Struggling with balance in trailer

[CobsGalore]

We travelled my horse at the weekend in a trailer and he really struggled with his balance. We went round corners soo slowly but his back legs sort of gave way each time and he seems to lean all his weight on his bottom on the rear ramp. He loaded absolutely fine there and back, but sweated up really badly even though he was only travelling for 20 minutes each way.

I have read lots of threads on here, many suggesting to take the partition out to help him balance, but it isn't my trailer, and we are going to have to travel him again in a couple of weeks.

Is there anything I can do to make his journey a little easier for him next time? Or is it just a case of getting some practice in? He hasn't travelled in a while and I think he is more used to lorries than trailers.

 

[Happy Hunter]

Some just dont travel well forwards
some dont travel well backwards.

I can only suggest some small steady practice journeys?

Are his legs booted up? - I found my old girl couldnt stand back boots - with them off she was so much better!

Try Bandages to see if they offer more flexibility?

 

[CobsGalore]

Thank you, it really wasn't very nice to watch him struggling like that.

He wasn't booted at all.

 

[CobsGalore]

Anyone else got any more ideas as to how I can keep him on all 4 feet in the trailer?

 

[Tammytoo]

Partitions in trailers are very easily removed. I'm sure the owner of the trailer wouldn't mind you taking it out, providing you replaced it before returning the trailer. Some horses find it easier to balance if they can wedge their bum into a corner and have room to spread their legs out if necessary.

 

[CobsGalore]

Partitions in trailers are very easily removed. I'm sure the owner of the trailer wouldn't mind you taking it out, providing you replaced it before returning the trailer. Some horses find it easier to balance if they can wedge their bum into a corner and have room to spread their legs out if necessary.

Oh ok, I thought you had to replace the breast and breach bars to single ones? I didn't think it was as easy as just taking the partition out.

 

[Highlands]

Is it just mats or do you have bedding in?

 

[CobsGalore]

Is it just mats or do you have bedding in?

Just rubber mats. He doesn't seem to slip though, he just completely loses his balance.

Bedding may be worth a try though

 

[katherine1975]

How old is he? Our old cob couldn't balance at all. We found out that it was due to arthritis.
Also, depending on the type of trailer you would need to change the breast and breach bars to single ones if you take the partition out.

 

[Clannad48]

We had exactly the same problem with our mare - we ended up taking out the partition and putting in full breach bars. She now travels diagonally in the trailer much happier - we also bandage rather that boot. Another thing to check is the tyre pressures on the trailer - we found we had a slow puncture in one which affected the travelling.

 

[TheSylv007]

I've had a very similar problem with my mare (she was throwing herself against the partition on left hand bends and collapsing). We took out the partition and it was a completely different story, she found her own balance. We do have full length breech and breast bars which you would need if you took out the partition. What was interesting was that she arranged herself on the left hand side and pretty much stayed there the whole journey - if you can't take out the partition you could try putting your horse on the left? I know its not the usual way of things and there doesn't seem to be any logic as to why they would prefer that side but it might be another thing to try?

 

[CobsGalore]

Thanks for the suggestions He is only 5 and doesn't have arthritis. My friends horse traveled in the trailer the day after and was absolutely fine so it is him and not the trailer - tyre pressures always checked before journeys anyway.

Is it easy to change breast bars over and take out the partition, and then change back again when owners use trailer? Where would I look to buy a full length breast bar?

 

[QueenDee_]

my old mare started doing this following an incident where her saddle slipped whilst in the trailer (the only time i've ever traveled in tack and it was a 5min trip down the road ) her back legs would completely go and she'd sit on her bum. We had her in a trailer with the partition out but she still did it. Traveled fine in a lorry so I think it was the forward travelling that didn't help

 

[Tnavas]

You could try just swinging the partition over, do use something to secure it to the far side though and you need to be very careful when you do up the ramp and then when you lower it at the other end incase he decides to come out quickly as you have nothing behind him. Do make sure that you untie before dropping the ramp down and only tie up once the ramp is up.

I've always found a deep bed of straw helps a great deal. Also having the horses back/neck checked as sometimes horses with back problems find trailers a problem.

 

[NikNak1]

Try travelling him on the other side, my horse struggles to travel on the left hand side as she seems to wedge her right hind hoof into the side of the trailer to balance and she can't do that if she's on the left. As long as she's on the right she travels like a dream either alone or with others

 

[CobsGalore]

You could try just swinging the partition over, do use something to secure it to the far side though and you need to be very careful when you do up the ramp and then when you lower it at the other end incase he decides to come out quickly as you have nothing behind him. Do make sure that you untie before dropping the ramp down and only tie up once the ramp is up.

