Today was the worst most traumatic day of my life!

[Alex_kate]

Went to compete at merrist wood, in the trailer on the way there joey was kickng up a bit of a fuss so i checked him twice but he seemed ok .
when we got there he was dripping from head to toe in sweat, got him out, he had pulled his shoe off, ripped his travel boots, got one of them off and cut up both of his back legs.
we cleaned him off and treated his wounds, i couldnt compete so we loaded him to take him home (over an hour journey) i went in the trailer with him and he kept falling over!! was so horrible, we stopped at the side of the road, luckily a lady stopped to ask if we were ok, we went to her yard and unload him then put him in the other side of the trailer.
We drove home at about 20mph and he was ok when we got home.
Was a long stressful day.. now im scared to take him out again!
He has traveled perfectly in that trailer for 4 years!

I dont know why he was falling over, any ideas? sympathy?!

 

[_Acolyte_]

OMG you poor thing - loads of (((hugs))) for you and Joey

I was convinced Bob was going to do that today, but thank god he travelled fine.

Sorry I have no idea why he would suddenly react like that when he has travelled OK in the same trailer for so long? The girl who is lending me her trailer said her mare did the same when she had a partition in the trailer, and the mare ended up with the same results

, but as soon as she took the partition out then the mare could balance herself and was fine? Dont know if that might help?

 

[henryhorn]

It sounds as if he lost his balance then panicked a few times afterwards.
It might be you need to travel him with just a straight breast bar and no middle partition a few times so he can spread his legs and learn how to balance again.
Look at the floor too, sometimes the rubber can get slippery especially if there is loose bedding on it. Try glueing some strips with patterned rubber on so his feet can grip.
It may be something as simple as his boot slipped and he started kicking to remove it then fell, so look at their fit too or use bandages next trip.

 

[IsabelleJ]

Eek, that sounds awful!

Not sure what I'd do if mine wouldn't travel in a trailer, he does kick but I think that's because he wants me to get where we're going as soon as possible!

Really hope that he recovers ok and that he doesn't have a problem with the trailer next time. I've read that sometimes they start losing their balance when they were fine before, but never experienced it myself.

Isabelle

 

[seabiscuit]

Sounds awful, have had this a few times with horses in trailers over the years. Trailers are such bizarre things, they travel in them fine one moment and then loose their confidence the next and just wont stand up and do exactly what Joey did.

All I can say is that ( I know it prob wasnt the reason ) but be ultra, ultra carefull about always always driving v. slowly and carefully until the horse gains confidence again. Also check that his back is OK.

 

[TiaPony]

Hey - I was in the lorry you parked in front of. It looked pretty sore, you were wonderfully calm!

 

[blue2262]

Definitely try without the partition. I think they try to lean on it, loose balance and then forget how to stand up, without partition they are usually fine.
Good luck!

 

[Alex_kate]

my mum always drives really slow and carefully anyway.

My trainer suggested putting a piece of wood under the partition skirts to reassure him of his footing. I am worried about taking out the centre partition and i dont want him to completely fall over?!

I feel sick worrying about it

 

[welshstar]

We had a similar situation a little while back, thankfully we were only 20 minutes up the road though. We spent ages inspected and travelling out in the trailer to see if that was the problem, had the horse checked over and travelled another horse in our trailer to see if they were ok. She now travels ok and that was about 2 years ago. We took it very slowly reintroducing her back to the trailer and had a new breastbar made up so she could travel without the partition.

As i said before, she travels fine now minus the partition and will travel with it with another horse in the box. It took a few months but dont worry, they do get over it fine with patience

 

[Alex_kate]

oh wow i wondered if someone off here might of seen us. I was calm until i got back in the car

 

[Weezy]

Take the partition out, full breast bar, and I promise he will be much happier. Once he has his confidence back you can reintroduce the partition.

Also, be careful about travelling TOO slowly, you are better not to be hesitant but to be confident.

 

[ccooxxyy]

Thats horrible, glad you made it home safely. I had a similar nasty day last week, I was boxing a friends horse in my lorry, went down her drive, turned onto the main road, que horse goes bonkers in the back, had to unload on busy A39 in cornwall on a bend, it was pretty terrifying. Lady lead her horse home, i had to contend with everything else, but all were in 1 piece! Horses....

 

[SillyMare]

Another vote for taking out the partition - you can order single brest bars from Ifor Williams. I think this is quite a common problem with trailers.

