Trailer problems or is it just me???

[Louby]

My horse travels brilliantly in a wagon and has only ever been in a trailer twice about 3 yrs ago which was a IW HB505 where he was nervous but travelled well once he realised he was travelling forwards and not sidewards as in a lorry. (sounded like he was scrabbling about until he found his feet...scary) He has since grown and is 16.2 max so we bought a HB505 a few months ago and Ive been trying to get him used to it. I dont used the partition so hes got extra room but I now wish I'd got the HB510. I didnt think he'd grown that much but he looks 'big' in it. He will now walk through it quite calmly but ask him to stand in it with the ramps up is a different matter. He is petrified, he nearly flattened me getting out and Im loosing my confidence. He wont eat a feed in it or hay as he is so scared and any noise outside and he freaks. I just cant risk trying a short journey. Money is an issue but what do you think. Sell the 505 and get a 510 as he is borderline size wise or save up for a cheap lorry? He is such a great traveller in a lorry and I dont want to ruin this. Where do you thinks best to advertise a trailer and what does it cost to run a horsebox ie tax, plate, insurance. Im over 25.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[foraday]

contact Lewis below

http://www.blackburnnaturalhorsetraining.com/

I have seen him work with the most nervous/diffcult of horses and they load no problem

 

[Louby]

Thanks for that, I'll have a look at the site now. He loads no problems though, hes just petrified.
I did think it could be the direction he travels but we havent moved yet LOL. I wondered if he felt claustaphobic. Typical all the small wagons seem to travel 2 forward or backwards facing, I wish I could afford a Fautras trailer!!!

 

[Ashf]

Don't attempt to travel him without the partition, they lean against them on the corners. I'm not surprised he doesn't like travelling in it as everytime you go around a corner it involved huge effort to stay upright due to the amount of room he has around him without the partition in.

I trailer both our horses at least once a week and they do get used to it.

Try standing up on a moving bus without holding onto anything and you will understand what you are asking of a horse in an open trailer.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I would change the trailer from the 505 to the 510 or possibly a Bateson Deauville, Wessex or Rice. The headroom is much higher & the horse will not feel so claustrophobic. Additonally I'd keep the centre partition in, as a former poster says the horses lean on then round corners. Without them many mind it very unstable to travel.
You mention possibly getting a cheap lorry, you also mention that money is an issue....go with the trailer because insuring, taxing, having recovery cover & maintaining an old lorry is very expensive. Old lorries are cheap to buy but you are forever replacing things.
Good Luck

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I forgot to say I have a Bateson Deauville, it's got 7'03" headroom & I regularly trailer 2 x 16h3 horses without any problem.

 

[Sparklet]

I'm afraid I dont agree with this - horses hold their own balance when travelling by spreading their legs - quite often you need to remove the partition for a horse that struggles to give them 'extra' leg room, particularly if they are big.

They do need a full length bar across the front and back which you will need to buy before travelling and you would also be wise to cross tie your horse so that there is no danger of him turning round to face the other way or getting jammed in an attempt to.

If your horse already panics and rushes out, putting the partition in will only make things worse because there is more for him to catch himself on. A few bruised hips and cuts will only make the situation worse and IW trailers dont have a lot of exit room anyway.

You can try to de-sensitise your horse which unfortunately will take time or go with your plan to get a lorry.

 

[Ashf]

We had one of my sisters horses on loan last year for 6 months (Tara). We took her out every week to compete.

With my sister, Tara had been competed every weekend and trailered to the events so she was no stranger to trailers.

Jessie (our pony) was above her in the herd and as Jessie was always travelled on the right, we put tara on the left. If you notice, they lean on the partitions when travelling and Tara leaned to the right (into jessies personal space).

Tara climbed the sides of the trailer the first time we took her out on the left as she leans naturally to the right on the partition and Jessie felt it was a challenge to her.

It was impossible and she came out very stressed.

We swapped them over so Jessie was on the left and it completely solved the problem as she was leaning away fronm jessie.

I cannot agree with you on the point of removing the partitions and if it were 'the way it is supposed to be' the trailer manufacturers would not make the stalls with the width they are . I've travelled across a few fields in the trailer with all the horses we have owned/loaned to observe them whilst boxed and they all lean to one side or the other. The sideways forces are quite substantial when cornering but we in the cars don't feel them as we have well supporting seats to brace us!

