Trailer travelling nightmare!

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Maclinda

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I have had my horse (April) for five years and she has always been a dream to travel (ifor williams 510 with partition), until recently. This is a bit of a long winded story but just wondering if anyone has been in similar situation and have any advise. About 3 weeks ago I was leaving a venue and as I pulled away she instantly stumbled. I stopped the car, checked on her and everything seemed fine so I continued to head for home. During the whole journey every time I went round a corner or slowed down she seemed to thrash around or stumble again. Eventually Ipulled over and opened up the trailer and her travel boot had slipped under her foot. Removed them and continued home but she was still unsteady. When I eventually got home (it's only bout a 15 min drive) she had actually twisted a shoe and had clearly sat on her tail as there was a large patch of hair missing. Genuinely thought this was a one off as she has never reacted like this, until tonight! Took her to a lesson tonight with new travel boots and a tail guard. Drove with extreme caution as I didn't want a repeat performance, but again every time I slowed down or went round a corner she appeared to be stumbling. Once again stopped car, and when I opened up the trailer, not only was she completely lathered in sweat but she had rubbed her tail guard off and her dock is now raw, and bleeding, and her brand new travel boots are wrecked! Instantly cancelled my lesson and drove her back home (at 20mph with my hazards on). She doesn't seem adversly affected by the experience, but now what! Obviously now thinking I should take out partition (even although she's travelled with it for 5 years). Just interested to hear other peoples experiences or advise. Sorry again it's so long! Thanks in advance x
 
This happened to someone I know. Her horse would fall over constantly unless he travelled behind the driver. Once she put him that side he could balance and was fine. Which side do you travel her? Have you changed sides? X
 
Just a thought but if it was me I would get the wheel bearings on your trailer checked and also the suspension. It can make a huge difference to the way it feels. Hope you get it sorted.
 
My friend's cob did this, he now travels very happily with the partition removed - just fit full width breast and breech bars instead!
 
I have a mare that had travelled 100's of miles without a problem. She developed a muscle problem (Tyed up) and slipped in the field. She started to throw herself around the trailer. We did a number of things. First I would check the trailer just in case there is something not right re floor or something loss.

This is what I did to help my mare.

1) We contacted "Nupafeed" and spoke to them about their calmer. Most commercal calmers are Magnesium based. Magnesium is need for nerve conduction which goes to the muscles. While travelling horses can loss magnesium. I was advised to start her on the liquid and then give her an instant syringe an hour before we travelled her.

2) As I had to travel 2 horses we made sure that she had a little more room at the back of the partition. We used a chain instead of a bar.

3) We took all boots and bandages off

4) We did not tie her up. This gave her the chance to look around if she wanted too.

5) We got an Equine Chiropractor in to see her. He found a lot of spasm and unalinement so this was sorted.

6) Over the 2 weeks we had to sort out the problem we slowly started the engine ,then allowed the car and trailer to move very slowly forward. This we built up over the week.

After doing all this she continued to travel well. I just make sure I give her a calmer an hour before we travel
 
First thing I would be doing is getting the vet to check her. Could possible be some form of pain or issue which is suddenly unbalancing her because she is trying to over compensate on one side etc.
 
maisie06 said:
My friend's cob did this, he now travels very happily with the partition removed - just fit full width breast and breech bars instead!
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This - I had exactly the same problem after one bad journey. She just couldn't balance on left turns and scrabbled. Takinf the partition out has completely cured it. I also put lots of straw down in the trailer which also seemed to help. Rubber mats can be very slippery and greasy if they get wet.
 
Just another thing which is probably really grasping at straws - but how big is your mare? 510's are very large, so can see how some horses of a smaller size could get unbalanced if the breach bars aren't placed on the right latch (if you get what I mean) - were they put up on the same positioning as normal?
 
Thanks everyone for all your suggestions! Willow back - she already travels on the drivers side as find she def balances better there. Neddymad - had my trailer serviced year ago and got suspension etc done then - was told apart from small things (greasing, tyres checked etc, it would be perfect for 3 years) but worth getting it checked none the less. Paulineh and highlands, she does get regular chiro checks - got done two months ago but def think taking boots off and bandaging instead. Moomin1 - she needs the big trailer she's 17.2 WB lol. Thanks everyone def going to take partition out and try bandages instead of boots, straw or shavings might be a good idea and trailer in for annual service ASAP x
 
I just wonder if she has clicked something out hence her balance and scrubbing her tail out. My old boy used to sit on ifor back ramp but think hat was due to his hock problem. Sounds silly but could she have out her poll out ? Esp if you had a breast bar?
 