I've always found a deep bed of straw helps a great deal. Also having the horses back/neck checked as sometimes horses with back problems find trailers a problem.

Great idea re partition, we will give this a go. Thank you

 

[Caledonia]

Check tyre pressures also - we had a good traveller go down on corners when the tyre pressure had been changed on a friend's trailer by a helpful person who didn't know what they were doing.

He'd travelled hours in the trailer before with no problems.

 

[Beau jangles]

We had a pony who pulled a shoe whilst travelling and it really freaked him out god knows how it happened was only shod a few days before !
He then struggled with balance from there on in , we removed the partition to let him spread his legs to balance better and it worked a treat !
Never had a problem with him from then on in

 

[MagicMelon]

Take the partition out, its the only way to fix this. It doesnt matter if its not your trailer? I'd say its worse to not do it as you risk damage to it!

 

[paulineh]

I have an Arab mare that started to throw herself around the trailer. She would load very well and also unload as if nothing had happened.

I took a lot of advice from people. This is what I did to help.

1) I gave her an instant calmer such as Magic about an hour before we travelled her.when travelling horses loss Magnesium ,which has an effect on the muscles which in its self can cause muscle cramps /tremors
2) I moved the back part of the partition. To hold it in place I got a length of chain and covered it with tubing. I needed to be able to travel a second horse so could not move it back to far.
3) I put some shavings down, horses do not like to feel that if the floor gets mucky they could slip.
4) I moved her from the off side (right side ) to the inner one (Near side left side)
5) I do not travel her in any boots or bandages
6) I do not tie her up.

My mare started even when we started the engine of the Land Rover.

It took me about 10 days to get her to be happy and travel well. I took her down to Exmoor, a journey of about 200 miles and she was fine. I then took her to Wales again a journey of about
200 miles.

For the cost is a syringe of instant calmer I was well worth it.

 

[Highlands]

How old is he? Our old cob couldn't balance at all. We found out that it was due to arthritis.
Also, depending on the type of trailer you would need to change the breast and breach bars to single ones if you take the partition out.

We found this with my old highland, he used to sit on the ramp of our ifor Williams rubbing his tail.

 

[Double_choc_lab]

Ditto. Our mater was fine with partition until she threw herself against it and cut herself. Took partition out put in full bars and she now travels really well.

 

[juliap]

You could try just swinging the partition over, do use something to secure it to the far side though and you need to be very careful when you do up the ramp and then when you lower it at the other end incase he decides to come out quickly as you have nothing behind him. Do make sure that you untie before dropping the ramp down and only tie up once the ramp is up.

I've always found a deep bed of straw helps a great deal. Also having the horses back/neck checked as sometimes horses with back problems find trailers a problem.

I personally wouldn't do this as you only have the ramp fixings holding horse it. You need a full breech bar at the back. The thought of the ramp fastenings giving way & horse coming out the back of the trailer doesn't bear thinking about.

 

[CobsGalore]

I personally wouldn't do this as you only have the ramp fixings holding horse it. You need a full breech bar at the back. The thought of the ramp fastenings giving way & horse coming out the back of the trailer doesn't bear thinking about.

I don't think the current breech bars would hold a horse in the trailer if the ramp fastenings gave way anyway they are like thick chains with tubing over the top

 

[Tnavas]

I personally wouldn't do this as you only have the ramp fixings holding horse it. You need a full breech bar at the back. The thought of the ramp fastenings giving way & horse coming out the back of the trailer doesn't bear thinking about.

The ramp fixings are highly unlikely to give way unless the trailer is in shoddy condition - When you don't have your own trailer and if the trailer can't have the partition removed easily then it is the only way - I have seen people use a chain with clips at both ends to act as a breaching bar when moving the partition over - my friend has had her trailer converted and has both a breast bar and breaching bar made to fit across the whole float as hers is one of the idiot ones where the breast bar joins to the partition.

 

[05troyd]

You could try just swinging the partition over, do use something to secure it to the far side though and you need to be very careful when you do up the ramp and then when you lower it at the other end incase he decides to come out quickly as you have nothing behind him. Do make sure that you untie before dropping the ramp down and only tie up once the ramp is up.

.

We did this with my old gelding who used to do exactly the same. He just couldn't balance around corners particularly left hand bends so the vet suggested fixing the back partition to the side and problem solved. Now he travels no problem and if we needed to carry two we would just remove the back partition all together (this was an if or Williams with a split partition)

 

[CobsGalore]

We did this with my old gelding who used to do exactly the same. He just couldn't balance around corners particularly left hand bends so the vet suggested fixing the back partition to the side and problem solved. Now he travels no problem and if we needed to carry two we would just remove the back partition all together (this was an if or Williams with a split partition)

Thank you, will give this a try