Travel nightmare help PLEASE!!!

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Luckylocalian

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Help please! I have a bad loader/traveller and after buying my trailer late last year I have spent a few months taking my horse on short journeys. I have posted on here a few times and upon advice I bought a single breast bar and took the partitions out and he has been travelling a lot better...HOWEVER... yesterday I had to take him on the motorway for the first time to get to the saddle fitters and he went ballistic and ripped to shreds all the matting in the box with his stamping and temper and came off sweating and promptly broke away from the trailer and disappeared into the sunset (was finally caught btw)- it was a highly stressful time and I was all alone which didn't help!!!! Desperately need advice on the following:

1. How can I get him used to the lorries/noise on the motorway - would it be better to travel with the doors shut on the back - can you do this? (I have a Richardson Supreme Grande)

2. What on earth can I do about the matting - it is destroyed and he is down to the metal....the trailer is only about 18months old is this really acceptable?

3. Any advice at all on to how to help my horse enjoy travelling - I want to get him out and about this summer and at the moment it is all just too stressful and dangerous for everyone
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Does he travel any better in a lorry?

How is your driving?

Do you make sure the front top door is closed when travelling, and also do you close one of the back tpo doors as well??
 
How is he with a campanion. Perhaps take him out with a good traveler to try and keep him calm.

Is he ok in traffic on the roads? ie big lorrys, loud cars, motor bikes etc.
 
Thanks for your replies. In answer to your questions.

-He actually travels worse in a lorry for the most part apart from on the motorway.

-I drive like a granny - really drive very carefully to try and give him the best ride possible.

-I closed both the back top doors for the journey back yesterday to see if that helped and it didn't - should I try it with one top door shut? I always shut the front top door - too dangerous in case something flies in!

-He is 100% in traffic with bikes/lorries/tractors etc (amazing for a 5 year old)

-travelling with another horse has not made any difference in the past but is unfortunately not now possible because he needs the whole trailer as there is no central partition.

I am so at a loss as to what to do!!!!
 
I think you may have to start from the beginning after this bad experience, just to get his confidence back. Try just leading him through the trailer over and over, try feeding him in there, then just do some short local journeys. I would avoid motorway driving anyway unless it is essential - why not get the saddle fitter to come to you? There is a lot of sway with trailers on a motorway, and for a horse with travelling issues it is quite a scary experience. Another option is to try a different trailer, if you have obliging friends who would drive you or lend you one - some may be quieter at speed than others.
 
Is he standing up in the trailer??? I know it sounds a ridiculous question but my old pony was a terrible traveler and it wasnt for a few months that we realised exactly why!!!

She couldnt stand up whilst traveling and kept falling to her knees, scrambling to get up again trashing the trailer and rubber matting and coming out in a sweat. She was also a bad loader but we soon realised why. Get someone to follow you to see exactly what he is doing in there.
 
The problem is that I have had problems travelling him for the last six months and every time I get him loading up and down and eating in there and being 100% as soon as you take him anywhere, whether in a trailer or a horsebox, it's back to square one and you can't load him or travel him again. A lot of it is temper tantrum as he doesn't like it but what can I do as I need to be able to take him out and about because I bought him to compete. Took me so so long to get a car and trailer and there is no way that I can afford a horsebox.....

The reason I went to the saddle fitter is because I needed a new saddle asap and would have had to have waited weeks for him to come out and didn't want to risk my horse's back.
 
This is a tricky one, I once used the services of Michael Peace who helped me to load a poor loader, I also learned to do it myself and he got gradually better and better, but he was not too bad once on the move. He was around 19 years old and still grew to dislike it less and less.

Your horse, being young, can certainly change, it's just how to do the exact right thing and it seems that sadly, you/he have had a big setback that will currently be on his mind and causing him fear and anxiety.

Think it through, I am trying to as well for you!

You need to make a complete break in his fear, change something about the way he loads, or stands or how you travel him.
Maybe feed him in the trailer for the next few loadings, only.
The try travelling him whilst he eats something juicy like haylage for just a mile or two.
If you put blocks under the trailer perhaps he can eat every meal in there.
Travel him with a human (out of hoove's reach!) for a couple of miles, a few times.
I am thinking of other ideas, do you say, he only flared up when he got on the motorway?
 
Thanks Armhole - yes he only flared up on the motorway, He used to be a nightmare on any journey but then he was fine on short journeys on normal backroads but was really bad on the motorway. He really is very spoilt tho and used to having his own way and he does have a bit of a teenage temper tantrum thing going on.. .it is so hard to know what's the right thing to do!
 
Also perhaps try a travel mirror to distract him? People seem to have had good results? I've used one in the stable and its brilliant!
Worth a try?
 
More ideas you may or may not be doing already -

Put some more matting down, I realise you are on a budget, you could perhaps get some second hand matting on ebay or use wooden boards (put ridges in it for slip proof) over the metal, from any timber merchant.
Cover this with loads of what looks - to him - like bedding, it will definitely tempt him in, works a treat!

Also, to tempt him in, put the same bedding material on the ramp when you are attemptin to load.

Yes you can travel with all doors shut.

NEVER scare the horse in when loading, with a person whacking them from behind, it doesn't solve the problem, coax him in with feed, lift up a foot and place it further forward, don't let him look back, praise when he sniffs the ramp or looks as though he is going forwards, even in his mind. Timing is of the essence. Take ages, the answer lies in the fact that the horse believes you have more time than he does! (Which is bloo&y ages!)
If he seems to go off in his own little trance-like state when you are standing patiently trying to load him, give him a big nudge to bring him back. Then stroke when he focusses.
When he steps back or away, yank him one, hard, then go back to praising when he goes into forward mode.
When your first journey (for a mile or two) seems to be going well. STOP and go in, give him a treat, speak softly to him, praise him well. Then go gingerly home.
Do this a lot.
Patience, I'm afraid, for a very, very, long time.