A good learning tool for towing or boxing is to place a cup of water on a saucer on the dashboard and see if you spill it to see how hard your braking and cornering is.

 

[ihatework]

Thats quite a narrow minded response based on experience with one horse!!!
Horses are different, some will prefer travelling with a partition, some will prefer travelling without and others might just be happer not travelling in a trailer at all.

My horse is an angel in what ever he travels in BUT he certainly is far stiller without a partition.

 

[Sparklet]

I do agree that some horses travel better one side than the other but that is not because they lean on the partition - it is more to do with which side of their body they favour (right handed vs left handed) and how they spread their legs.

I never claimed that removing partitions as 'the way its supposed to be' - I just think that replacing the partition into a trailer with a horse that panics will reduce the amount of room for both horse and handler and could prove to be very dangerous. Louby is not having a leaning/non leaning problem - she has a horse which panics when the trailer is closed - to close in the space will make matters worse.

I am sure your personal experience is very valuable, however it is completely at odds with mine. I have owned trailers but now have a lorry with CCTV fitted and the only horse I have ever observed leaning on a partition was one that travelled badly and it was only when a partition was removed (in the lorry) giving her more room did she find her own balance. Horse are all different and trailers are all made the same.

 

[Parkranger]

mmm, didn't see this before I posted my post - sounds like my boy.

Might look into an older box as I don't think he'll ever enjoy going forwards -

 

[Ashf]

[ QUOTE ]
Thats quite a narrow minded response based on experience with one horse!!!
Horses are different, some will prefer travelling with a partition, some will prefer travelling without and others might just be happer not travelling in a trailer at all.

My horse is an angel in what ever he travels in BUT he certainly is far stiller without a partition.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've travelled about 10 different horses in the trailers I've had in the last few years as many of my daughters friends don't have their own transport, I've seen all of them leaning to one side or the other.

Ebony will only travel on the left hand side of the trailer also and there is clear wear on the hardwood kick panel on the left hand side wall (not the partition) where she has shuffled her rear legs to steady herself, is this a coincidence also as there is none of this marking on the partition ?

Ebony has been boxed 40+ times in the last 12 months so she does travel, but will not load on the right hand side either.

Jessie on the other hand will load and travel on either quite happily so I have seen it from both sides of the coin.

Perhaps my own experiences has polarised my opinion, but the suggestion that I'm narrow minded is somewhat offensive !

 

[Sparklet]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've travelled about 10 different horses in the trailers I've had in the last few years as many of my daughters friends don't have their own transport, I've seen all of them leaning to one side or the other.

Ebony will only travel on the left hand side of the trailer also and there is clear wear on the hardwood kick panel on the left hand side wall (not the partition) where she has shuffled her rear legs to steady herself, is this a coincidence also as there is none of this marking on the partition ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Surely that just confirms that all horses are different, however an inclination to stand to one side is not leaning - if the horse used the partition or side of the trailer to lean on for balance they would fall over.

 

[Ashf]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've travelled about 10 different horses in the trailers I've had in the last few years as many of my daughters friends don't have their own transport, I've seen all of them leaning to one side or the other.

Ebony will only travel on the left hand side of the trailer also and there is clear wear on the hardwood kick panel on the left hand side wall (not the partition) where she has shuffled her rear legs to steady herself, is this a coincidence also as there is none of this marking on the partition ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Surely that just confirms that all horses are different, however an inclination to stand to one side is not leaning - if the horse used the partition or side of the trailer to lean on for balance they would fall over.

[/ QUOTE ]

If the stall they are in is ony 12"-18" inches wider than them, then what is the likelyhood they will fall over ? .

Jessie is one of the most well balanced horses I've come across (a leg in each corner as others have said) but she still leans against the side of the trailer to brace herself. she does spread her feet out like a tripod but has also left a shiny wear mark with her bum on the trailer wall.

I take it you never travel by bus, train or tube where there is standing room only ?

