Traveling a hobbled horse...

[HT equines]

I think we have all been there! Including horn beeping.... I'm sure it's attention seeking. "Oi! This is my stop!!" And excitement about going to a party... Leo hardly does it on the way home, if at all.

One thing I am going to try (because I have enough space) is fitting a breaching bar at the 'back' (actually the front) of the lorry with a piece of rubber matting hanging from it - so Leo can kick that instead of the wall. He doesn't kick a stable door but I know the hanging rubber works for door-bangers - sometimes!! I think he may prefer to be enclosed and have something to park his a** on, as there's quite alot of space between his bum and the wall. My sister was adamant her shire x wouldn't fit in there. She put her in the morning and sheepishly phoned to say Tilly had LOADS of room behind her. That way I can also travel him forwards if necessary. Now, how to get quick release breast bar installed for when he rears over it....
He's such a t*t. Love him to bits though!

Did you see the other thread? some interesting stuff on there too...
Things I have tried, that might work for you? Who knows... Bloody horses!
Instant Magic magnesium calmer. Oxyshot calmer. Stable mirror. Lickit. Changing angles/widths of partitions. Direction of travel. With/without other horses... Human pacifier - it's quite fun actually! It gave me real insight on how it feels to be standing and not know what will happen next!
SUDDEN BRAKING - have you tried this? Tapping the brakes when they kick? It does work! Best if only one horse on board as not fair to others though. I combine it with "LEO! PACK IT UP!!", which was very funny as lorry was rocking and rolling down a crowded high street in gloucestershire and I realised I had the windows open, and was listening to Cher rather loudly. I got alot of very funny looks. Leo loves music and singing though. Only kicks when there are male artists playing so we quickly skip those tracks!
I have also had people running into petrol stations shouting that there is an insane animal going mad in the lorry outside - who's is it - get out there quickly! I shrug, and pretend not to know.... When I go in there, he looks all innocent as though there had never been any problem!!

My shetland goes nuts while traveling - she is an awesome driving pony, but rear and paws while traveling, I found her hooked over her rope once and she'd traveled the whole way with one leg in the air!!
The best solution for her, given that I have a little lorry, is to travel her loose. She sticks her bottom on the wall, and eats a haynet. I don't hear a peep out of her the whole way. If I have more than one, I put them in loose together and they lean on each other. Not sure I'm brave enough with the big boy, especially as I can't take the partition out without three large men to assist, and with it in, even diagonally, he wouldn't have enough space to fully turn round if he tried, and might get stuck. He currently gets low cross-tied so he can't rear as high..

Hello, I’m having the same problem. Please can you tell me if you tried it and if it worked? It’s last attempt to travel him without hurting himself. I’ve considered that he may panic and what if he goes down with them on, it’s not something I want to do but I also don’t want to retire him yet and he spent a summer lame from kicking the lorry previously. It’s pure temper of wanting to get out and back in the ring, he also does it if tied to the lorry to untack ?? has previously knocked me over and ran back into the ring! I plan to discuss this with my vet before going ahead and trying it, I realise the risks but I’m interested in anyone who has done it safely and successfully to keep the horse safe travelling. Thanks

 

[MagicMelon]

Personally I would never consider this and I was advised by several "professionals" to do exactly this for a horse I had who would rear up and jump over the breast bar of the trailer (they told me to do his front legs but IMO he could still rear with his legs tied together so I dont see how this would have worked!). He would paw really badly in the trailer too. I just wouldnt do it from a safety point of view. Ive had horses go down while travelling and its absolutely horrendous. To have legs tied together brought into the equation just doesnt bear thinking about. Cant you just really pad out the sides/back of the box where he kicks with thick carpeting or something?

 

[emilylou]

One of the horses I used to ride used to kick the trailer if his back legs were in boots or bandages but wouldnt if they were naked. So, maybe something to try?

 

[EJJ999]

Our big WB used to do big hefty bucks into my back in the 3.5t. Only when the van wasn't moving. I used to dread the lights turning red as I approached. We have a small window through to the horse area so my daughter carried a schooling whip and as soon as he looked like he was going to buck he got a smack on top of his bum. Quickly retracted the schooling whip back into the cab and he couldn't work out where the smack came from. He didn't forever stop him but I could get away with it for a few journeys until he forgot.

 

[Hallo2012]

have used hobbles on a few:

hobbled behind to stop one kicking through the lorry wall again (managed it once stationary thank god)

hobbled in front to stop a stallion climbing up on the tack lockers (managed it once and destroyed the ceiling and light)

and a couple of others for just general kicking and pawing and general impatient lorry destruction.

not one ever panicked, or stumbled, or sweated or struggled.

thankfully current lad is so quiet i sometimes have to double check ive loaded him, but hobbles do work and are in no way cruel

 

[Lillian_paddington]

I wouldn’t use them. A friend used them once on her horse (long story but it was not exactly her choice) and the horse came out the box with a gash on her lip. So had clearly gone to balance itself, got caught by the restriction of the hobbles and smacked its face. I think you risk making the horse a worse traveller by giving them a bad experience. Yes it might work but you are taking quite a big risk with no guarantee the horse won’t hurt themselves.

 

[HT equines]

Personally I would never consider this and I was advised by several "professionals" to do exactly this for a horse I had who would rear up and jump over the breast bar of the trailer (they told me to do his front legs but IMO he could still rear with his legs tied together so I dont see how this would have worked!). He would paw really badly in the trailer too. I just wouldnt do it from a safety point of view. Ive had horses go down while travelling and its absolutely horrendous. To have legs tied together brought into the equation just doesnt bear thinking about. Cant you just really pad out the sides/back of the box where he kicks with thick carpeting or something?

Thanks, I can pad it but the force he kicks with he twisted his pelvis in 2017 and was out of action for a year, it’s not constant kicking but big huge cow kicks when he starts, normally as we are arriving somewhere or leaving then all the way home once his adrenaline is up, he will do it tied to the side of the lorry as well.

 

[doodle]

I don’t see why anyone would ever hobble a horse. Sounds cruel to me. I don’t like being restrained and it makes matters worse so why do it to a horse who needs to balance in a moving vehicle.

 

[Cortez]

Yes, I have hobbled horses for travelling on a couple of occasions. If you do it properly then it does work, BUT you need to know what you're doing, have the right equipment, and know what to do if it goes wrong.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Yes, I have hobbled horses for travelling on a couple of occasions. If you do it properly then it does work, BUT you need to know what you're doing, have the right equipment, and know what to do if it goes wrong.

Agreed.
I still have a set of service hobbles somewhere, v useful bit of kit for a kicker.
The old felt ones with leather straps are long gone tho. V rare I used them but did the job when required.