Trying to get them to forget something bad takes thousands of good experiences.
 
Have you tried deep littering him in the trailer? As in putting effectively a deep bed of shavings so that he firstly doesn't get through to the matting and if he is falling, has something soft to land on.

Do you bandage him up to travel? And when you are practicing are you doing this too? We had a mare who would feed in the trailer, go in, walk through etc, but we never thought about the fact that when we went somewhere we did some things differently including put travel boots on and changed her feed times, which stressed her out enourmously.

With regard to putting a human in the back, this isn't just dangerous, its illegal - so be very careful if you think about trying this one. Someone following is definatley a good idea.
 
I bought a perspex mirror from a garden centre, my hubby drilled holes in the corners, it is just a plastic sheet that is a mirror (due to the backing of course) I think people put them in gardens don't they?
Could be less expensive than an equine one.
That is a good idea! Size up to you, but for the horse, I'd go for big, say, 3ft by 3ft minimum.
 
Just to elaborate on my 'have you travelled him backwards' statement.

A friend bought a trailer in which horses could be travelled backwards, because she had a horse that simly would not travel when facing forwards.

May be worth trying - if you can find one.
 
I have a few suggestions...

Firstly, I would consider saving up and getting Richard Maxwell out to your horse regarding his loading and travelling. My mare hannah would not load for 4 years, she was scared to death and could get so worked up about it that she would run over me rather than stay in the trailer or box. Richard came out and helped me with her, and I have never looked back. She trots up the ramp to my Equi-Trek, and when I bought a 7.5 tonne horsebox I was worried we would have some issues. But I need not have even thought about it, because she has been absolutely brilliant with loading into it.

Hannah is also a bad traveller... but with Richard's help we have started to overcome this. At first we did 5 minute journeys, lots of loading and unloading when we got back etc etc. and this started to make a real difference to her and she started settling in the journey too. Occasionally she will come out looking as though someone has bathed her, but last weekend we went competing and she hadn't even shed one drop of sweat
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This is the first time she has travelled so well, and it has taken over two years!

I also have a CCTV camera fitted in my horsebox (I had one of the Trailer Vision ones in my trailer) and this has helped me see how she travels etc. and definitely worth looking into. You can start looking at what makes them stress out, whether they prefer more room, less room etc etc just by watching how they cope. I also found Hannah travelled far better backwards than forwards, and she is now travelling very well herringbone. But initially, travelling backwards has definitely made her more confident.
 
What sort of travel boots do you use? I find that the big bulky ones (mark todd style) can panic horses even more as they can stand on them etc, and find bandaging a much better alternative. Just a thought.
 
Thanks for all your replies - much appreciated!

I always use travel boots even when just loading him to practice... I use Weatherbeeta ones - they are not very thick (I actually want thicker ones but after that post am thinking twice!)

I am going to order a stable mirror tomorrow after I have measured it (unless anyone can tell me what size to order - I just want to make sure it fits and isn't too big!)

I have also called Richard Maxwell's office - it is a lot of money but if I can get it from somewhere I am definitely going to try him. Problem I have is that I bought a trailer before Christmas, have just moved house, bought two saddles for my horse as he has changed shape with age and am working restricted hours cause of ill health so it is all a little bit stressful at the moment and my horse's behaviour isn't helping!!!! x
 
Lots of really good suggestions here, am taking some on board for my horse - thanks. He also has temper tantrums in the lorry and bangs and kicks when he wants out!

Just one idea for the motorway noise issue - how about putting on ear muffs to block out noise (sorry, can't think of what they are called, mind gone blank, show jumpers wear them). Trailers are horribly noisy, all metal banging, rattling etc. Perhaps get someone to drive you around the yard while you stand in the back and see if any doors rattle etc and then try to soundproof.
 
my daughters pony, when we got him was a terrible traveller even though he was a teenager and had travelled alot. We found out he had been in a trailer that turned over . we have a lorry and he loads fine but appeared to have no sense of balance to the point where he would slide onto his side and we had to stop. The solution with us was less space, we got much higher padded partions that he could lean on and a much narrower space.
He is 100% fine now but i think otherwise we would have had to stop travelling him as he would have hurt himself.
I know are trying more space but have you thought about less ??
 
I was also thinking about the motorway noise issue. Can you drive the trailer up the motorway with a tape recorder in and then loop that so that you can play it in the stable to desensitise your horse?
 
If you are ordering from Jacksons ring up and they will give you advice on size and where to place it etc.

You could try stable bandages rather than boots. I got rid of my thick travel boots

(at 2nd hand sales and there are always lots of travel boots on sale!)
 
God there are some fantastic ideas here and I really do appreciate them!! I am trying to think of a way to record and replay the motorway noises.....I wonder what I could use? The ear muffs are a great idea too!

Thanks in particular also to the stable mirror link - I will order now!

I always cross tie and relatively loosely so he can shift his weight but not turn around.

I will try backwards but I don't know anyone with a backwards trailer and buying a lorry is simply not an option... maybe I could try and hire one but finances are really tight at the moment and don't think my boyfriend will understand why I am having to pay out to use a trailer when we have just bought one!
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I can't offer any advice and looks like you have had lots of good tips already but just wanted to say I really feel for you. My horse was dreadful but eventually we worked out that a travelling compnaion was the answer even though its a pain in the bum having to always take another one along. It is so stressful and you sound like you are doing so well thinking rationally and trying to work through it. I wish you all the best with it - sounds like you are making some progress. I have heard good reports about the travel mirrors too!
 
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