 

[Louby]

Thanks everyone. I have the front and rear breast breach bars so the partition can be taken out. I realise every horse is different but my last horse wouldnt travel with the partition in, she needed the extra room and always stood 'diagonal' as soon as she was loaded and travelled much better without the partition. To be honest I think my boy would struggle to fit into the partioned area of the 505 and like someone said before unless travelled on the left he'd do himself an injury trying to get out as they are tight. Dare I say (gulp) Im with the no partion theory but only becauses its worked for me before and Im sure it doesnt work for all. So its goodbye to the 505 then and either a bigger trailer or a cheapish wagon. Looking like a cheapish wagon really... typical!! Shame cos the 505 is as new, anybody looking for one? I will have a look at the Bateson Deaville also, not sure what they are like. Thanks again.

 

[Gingernags]

One of our mares hates the Ifor trailers, have used 505 and 510, still hates them! We can't afford a lorry and the running costs so bought a trailer and have the really light Cheval Liberte 2003XL. It takes 2 x 17.2 and the awkward mare loves it! Walks straight in.

Its very big and roomy and bright inside. We expected one of our 2 hours epic battles to get her in - but no, walked straight up the ramp! I was amazed! And has done it since with no fuss.

5 years of loading issues gone by changing trailer makes!

 

[Louby]

Ive read a few things about the Ifors. I think the new ali floor has made a difference. Apparantly it gives a little, my friend horse travelled great in the old ones but when she got a new one he was awful, she had to cover the floor with plyboard. Also they are leaf sprung which is quite bumpy. I went for Ifor as they are affordable and so well made in comparison to some in the same price range. I will have a look at the cheval later. Thank you.

 

[Sparklet]

My friends horse found a way of falling over - she also found a way of turning herself upside down hanging from the headcollar rope. She was two up in a trailer and her neighbours legs were cut to ribbons so it does happen.

Horses have 4 legs so unless I travelled by bus/tube etc on my hands and knees I would be unable to replicate the situation.

Horses are horses, what suits Ebony will not suit another horse - my instructor had a four horse lorry two facing back, two facing forward and there are some of her horses that will only travel in the kerbside backward facing slot and some road side forward facing slot. There is no sense to it.

Mine leant to the point where she was virtually diagonal - all feet at one side, all body at the other and caused me nightmares trying to find out what suited her. A smaller space in the lorry made the problem significantly worse because she would try to lean but not have enough room for her feet. She now has half the lorry space and is brilliant - stands in the middle taking care of her own balance.

All of this is irrelevant to the question that Louby was asking and I still maintain that putting partitions back into a trailer will reduce the space and increase the danger. If she were driving without partitions and her horse was having a hard time there might be an argument for putting them back in to see what happens - turning the horse round to fact backwards (not recommended except to try them prior to having trailer adjusted to make backward facing safe), even changing her travel boots to bandages to find solutions.

 

[Gingernags]

It has Pullman suspension too, which is apparently the dogd whoosits in getting a smooth ride, tows very well, very light. Well worth a look. Oh and reasonable price too, ours was 3400 with tack store and the pullman suspension

 

[Sparklet]

I must admit I am not keen on Ifor's because of the lack of exit space. It is a pain though because you could trade your trailer (cheaper than a lorry) for another and it still wont resolve it. Are you able to get a friend to loan you a different make to try him in.

 

[Gingernags]

Oh...and... front ramp is on the left which I prefer... and the front head grill (to stop them biting each other) swivels, instead of moving the whole partition, to give room to get out. Its a very roomy trailer.

Will shut up now!

 

[Louby]

My boy has half the lorry too when hes travelled (friends lorry) with no problems at all. He was travelled in a 505 3 yrs ago with no partition and apart from the initial few seconds he was fine but he has matured and is much bigger so Im presuming now hes a bit claustaphobic? If he was calm when stood I'd try a journey with him but hes terrified and loses all respect for where I am or whether the breast bar is up, he just wants out as soon as that ramp is lowered. Result.....squashed bruised me!!LOL

 

[Louby]

I know Im gutted about the trailer. Its only been used 6 times by the previous owner!! Affraid only a small yard with my trailer and a wagon and the next yard has Ifors too. My friend will take me in her wagon but I really want to go out more often and its not fair to expect it every week or so.

 

[Louby]

LOL, glad of the advice, just worry that he will be the same in any make. This is the story of my life, nothing straight forward.