Trailering without partitions

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Willowview

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Just wanted some thoughts, opinions and experiences really my mare has been a nightmare to load after a few nasty experiences with people being impatient and beating her on. I have built up very slowly but she has learnt to back out of trailer before you put bar up. Last week we tried taking partition out and keeping it very relaxed no pressure etc and she was very good. Today we have done a trip round local lane using the proper ifor williams single width breast and breaching bars she seemed fine travelling like this (she is a very good traveller). However, whilst some people on our yard can't rave about taking the partition out enough some are very sceptical although I must add they have never tried it and their horses do load fine. So would or do you travel without partitions?
 
Often travel without a partition - most horses prefere it. If I'm only travelling one horse I will always take them out.

I had one mare who was a nightmare to travel with a partition - would scrabble and climb the walls even for the slowest, smoothest journey. But travelled like a dream without the partition.
 
Yep I travel mine without. Mainly because I have an old trailer and if the partition is in it has to be screwed to the floor which can cause problems with loading. My horse is very happy travelling without and tends to stand diagonally across the space which I think helps them to balance.
 
Many horses perfer travelling diagonally which you can only do if you take the partition out. We'll travel either way depending on the horse we have on board. You need to do what suits your horse!
 
I travel mine without partitions and you can see the marks on the sides where she leans, presumably for balance.
She loads much better and generally travels better :).
 
We tried mine without a partition when he started travelling and loading badly. We tried everything we could possibly think of to help him, before someone asked if we'd taken the partition out and instantly he travelled without a fuss! If it works for your horses and is safe (which this is!) then do it and don't worry about what others say :)
 
Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I agree it is much safer (for horse and human;) ) to have a calm horse with no partition than to have partitions and a frightened horse. I hope I have found a way forward now as it has taken almost a year to resolve the problem and my little mare deserves to go out and have some fun!!!
 
I never use a partition in my current trailer - it is too big and heavy to have to take out every time we want to deliver some hay!

I had one horse who traveled really badly with a partition but was fine without, one that traveled fine with but prefered without, the other two haven't minded either way. Once they have made themselves comfortable they never move.

I have never crossed tied as they were all seasoned travelers apart from my new one as I'm not sure if he has traveled without a partition before.
 
Mine loads fine in a lorry, just walks up, but in a trailer he just won't budge: jumps off the ramp, backs up/rears, the whole shaboodle. Then we tried loading him with no partitions in - no probs! Even though other people in the yard were having a seizure we went ahead and did it, so I'd say if your horse is claustraphobic like I think mine is, then if the horse is happy and knows what they want, go for it.
 
I prefer to travel mine without the partition (cross tied, single breast bar). They always travel fine and don't appear to get stressed at all. I would only bother putting the partition back into my trailer if I needed to travel 2 at once.
 
Yep, agree with all the above. Mine refused to load (was used to a lorry and was ok in my trailer with the partitions until I got a new jeep with a much bigger engine and I think I scared him by going too fast by accident.)

I tried getting firm with him, being nice to him, feeding him in it every night. He just wouldn't have it and it was so frustrating.

I took the partition out and bought the full width bars from the Ifor Williams dealer where I got the trailer from and he has been fine ever since.

I cross-tie him because I'm paranoid about him getting stuck trying to turn round.

And I think I can say that it is safe. I had a very scary experience a few weeks ago where some idiot was been chased up a dual carriageway the wrong way by a police car. All the traffic in the outside lane had to scoot into the inside lane and I had to do an emergency stop. I nearly hit the car in front of me and I could hear Tee banging and crashing around in the back (heart attack, heart attack!!) but he was fine. He didn't fall over and has loaded and travelled fine every time since.
 
Mine won't load with a partition but I can load him myself without one. I find its also easier to tack him up in the trailer when we get to a show without the partition!
 
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