres but my horse started leaning back on his bum in my lorry and then he went lame with a hole in his suspensory ligament so it can sometimes be a reaction to an early injury or pain somewhere.

 

[Mule]

Remove the divider. It helps them to balance when they can stand slightly diagonally. It worked with mine and several others I've known with this problem.

 

[emmadance]

Thanks everyone so helpful,I always travelled him in over reach boots and xcountry boots as I noticed he didn’t like full travel boots.I have the trailer being serviced and the vet said after treatment of the wound on his leg will look at other things for me.He doesn’t seem at all in pain,and is working at quite a high level in dressage.I will defo try with the partition out.Someone else suggested even try just the back part out first.Thanks again it’s so horrible.He looks like bambi on ice in the trailer as soon as it starts moving which is so unlike him!

 

[Birker2020]

Thanks everyone so helpful,I always travelled him in over reach boots and xcountry boots as I noticed he didn’t like full travel boots.I have the trailer being serviced and the vet said after treatment of the wound on his leg will look at other things for me.He doesn’t seem at all in pain,and is working at quite a high level in dressage.I will defo try with the partition out.Someone else suggested even try just the back part out first.Thanks again it’s so horrible.He looks like bambi on ice in the trailer as soon as it starts moving which is so unlike him!

Is there rubber matting on the floor? I found with my first horse that condensation was forming inside the roof of the trailer and then dripping on the floor and freezing causing slippiness.

So we put rubber mats in and never had another issue; we also extended the breast bar forwards and also moved the partition over to give him more room..

 

[Goldenstar]

You need to check the trailer and you need to check the horses hocks .
Every time this has happened to me the horse was starting with bone spavin .

 

[Kat]

Thanks everyone so helpful,I always travelled him in over reach boots and xcountry boots as I noticed he didn’t like full travel boots.I have the trailer being serviced and the vet said after treatment of the wound on his leg will look at other things for me.He doesn’t seem at all in pain,and is working at quite a high level in dressage.I will defo try with the partition out.Someone else suggested even try just the back part out first.Thanks again it’s so horrible.He looks like bambi on ice in the trailer as soon as it starts moving which is so unlike him!

Be aware that a trailer service won't include checking the height of the tow vehicle's hitch, it probably won't involve checking the trailer's tyre pressures are correct and equal (this should be checked every use). You should check the tyres today, they can lose a lot of air while the vehicle is stored, and it won't necessarily be equal.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Try without a partition. Also a change in travelling behaviour is often a sign of hock pain.

OP this is what it was with my horse. Travelled fine until one day he was scrambling, took out the partitions and he was fine, he was diagnosed with arthritis a few months after, he was only 15 (well we thought at the time but was probably closer to 19/20) he travelled perfectly in lorries or in a trailer with no partition until he was PTS.