Spot_the_Risk
Well-Known Member
Some of you will have read my thread a month or so ago about my youngster (who's about 15hh tops) getting himself over the bar in our IW 510 and landing in a heap, luckily he was unhurt, but of course we want to make sure this never happens again. He is a short coupled little cob and stands with his front and back feet naturally close together, which in turn lightens his forehand and I assume enables him to rear up.
To this end we've been loading him in and out over the last month, asking him to stand for a few seconds before calmly walking down the front ramp (all partitions out) and he's accepted this, and tonight we progressed to opening and shutting the front and back ramps and the top door of the front ramp too, and even to putting the full width breast bar up and travelling about 30 feet oh so very slowly while my husband stood with him (yes I know it's not safe, positive help on this travelling problem though please!), and Tinner stood calmly and accepted it, and gave a huge sigh of relief when he was out and it was over. There is no time limit on how long this takes, he is four years old and may have many years of travelling ahead of him so no rush.
It dawned on us that he looks tiny in the trailer - he could certainly turn around and whilst he can spread his legs to gain his balance I'm wondering if having a smaller area would actually be beneficial, ie in a 505 with a partition he will always have something to lean on. I haven't tried him in the trailer with another horse or with the partition in since the accident, I could put my old boy in but am wary of it going wrong again and of course we may not get off so lightly next time.
So these are my choices, I think... carry on loading him alone and with the single width bar ie no partition, and hope that he susses out standing still and not going up. Put the partition back in and adjust the bars so he has the smallest (will still be big) space possible and travel alone, or travel with his field mate with the partition in. I'm veering towards travelling with field mate, even though Harley isn't chuffed about travelling he will stand calmly whilst parked and moving.
It's been suggested that the bar is secured with baler twine, quickly cuttable in an emergency, also that I tie him from the ring as normal but then run the rope under the bar and clip it onto him (not silly tight of course!) so if he tries to go up, he gets a jerk down again.
All opinions gratefully received - many of you will have seen Tinner on her from a scabby weanling and know he is the apple of my eye, I'm so sad that the accident happened in the first place and need to get it right for him now, for the rest of his life.
To this end we've been loading him in and out over the last month, asking him to stand for a few seconds before calmly walking down the front ramp (all partitions out) and he's accepted this, and tonight we progressed to opening and shutting the front and back ramps and the top door of the front ramp too, and even to putting the full width breast bar up and travelling about 30 feet oh so very slowly while my husband stood with him (yes I know it's not safe, positive help on this travelling problem though please!), and Tinner stood calmly and accepted it, and gave a huge sigh of relief when he was out and it was over. There is no time limit on how long this takes, he is four years old and may have many years of travelling ahead of him so no rush.
It dawned on us that he looks tiny in the trailer - he could certainly turn around and whilst he can spread his legs to gain his balance I'm wondering if having a smaller area would actually be beneficial, ie in a 505 with a partition he will always have something to lean on. I haven't tried him in the trailer with another horse or with the partition in since the accident, I could put my old boy in but am wary of it going wrong again and of course we may not get off so lightly next time.
So these are my choices, I think... carry on loading him alone and with the single width bar ie no partition, and hope that he susses out standing still and not going up. Put the partition back in and adjust the bars so he has the smallest (will still be big) space possible and travel alone, or travel with his field mate with the partition in. I'm veering towards travelling with field mate, even though Harley isn't chuffed about travelling he will stand calmly whilst parked and moving.
It's been suggested that the bar is secured with baler twine, quickly cuttable in an emergency, also that I tie him from the ring as normal but then run the rope under the bar and clip it onto him (not silly tight of course!) so if he tries to go up, he gets a jerk down again.
All opinions gratefully received - many of you will have seen Tinner on her from a scabby weanling and know he is the apple of my eye, I'm so sad that the accident happened in the first place and need to get it right for him now, for the rest of his life.