Get hocks checked my boy was diagnosed with arthritis based on him suddenly going from perfect traveller to what your describing.

Take out the partition and get full length breech bars, job done.
 
Update!!!!! So after listening to everyone's advise (thanks!), I got trailer checked and everything was good so have one removed partition and she is now travelling with full length breeching bars and she is back to normal again (yeah!). Don't know what was the cause of her sudden change while travelling but she is now back to her normal perfect self. :)
 
Hello - mine did this. It was so random. He'd always been a fabulous traveller. We opened up just the back of the ifor partition to allow him to spread his back legs a bit more and he was fine again. We've since tried him back with the partition closed and he's fine again - all very strange. Hope your mare remains perfect!
 
willowblack said:
This happened to someone I know. Her horse would fall over constantly unless he travelled behind the driver. Once she put him that side he could balance and was fine. Which side do you travel her? Have you changed sides? X
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A horse alone should travel on the right side of a trailer.

Great news Op, onwards and upwards then.
 
My mare did the same, except she went completely down in the trailer. She would still load, but wouldn't stand up as soon as there was any movement. We didn't travel for a few years, then we got our own trailer and tried again. She just couldn't stay upright. The chiropractor came out and that helped, as did opening out the back half of the partition. We did lots of short journeys, but what really helped was going for longer journeys, it was like she relaxed the longer we were out, and my towing got better too. We now have the partition closed again and she is a dream to travel.
Good luck with it, it is very stressful!
 
My mare did the same, travelled for 2 years with a partition then started scrabbling, took out partition fine ever since. If i need to take my other horse anywhere as well I just put them both into gether with no partition and they are fine, I wouldnt do this with horses that didnt get on & know each other very well tho.
 
We had the same with our mare - someone suggested I check the tyre pressures and it turned out that one of them was lower than it should have been. We now travel her with full breech and breast bars - cross tied. She now travels fine with no issues (touch wood).
 
Highlands said:
Get her checked by chiro/ physio then boots off and partition out, small journeys and build up

straw or shavings underneath.
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Agree with this ^^^^^ except for taking partition out

Back injuries can cause travel problems - sh may have slipped over in the paddock or even tweaked herself at the event you were at.

A deep layer of straw helps scrabbly travellers - seems to make them feel more secure

willowblack - a single horse or the heaviest horse should ALWAYS travel behind the driver - it is not safe to travel one horse behind the passenger as it drags the trailer into the gutter and with the camber of roads risks tipping the trailer over.
 
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My 17hh mare travelled fine for the first few years I had her in a trailer with another horse. She then developed the same habits as the op described - she pulled a shoe off three times in the trailer and rubbed the hair from the top of her tail. I have had the partition removed now for about 5 years and she travels like a dream again. She was getting older when the problem started but no obvious back problems etc. She always stands diagonally across the trailer but is rock solid and no long sweats either which she used to do. I bought a full width breech and breast and would not take partition out without both. They contribute to the integral strength of the trailer. I bought direct from if or Williams £80 for the pair. I think they are about £100now.
 
Interesting thread, i too am having similar problems. My 16 year old horse has gradually been getting worse to travel in our trailer over several months, having previously been fine. Today some friends came round with a lorry to see if he would be any happier in a lorry. He did exactly the same thing, and we had only gone through the gate, friend travelling with him to see what he does. She descibed it as he threw his body over to the partition leaning on it with his legs going the other way like he was going to fall over sideways. He had no balance at all... We stopped in the lane and unloaded him. He was happy to go in the lorry and did not rush off the lorry either. Friend said she's never seen a horse do that. Have already got trailer booked for service and partition removal full breast/and breech bar being fitted.
Going to get his back checked and have booked the vet to come too. Right now not happy to travel him as it just seems too dangerous. Really hope its not the end of our competing but worried it may be something medical..eventhough he appears to be in good health.
 
The most interesting thing I found when I finally bought myself a small lorry was that horses really don't like travelling facing forwards.

The first few times I used the lorry, where the horses travelled with their heads in the Luton above the cab I could hear them at every stop or turn.

I had my lorry modified so that they now travel facing backwards. Sometimes now I have to ask myself if the horses were actually loaded as I never hear them. They really do prefer travelling backwards.
 
Haven't read replies but does she always travel in the same side of the trailer? My mare always travelled on the drivers side until we bought another, heavier, horse. When we tried to travel them together with the heavier one on the drivers side the other one just freaked out. When we loaded her on the passengers side she just gave way with the legs nearest the partition. She would just collapse and we had to unload her asap to stop her falling and getting stuck. After that she always travelled on the drivers side and has been fine since
 
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