To tie up or not to tie up (travelling) That is the question!

Kikke

Kikke

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Hi All,

Took my girlie to a show today? She did very very well especially considering I had not travelled her since September.
Now I load her and then untie her (in a lorry). I find she has more room to move back and front if needed ( she is not the most balanced) and this seems to work fine for us.
However me and my OH were wondering what everybody else does......

So what do we think??? :)
 
I've always been taught to load and tie up but I have had a good few situations when that hasn't been the best option for the horses in question. Personally I think it depends on the horse(s) and the situation
 
I tie up. The only time I didn't, my mare decided to lay down and got wedged under the lorry partition. Was a complete pain to get her out although she was fine :rolleyes:
 
Nicnac said:
I tie up. The only time I didn't, my mare decided to lay down and got wedged under the lorry partition. Was a complete pain to get her out although she was fine :rolleyes:
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A friend's horse did that, broke it's back and had to be put down, so I would always tie up, even if I thought the horse was safe (they always think of a new way to injure themselves even when you think you've covered all options!).
 
Kikke said:
Now I load her and then untie her (in a lorry). I find she has more room to move back and front if needed ( she is not the most balanced) and this seems to work fine for us.
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do you have a very small horse? only neither of mine could do this in a lorry....
i always tie up! cross tie in lorry if traveling more than one, cross tie in trailer when partions are out and only one in.
only time i would not tie up is if it was a mare and foal
 
TandD said:
do you have a very small horse? only neither of mine could do this in a lorry....
i always tie up! cross tie in lorry if traveling more than one, cross tie in trailer when partions are out and only one in.
only time i would not tie up is if it was a mare and foal
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She is a 14.1 welsh cob and has about a meter (more of less behind her) when I tie her up or she stands munching.
But she is always much more stressed when we arrive and I have tied her up so it just seems to be working for her.
But getting worried now with accidents waiting to happen :(
 
If you know your horse isn't going to lie down - not sure why one would - and she's happy then leave it as it is. I always tie up as a matter of course but I could leave my horse untied as he wouldn't try anything daft, he just isn't like that. If they were to fall I think the string they were tied to would break anyway
 
I had a very very bad traveller. It never occurred too me not too tie him up. One day though he was in a lorry and managed to pull back in panic, the string didn't give and he pulled the ring out of the wall. This resulted in him flipping over and ending up with his head stuck under the partition but his front leg over it! It was hideous. We eventually got his leg free then the rest was easy and he was un-injured bar cuts and scrapes.
The next time he had to travel I hired a brilliant company and told them the story. They gave him the whole of a little lorry- Took the middle partition out so he had a square shape to move around and left him loose. Two hours later he arrived chilled and happy much to my amazement, best he'd ever travelled.
Id say it depends on the individual maybe?
 
I always tie up my own horses. However a woman I was working for a couple of years ago never tied up one of hers in the lorry, a little Connemara as it was so unbalanced it would literally fall over. She tried it untied and I guess being able to move it's head and neck to balance it did much better. I think it's a big risk though ....
 
My boy managed to untie himself in the trailer and looked behind and managed to get his head stuck behind the central partition on his own side :rolleyes: luckily he was okay and didn't panic but took some serious pushing and shoving to free him.
 
Kikke said:
She is a 14.1 welsh cob and has about a meter (more of less behind her) when I tie her up or she stands munching.
But she is always much more stressed when we arrive and I have tied her up so it just seems to be working for her.
But getting worried now with accidents waiting to happen :(
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ah ok! i have a 15.3 tb and a 17.3 wb!!! so no room for them :) - couldnt move if they tried!!!
is your lorry forward/backward or herribone?
herribone you can make the space smaller more easily - so she has less room behind her - expect she rests her bottom to help steady herself
(found mine resting her nose as well...... 6?th leg haha!)
as long as you have full height (stallion) partions i wouldnt see a problem with her getting underneath them etc - all horses can get stuck, tied up or not!
just have a lead rope close to hand if there ever was a problem!!!!
 
TandD said:
ah ok! i have a 15.3 tb and a 17.3 wb!!! so no room for them :) - couldnt move if they tried!!!
is your lorry forward/backward or herribone?
herribone you can make the space smaller more easily - so she has less room behind her - expect she rests her bottom to help steady herself
(found mine resting her nose as well...... 6?th leg haha!)
as long as you have full height (stallion) partions i wouldnt see a problem with her getting underneath them etc - all horses can get stuck, tied up or not!
just have a lead rope close to hand if there ever was a problem!!!!
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Well she faces backwards, but no room underneath partion or anywhere else to get under. I am 5.6 and I can't look over the partion :rolleyes:
It just seems to work for madam ;)
 
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