Trailer travelling troubles, can anyone help?

Spotonforgold

Member
Joined
4 March 2007
Messages
14
Location
Frimley
Visit site
My 14.1 pony normally travelles ok in a trailer, she puts up a bit of fuss going in but eventually does go in. I have seen her cling to the left hand wall but thought nothing of it. Today I put her in as I would normally and when we go to move she leans and almost falls over, it looks like she can't hold herself up. We try moving several times, putting straw in on the rubber mats so she doesn't slip, loosening her boots in case they are too tight, then without boots. Each time her falling gets worse.
I know she doesn't really like travelling forwards but this is the only option at the moment until i pass my HGV. WHen mum used to have a horsebox she used to load herself and loved it.
Can anyone help with the trailer issue?
 
Harry does exactly the same in a trailer, but if we travel him without the partition and he is fine
laugh.gif
 
My horse used to have trouble standing up on right hand bends, it looked like she fell onto her hocks however slowly and carefully you drove. She can't be travelled in hind travel boots either as she hates them, so I was very worried. I now travel her tied as loose as possible and she is much, much better and much happier. Of course there is now a risk that she will get her head under the breastbar/ round by her side, but we have the breastbar low and would rather risk this than the greater risk of her cutting her hocks and hindlegs up from falling over.
Travelling is all an experiment, like Sarah_Jane says can you also try without the partition?
 
Removing of the partition is the first thing i would do, we have done it in our trailer as my sisters horse would get the partition down. Our horses all travel so much better without, but remember to cross tie
 
Sounds like she claustraphobic (sp) take the partition out and see what happens. What side of the trailer do you travel her on? Try her on the right, horses normally travel better.
 
Wotcha spotonforgold............................... glad to see that merlin has taught gemma some good tips for getting out of going to shows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The trailer is a rice richardson. Have never tried without the partition before but is worth a go. I have always travelled her on the left, is travelling her on the right any different?
 
If you travel 1 horse only and use partitions you must put them behind the driver, ie the RIGHT hand side, for stability. Personally I never travel 1 with the partition in, only use it if I travel 2 (and then only because it is illegal not to, prefer to not use partitions at all)
 
Horses should be travelled on the right of the trailer (as you look at the back of it) as the left side is too near the gutter of the road and the trailer will slope down into this anyway and with the extra load on that side too it will be more prone to tipping.

Try taking the partition out so that she can angle herself across the trailer and travel more in the herring bone style....
 
I would go with what everyone else is saying and try taking out the partition as that will give her more freedom to balance herself. However, really would advise against putting straw on the floor in the trailer as it can make them more prone to slipping, not going to boost her confidence! xxx
 
ANyone know a good place to get a full length bar for trailer? I never normally use straw, just on rubber mats but wanted try anything that i could think of as it appeared she was slipping on the mats.
crazy.gif
 
Sorry, didn't mean that to sound like a lecture!! just thought i'd warn you. Nearly made the same mistake myself with my TB who likes to rattle around in his trailer!!
 
Ditto above - I had a polo pony that trashed the stock board of a ifor with her scrabbling (not to mention her hips). Solution was taking the partition out and had to do that even with 2 in - silly rule on partitions.
 
Take the partition out but you will need a breast bar. Rice do single breast bars that go the width of the trailer, so you can take the partition out. You also will need a single breech bar. They are about £80 each.
 
i have a bateson deauville and having great probs with mare not travelling well,didnt think 2 remove centre partition??BUT its a swing partition and without the central pole,i wont have any breastbar or tail guard,would this be safe,as she does leave forwards and backwards alot,worried she wud come thro trailer if leaning?? Do bateson do a 1 piece breastbar then??
 
did u need 2 for the bateson??one for front(breastbar)and one for behind(tail guard thingy)makes sense,she cud stand herringbone without centre partition as shes getting worse at loading(use to be fine)and getting worse at travelling!! Thanks for any advice.Looks as tho ive got to fork out MORE cash on my nelly!! she trashed the side of the trailer last wk,that cost me 600 to repair!!!
 
mine has the same problem, however he is now terrible to load in the horsebox due to his bad journey in the trailer so I don't have the heart to try him without a partition and we will stick to horseboxes from now on.
 
I'd agree with getting a single breast bar and trying her with no partition first. I had a pony who would only travel in on the right in the ifor williams as he would brace his right shoulder against the side of the box. If I put him in the left side of the box he would lean against the partition but would then feel the solid wall to his left and try and 'walk' up it, so his legs were scrabbling up the left side as he leant his whole weight against the partition until he went down. Some horses just get too used to travelling on the right side, especially if they're travelled like that all the time. I've since heard of more cases like this and have even seen 2 horses in a trailer who would both only travel on the right so they put one in facing backwards so they could both lean against the solid wall to thier right!!
 
Top