Tail getting hurt when travelling

[RedVendetta]

My horse travels on an Ifor Williams trailer with a tail bandage and a neoprene tail wrap on top. He uses the back bar and trailer door to lean on, constantly. On short journeys he is fine, on long ones, somehow he manages to rub through the neoprene wrap and the tail bandage and ends up with small, sometimes bleeding, sores on his tail. The wrap and tail bandage stay on throughout this, so I don't really understand how it's happening. It's not a huge problem, he doesnt rub his tail off and doesn't rub his tail at any other time, it's not noticeable, easy to treat and he doesn't seem bothered, but I would like to do something about it, as obviously it's not ideal.
My OH wants to put insulation padding around the bar which is very sensible, but he's definitely rubbing on the trailer door as well, which is very abrasive rubber, and we can't think what to do with this.
Can anyone think of a way to protect his tail, since two sets of bandages don't seem to!!! Would it be ok to put two bandages, one on top of the other, and his neoprene wrap on as well? Or is that too much on his tail as the last thing I want to do is hurt him even more!!

 

[jesterfaerie]

I would definatly pad the bar for just in case.
Could you possibly buy a thicker tail gaurd and use that aswell?
Or perhaps put some fibergee underneath the tail guard?

 

[RedVendetta]

Thanks jesterfaerie. What concerns me is the tail guard Im using is neoprene and pretty thick already. I could have a look for a better tail guard though. What's fibergee? Forgive me my ignorance!

 

[blackcob]

Ooh, what's the name of that pad tail protector thingy? The one that covers most of the horse's bum? -does some industrious googling-

Aha! Tail guard

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

My horse would do this, she was leaning on the back door as the bar was on the last setting.
I moved the bar so she couldnt do it.
I also put her tail over the bar so that she couldnt lean on it and it sorted the problem

 

[RedVendetta]

[ QUOTE ]
My horse would do this, she was leaning on the back door as the bar was on the last setting.
I moved the bar so she couldnt do it.
I also put her tail over the bar so that she couldnt lean on it and it sorted the problem

[/ QUOTE ]

So do you mean I should move him fowards in the trailer by putting the bars forward? If I put his tail over the bar Im worried the rubber matting on the door will rub it even worse as it seems to be the door thats the problem. Ill give it a go. Got a long journey to Arena UK (2 1/2 hours) on Sat so have to do something before then. Thank you

 

[RedVendetta]

[ QUOTE ]
Ooh, what's the name of that pad tail protector thingy? The one that covers most of the horse's bum? -does some industrious googling-

Aha! Tail guard

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks for this, but it's his tail that's getting hurt not his quarters xx

 

[FigJam]

Could it be that with two layers and once of those being neoprene, his tail is getting too hot (neoprene is very insulating) and actually making the situation worse? Have you tried a nice padded tail wrap that is made of cotton instead? Premier Equine do a really nice one.

I thought at first he could be allergic to the neoprene, but if there's a layer of bandage between the tail and the wrap, I don't think it could be that. Worth trying a different material though as I really can't see how he can still be rubbing through the two layers.

Silly boy!

 

[RedVendetta]

Ill have a look at Premier Equine as I like their stuff and try a cotton one.
He is definitely rubbing away at his tail to make it like that but he could be too hot which is why he's rubbing?
Thankies

 

[girla]

If the rubber is very abrassive like you say when it meets the material it is probably causing a lot of friction which in turn will cause the hair to split & break.

You can get leather tails protectors that can be fixed to a roller. It sometimes help to fix silk / sattern on the inside of the protector as this will slide very easily over the horses hair /tail with out causing any friction.

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My horse would do this, she was leaning on the back door as the bar was on the last setting.
I moved the bar so she couldnt do it.
I also put her tail over the bar so that she couldnt lean on it and it sorted the problem

[/ QUOTE ]

So do you mean I should move him fowards in the trailer by putting the bars forward? If I put his tail over the bar Im worried the rubber matting on the door will rub it even worse as it seems to be the door thats the problem. Ill give it a go. Got a long journey to Arena UK (2 1/2 hours) on Sat so have to do something before then. Thank you

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, move the bars nearer the front so there is a defined gap between the ramp door and the back breach bar. This leaves loads of room for the tail to sit without being rubbed raw on the ramp.

 

[Persephone]

It sounds like it could be heat to me. Also could he be allergic to neoprene?

 

[RedVendetta]

His tail is definitely getting rubbed on the trailer ramp, the hair is there to see!
I will try protecting him more and perhaps moving the bars forward but when my friend borrowed my trailer she did that and my horse was uncomfortable having nothing to lean on. Ill try a cotton protector instead of a neoprene one and perhaps look into a leather protector if that doesnt work!

 

[Persephone]

Aaah it sounds a bit of a conundrum!

 

[Dijitalis]

why not pad the ramp with neoprene? You can buy the big sheets of it that you can stick on either temporaily (probably best way) or permantely to the ramp, and possibly look at covering it with soft washable material.