 

[blue2262]

He won't fall over without partition because he won't try and lean, honest!

 

[dozzie]

Another vote for removing the partition. But you do need a breast bar and a breech bar for safety. Then you cross tie and he wont have a problem.

My old boy had awful problems until someone said remove the partition. They dont fall over as they can get their legs wide enough apart to balance properly.

 

[silverstar]

I had the same problem with my new horse last weekend. She went down once, then went slightly footy two days later. She's never travelled in a 3.5 rear facing trailer before, I want to do some comps this summer with her but knowing that she's a really bad traveller is really putting me off. When she starts my nerves go too. I just wish she was a good traveller like my last horse but you cant have it all. I hope you get this problem sorted out with your horse soon. Im thinking of getting some herbal calmer suringes to give to her before we travel her. Not that that alone will help. Really dreading taking her to comps this year. Cant sell my lorry and get a trailer as I cant legally drive a trailer.

 

[rotters13]

We had exactly the same problem with our cob. Do your travel boots have a nylon strip around the bottom? Ours did and he kept falling over to the point where I had to travel back with him.

Stick bandages on him and take him for 15 minutes round the block and see what he is like.

 

[Araminta]

Just a thought but maybe one of his travel boots slipped down and scared him to start with ( or he could have trodden on it and lost his balance.

I have seen this happen before. Travel boots are really thick and if they do slip down they can cause problems.

I never use travel boots for this reason.

 

[gabanna]

we had a pony who started doing this after a hind travel boot slipped, and in kicking it off she lost her balance, then paniced every time she traveled.
bandage instead of boots , take the partition out and cross tie.. worked great with her and now can travel with another pony again.

 

[Alex_kate]

thanks everyone, i am going to take the partition out. I'm supposed to be going to sparsholt on sunday, not sure if i can get it sorted for then, or if another hour journey is a good idea.

 

[tibby]

I would like to agree with taking partition out, I had a very big cob and on our first journey in the brand new trailor he sat down half a mile from home and broke the back half of the partition off the central pole, luckily for me I manage to remove the back half and breeching bars and ride him home. He was very heavy cob and I think he leant on the partition when I went round the first corner and it gave way, I bought the full width bars and travelled him crosstied and had no further problems, I hope you and your horse get your confidence travelling back soon ,

 

[Bubblegum]

Another vote for taking out the partition. I had exactly the same thing with my horse. Travelled fine in trailer for 2 years ... then suddenly had a terrible journey like yours. Took out partition, bought a full width breastbar from Ifor... and he was fine again.
Now we have the lorry... and he is fine in that too, as I am able to give him a nice wide section to travel in.

 

[bigbluebird13]

I'd be another to agree on taking partition out. I had exactly this problem with my horse (posted earlier) a couple of weeks ago tho I think he fared better than yours. It is an incredibly unnerving experience, I felt so helpless! Anyway I tried mine in herringbone wagon with full partitions but loads of space - he still fell against partition but was able to right himself. I then tried him back in my forward facing wagon with no partition and although a little worried to start with did not fall and he's now been on a couple of 2 hour trips and had no problems so there is hope!! I do eventually hope to have partition back in again but haven't dared yet.

 

[Alex_kate]

thanks bigs thats was reassuring. I have been out tonight and payed £70 for the full length breast and breach bars so going to put them in tomorow night and try him when he has his shoe back on. I am so scared, how will i know if he's ok or if hes fallen over?! i could travel behind in my car then i can see his bum? i dunno i'm so terrified the thought of putting him back in makes me feel sick but i have to get him travelling otherwise thats 4 years of hard work for nothing!

 

[Eriskayowner]

[ QUOTE ]
OMG you poor thing - loads of (((hugs))) for you and Joey

I was convinced Bob was going to do that today, but thank god he travelled fine.

Sorry I have no idea why he would suddenly react like that when he has travelled OK in the same trailer for so long? The girl who is lending me her trailer said her mare did the same when she had a partition in the trailer, and the mare ended up with the same results

, but as soon as she took the partition out then the mare could balance herself and was fine? Dont know if that might help?

[/ QUOTE ]

My showjumper was the same. If you saw him standing on a yard, he naturally stood with his front legs quite far apart. When he was in a trailer, he repeatedly fell over (or at least it sounded like it, but he loaded 100% so coudn't have scared himself!) but as soon as the partition was removed he was fine - because he could spread his front legs further apart. He was always double tied when in the trailer without the partition in.