Travel dilemmia!!!

T

Thai

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About a year ago we bought a 14.2hh mare for my daughter. The previous owners had competed her regualarly & had only ever travelled her in a horsebox. They also said they usually travelled her on her own. We have a trailer and the first few outings in that she was fine. However on the 4th outing when we arrived at the comp she was covered in sweat and looked as if she had been down on the floor (she was only in there 15mins!!)
We now have a horsebox, thinking that maybe she doesn't like travelling in a trailer as she had travelled in a lorry with previous owners. But yesterday we tried her in the horsebox with no success. We got a metre down the drive and already she was trying to go down. She doesn't look as if she if falling, more of trying to lie down. She does not panic either, she just leans against the partition and tries to go onto the floor. We don't want her to hurt herself but we need to get her over this problem as she is too good a horse to not be out competing.
Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions??? xx
 
I used to have the same problem with my mare... she used to sit down! it been a long process but we have managed to get her travelling. firstly we took the partition out to see if that would help ( it helped slightly as it allowed her to get her balance better). we also thought the problem might be the fact she is tied up, So we tried her with the partition but not tied up and this proved successful! its just lots of patient and practise but now, she travels tied up with partition, we just take it slow round corners etc. The only thing that still remains is the sweating slightly, however we have noticed she travels better in a box instead of a trailer.
 
Thanks for this. We tried her without the partition and that was slightly more sucessfull. Will try her without being tied up. Did you try your mare not being tied up in a trailer or a box?? Also, did your horse try and sit down as soon as you started moving?? xx
 
I'm having the same problem. So be interested in the replies. Ive owned my pony for about 5 years, some times he travels fine the next time he's on the floor. He panics when he goes down but never refuses to load, we have to have an extra wide partition in my lorryand he leans on ths left partion with all his body weight and I have to either tie him up so that he can just about reach to lean or long enough incase he does go down!. He's the same in a trailer he can only go in a Ifor williams because they have the rubber on the bottom half of the partition so he can stand with his hind legs wide!!.
 
Are your partitions full length? Our mare wouldn't travel in a trailer and was not happy in the lorry until we had the partitions cut off and rubber skirts put on. She could then spread her legs and find her balance and travels with no problem now.
 
our pony also loads brilliantly. Our partitions are not full length but i don't think its the balance thats the problem as we literally only moved 2 foot before she started to go down. We also tried her in the trailer without the partition and she tried to go down then too. Really worried she will badly hurt helself so want to find a way of preventing her from lying down. If we were to put her between 2 partitions that were very close together, does anyone think she might not be able to go down then??
 
we tried it in both, but felt safer doing it in the trailer as she had less room to move around (however we found in the box she just stood there anyway). I think its mainly due to balance. Jazz our mare, used to do it when we set off but also around corners. We used to drive around the block, just giving her practise at her balance. Shes still not perfect but we can get to and from shows which is all we really want :) practise practise practise
 
spoke to someone today who had an idea. When people travel brood mares and foals they take the partitions out and let them wonder loose (as its safer) She suggested that we should try this as she would then be able to lie down without hurting herself. I can see the sense in this as the main danger when we travelled her was that she was getting her legs all spagetti as she didnt have enoguh room to li e down. Worth a try i think. The annoying thing about the whole situation is that she came about 3hrs in a horsebox absolutely fine with no issues oflying down!!! x
 
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